John Carney and Lisa Blunt Rochester won the governor’s race and the state’s lone congressional seat in a nail-biting night for Democrats on the national stage.
Rochester will be the state’s first female and African American member of Congressional.
Carney piled up 58 percent of the vote in a race against State Sen. Colin Bonini, while Rochester had 55 percent of the vote in a race against Hans Riegle.
Democratic State Sen. Bethany Hall Long will assume the now-vacant post of lieutenant governor after a convincing victory of Lamar Gunn.
On the state Senate side, it appeared that Republicans would fall short in a bid to gain control of the upper body. However, Anthony Delcollo seemed destined to unseat longtime State Sen. Patrician Blevins.
The heavy registration advantage for Democrats was reflected in Hillary Clinton winning out over Donald Trump by a 53 percent to 42 percent margin.
As expected, Matthew Meyer was elected New Castle County Executive with Michael Purzycki taking the post of Wilmington Mayor.
Outgoing Gov. Jack Markell issued the following:
“Congratulations to John Carney on becoming the next Governor of Delaware and to Colin Bonini on his determined campaign. Having had the opportunity to work with John and to get to know him and his family during my time in office, I know he is as committed as anyone to public service on behalf of all Delawareans, and that he has the character, integrity, and resolve to make the most of the incredible responsibility with which he has been entrusted by our citizens. As I have told John, I look forward to working with him on a smooth and effective transition over the next two months to ensure his administration is as prepared as possible to hit the ground running on day one.
Markell continued, “I also congratulate Bethany Hall-Long and Trinidad Navarro, as well as Mike Purzycki, Matt Meyer and all of the winners of the General Assembly races, on their victories, and thank all of the candidates who ran spirited campaigns and participated in this fundamental exercise of our democracy.
The governor concluded, “Finally, we have made history tonight, giving our state’s Electoral College votes to a woman for the first time and electing a woman and an African-American to represent Delaware in Congress. Whomever you supported in those races, the performances of Hillary Clinton and Lisa Blunt Rochester on our ballot represents another important milestone in breaking down barriers in our state. I hope it will open the door for more women and minorities to pursue public office in the years to come.”
Click here for the final results.
