Delaware Senate
Upper house of the Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware State Senate is the upper house of the Delaware General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is composed of 21 Senators, each of whom is elected to a four-year term, except when reapportionment occurs, at which time Senators may be elected to a two-year term. There is no limit to the number of terms that a Senator may serve. The Delaware Senate meets at the Legislative Hall in Dover.
In order to accommodate the ten-year cycle of reapportionment, the terms of office of the several Senators are staggered so that ten Senators are elected to terms of two years at the first biennial general election following reapportionment, followed by two four-year terms, and eleven Senators are elected at the said election for two four-year terms, followed by a two-year term.
Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions, boards, or justices to the Delaware Supreme Court.
01Qualifications
Senators must be citizens of the United States, have lived in Delaware for three years, and have been a resident of their respective district for at least one year preceding their election. They must also be at least 27 years old at the time of their election.
02Senate leadership
The Lieutenant Governor of Delaware serves as the President of the Senate, but only casts a vote if required to break a tie. In the absence of the lieutenant governor, the President Pro Tempore presides over the Senate. The President Pro Tempore is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the entire Senate through a Senate Resolution. The President Pro Tempore is the chief leadership position in the Senate. The other Senate leaders are elected by their respective party caucuses.
| Position | Name | Party | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Senate/Lieutenant Governor | Kyle Evans Gay | Democratic | N/A |
| President Pro Tem | David Sokola | Democratic | 8 |
| Majority Leader | Bryan Townsend | Democratic | 11 |
| Majority Whip | Elizabeth Lockman | Democratic | 3 |
| Minority Leader | Gerald Hocker | Republican | 20 |
| Minority Whip | Brian G. Pettyjohn | Republican | 19 |
03Composition
| 15 | 6 |
| Democratic | Republican |
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | Vacant | ||
| 2019-2020 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 0 |
| 2021-2022 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 0 |
| 2023-2024 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 0 |
| Begin 2025 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 2 |
| February 15, 2025 | 15 | 21 | 0 | |
| Latest voting share | 71.4% | 28.6% | ||
Members
Below are the Senators as of the 153rd General Assembly (2024-2026), following the most recent election.
| District | Name | Party | Start | Residence | Next Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Dan Cruce | Dem | 2025 | Wilmington | 2026 |
| 2nd | Darius J. Brown | Dem | 2018 | Wilmington | 2028 |
| 3rd | Elizabeth Lockman | Dem | 2018 | Wilmington | 2028 |
| 4th | Laura Sturgeon | Dem | 2018 | Brandywine Hundred | 2028 |
| 5th | Ray Seigfried | Dem | 2025 | Arden | 2026 |
| 6th | Russ Huxtable | Dem | 2022 | Lewes | 2028 |
| 7th | Spiros Mantzavinos | Dem | 2020 | Westgate Farms | 2026 |
| 8th | David Sokola | Dem | 1990 | Newark | 2026 |
| 9th | Jack Walsh | Dem | 2016 | Newport | 2026 |
| 10th | Stephanie Hansen | Dem | 2017 | Middletown | 2028 |
| 11th | Bryan Townsend | Dem | 2012 | Westover Woods | 2028 |
| 12th | Nicole Poore | Dem | 2012 | Barbs Farm | 2026 |
| 13th | Marie Pinkney | Dem | 2020 | New Castle County | 2026 |
| 14th | Kyra Hoffner | Dem | 2022 | Leipsic | 2026 |
| 15th | David G. Lawson | Rep | 2010 | Marydel | 2026 |
| 16th | Eric Buckson | Rep | 2022 | Camden | 2028 |
| 17th | W. Charles Paradee | Dem | 2018 | Dover | 2028 |
| 18th | David L. Wilson | Rep | 2018 | Lincoln | 2028 |
| 19th | Brian G. Pettyjohn | Rep | 2012 | Georgetown | 2026 |
| 20th | Gerald Hocker | Rep | 2012 | Ocean View | 2026 |
| 21st | Bryant Richardson | Rep | 2014 | Laurel | 2028 |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Delaware Senate”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Seal of Delaware.svg by State of Delaware, Public domain
Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.
