2016 Delaware gubernatorial election
The 2016 Delaware gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2016, to elect the governor of Delaware, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as [United States Senate United States House of Representatives elections, 2016|elections, 2016|elections] to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Incumbent Democratic governor Jack Markell was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third term in office. Democratic congressman John Carney defeated Republican state senator Colin Bonini in a landslide. Despite his loss, Bonini flipped Sussex County back to the Republicans for the first time in a gubernatorial election since 2004.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- John Carney, U.S. representative, former lieutenant governor of Delaware and candidate for governor in 2008
Deceased
- Beau Biden, former Delaware Attorney General and son of Delaware senator, vice president, and future president Joe Biden
Withdrew
Declined
- Matthew Denn, Delaware Attorney General and former lieutenant governor of Delaware
- Thomas P. Gordon, county executive of New Castle County
- John Kowalko, state representative
- Peter Schwartzkopf, Speaker of the Delaware House of Representatives
- Bryan Townsend, state senator
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Colin Bonini, state senator and nominee for State Treasurer in 2010
Eliminated in primary
- Lacey Lafferty, retired state trooper
Declined
- Greg Lavelle, state senator and Minority Whip of the Delaware Senate
- Alan Levin, director of the Delaware Economic Development Office and former president and CEO of Happy Harry's
- Michael Ramone, state representative
- Daniel Short, Minority Leader of the Delaware House of Representatives
- Ken Simpler, State Treasurer of Delaware
Libertarian Party
Candidates
Declared
- Sean Louis Goward
General election
Debates
- , October 19, 2016 - C-SPAN