United States Senate election in Delaware, 2024
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| U.S. Senate, Delaware |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: July 9, 2024 |
| Primary: September 10, 2024 General: November 5, 2024 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Delaware |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Safe Democratic Inside Elections: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • At-large Delaware elections, 2024 U.S. Congress elections, 2024 U.S. Senate elections, 2024 U.S. House elections, 2024 |
Voters in Delaware elected one member to the U.S. Senate in the general election on November 5, 2024. The primary was September 10, 2024. The filing deadline was July 9, 2024.
The election filled the Class I Senate seat held by Tom Carper (D), who first took office in 2001.
The outcome of this race affected the partisan balance of the U.S. Senate in the 119th Congress. Thirty-four of 100 seats were up for election, including one special election. Of the seats up for election in 2024, Democrats held 19, Republicans held 11, and independents held four.
At the time of the election, Democrats had a 50-49 majority.[1] As a result of the election, Republicans gained a 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag To read more about the 2024 U.S. Senate elections, click here.
This was one of eight open races for the U.S. Senate in 2024 where an incumbent did not run for re-election. Across the country, four Democrats, two Republicans, and two independents did not run for re-election, more than in any year since 2012. In 2022, six senators did not seek re-election, including one Democrat and five Republicans.
For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- United States Senate election in Delaware, 2024 (September 10 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate election in Delaware, 2024 (September 10 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Delaware
Lisa Blunt Rochester defeated Eric Hansen and Michael Katz in the general election for U.S. Senate Delaware on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Lisa Blunt Rochester (D) | 56.6 | 283,298 |
 | Eric Hansen (R)  | 39.5 | 197,753 | |
 | Michael Katz (Independent) | 3.9 | 19,555 | |
| Total votes: 500,606 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Lisa Blunt Rochester advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Delaware.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Pamela Brown (D)
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Eric Hansen advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Delaware.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- William Taylor (R)
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Eric Hansen (self-described reasonable Republican) is running for US Senate, to represent Delaware. He will have no primary after winning the unanimous endorsement of all 351 state delegates. He is on the ballot on the general election on Nov 5, 2024. Delaware, historically blue, has become a more competitive state since President Joe Biden, with his long connection to Delaware, dropped from the ballot and with increasing frustration among the electorate. Eric grew up mostly in Florida with a family, like many, too often struggling to make ends meet. At the age of 12, he started going to church on his own and has remained faithful since. Despite the hardships he saw that more was possible. Driven to do more, he worked his way through college with summer jobs and student loans. He ultimately earned his master’s degree from Yale School of Management. With perseverance and some luck, he got the education that allowed him to live the American Dream. Eric has been in business his entire career. He spent the bulk of his career as an executive at Walmart – the uniquely American company that is built on lowering prices so people can live better. At Walmart, he ran a business with brands like Equate, Parent’s Choice, and others. His job was to make them just as good as the national brands, but half the price. Because of his work at Walmart, Eric saved U.S. shoppers over $25 billion."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Delaware in 2024.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Delaware
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
| Collapse all
Eric Hansen (R)
I am a businessman, and a proud political outsider. I spent many years at Walmart learning how to manage complexity, get collaboration from people that don’t agree, and drive down prices for consumers. My team and I were able to save the country over 25 billion dollars.
I’m running because everything before Walmart and after Walmart seemed unsatisfying - because while I was at Walmart I wasn’t just managing a business, I was helping people save money and live better - exactly what I'll do in the US Senate.
Hansen’s top priorities include:
- Lower the cost of living. Create an inflation tax credit that helps those on fixed incomes and tight budgets defray higher costs. Reduce wasteful government spending so we can spend on programs that work for you.
- Secure the border. Legal immigration with strong vetting is good for the nation, illegal immigration must end.
In DC, politicians care more about getting re-elected than serving the people that elected them. "I am running to change that. I commit, on the record, to running for a single term so that I can be free to do what’s right for you - and NOT what will get me re-elected. Only if the majority of Delawareans think I did a great job would I run for a second term and no more. That will allow me to serve you in a way no career politician can."
Eric Hansen (R)
Eric Hansen (R)
Eric Hansen (R)
Eric Hansen (R)
He brought back civility to politics and trust in government by forcing collaboration across the aisle - to achieve results for the good of all. Eric helped bring both parties, and America, back from extremism and polarization to shared goals and a hopefulness for the future.
Passed the Hansen Tax and Spend reduction act that returned the US to fiscal responsibility, stimulated the economy, and helped us all live better - while protecting the future for our children and future generations. 2. Returned the US K-12 schooling to best in the world.
3. Created a safer world by keeping China, Russia and Iran in check.
Eric Hansen (R)
Eric Hansen (R)
Eric Hansen (R)
Eric Hansen (R)
Eric Hansen (R)
Eric Hansen (R)
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa Blunt Rochester | Democratic Party | $9,934,497 | $9,790,040 | $144,457 | As of December 31, 2024 |
| Eric Hansen | Republican Party | $1,015,951 | $1,015,951 | $0 | As of December 31, 2024 |
| Michael Katz | Independent | $31,672 | $31,456 | $0 | As of November 26, 2024 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[2]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[3][4][5]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Delaware, 2024 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 5, 2024 | October 29, 2024 | October 22, 2024 | October 15, 2024 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Delaware in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Delaware, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2024 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Delaware | U.S. Senate | Ballot-qualified party | N/A | N/A | $10,440 | Fixed number | 7/9/2024 | Source |
| Delaware | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 7,124 | 1% of all eligible voters | N/A | N/A | 9/3/2024 | Source |
Election history
The section below details election results for this state's U.S. Senate elections dating back to 2014.
2020
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Delaware
Incumbent Chris Coons defeated Lauren Witzke, Mark Turley, and Nadine Frost in the general election for U.S. Senate Delaware on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Chris Coons (D) | 59.4 | 291,804 |
 | Lauren Witzke (R) | 37.9 | 186,054 | |
 | Mark Turley (Independent Party) | 1.6 | 7,833 | |
 | Nadine Frost (L) | 1.1 | 5,244 | |
| Total votes: 490,935 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Delaware
Incumbent Chris Coons defeated Jessica Scarane in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Delaware on September 15, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Coons | 72.9 | 87,332 |
 | Jessica Scarane | 27.1 | 32,547 | |
| Total votes: 119,879 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Scott Walker (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Delaware
Lauren Witzke defeated James DeMartino in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Delaware on September 15, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lauren Witzke | 56.9 | 30,702 |
 | James DeMartino | 43.1 | 23,266 | |
| Total votes: 53,968 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Delaware
Incumbent Tom Carper defeated Robert Arlett, Demitri Theodoropoulos, and Nadine Frost in the general election for U.S. Senate Delaware on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tom Carper (D) | 60.0 | 217,385 |
 | Robert Arlett (R) | 37.8 | 137,127 | |
 | Demitri Theodoropoulos (G) | 1.2 | 4,170 | |
| Nadine Frost (L) | 1.1 | 3,910 | |
| Total votes: 362,592 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
On November 4, 2014, Chris Coons (D) won re-election to the U.S. Senate. He defeated Kevin Wade (R) and Andrew Groff (G) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Chris Coons Incumbent |
55.8% | 130,655 | |
| Republican | Kevin Wade | 42.2% | 98,823 | |
| Green | Andrew Groff | 1.9% | 4,560 | |
| Total Votes | 234,038 | |||
| Source: U.S. House Clerk "2014 Election Statistics" | ||||
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Delaware, 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | Incumbent | Party | PVI |
| Delaware's At-Large | Open (Lisa Blunt Rochester) |  Democratic |
D+7 |
2020 presidential results by 2024 congressional district lines
| 2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2024 district lines, Delaware[6] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Joe Biden 
|
Donald Trump 
| ||
| Delaware's At-Large | 58.8% | 39.8% | ||
2012-2020
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2020 presidential election, 57.7% of Delawareans lived in New Castle County, the state's one Solid Democratic county, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 24.0% lived in Sussex County, the state's one Solid Republican county. Overall, Delaware was Solid Democratic, having voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2012, Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016, and Joe Biden (D) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Delaware following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Delaware county-level statistics, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Democratic | 1 | 57.7% | |||||
| Solid Republican | 1 | 24.0% | |||||
| Battleground Democratic | 1 | 18.4% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 2 | 76.0% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 1 | 24.0% | |||||
Historical voting trends
Delaware presidential election results (1900-2020)
- 15 Democratic wins
- 16 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | D | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Delaware.
| U.S. Senate election results in Delaware | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Winner | Runner up |
| 2020 | 59.4% |
37.9%
|
| 2018 | 60.0% |
37.8%
|
| 2014 | 55.8% |
42.4%
|
| 2012 | 66.4% |
29.0%
|
| 2010 | 56.6% |
40.0%
|
| Average | 59.6 | 37.4 |
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Delaware
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Delaware.
| Gubernatorial election results in Delaware | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Winner | Runner up |
| 2016 | 59.5% |
38.6%
|
| 2012 | 58.3% |
39.2%
|
| 2008 | 69.3% |
28.6%
|
| 2004 | 67.5% |
32.1%
|
| 2000 | 50.9% |
45.8%
|
| Average | 61.1 | 36.9 |
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Delaware's congressional delegation as of May 2024.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Delaware | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 1 | 3 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Delaware's top four state executive offices as of May 2024.
| State executive officials in Delaware, May 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Office | Officeholder |
| Governor | John Carney Jr.
|
| Lieutenant Governor | Bethany Hall-Long
|
| Secretary of State | Jeffrey W. Bullock
|
| Attorney General | Kathy Jennings
|
State legislature
Delaware State Senate
| Party | As of February 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 15 | |
| Republican Party | 6 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 21 | |
Delaware House of Representatives
| Party | As of February 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 26 | |
| Republican Party | 15 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 41 | |
Trifecta control
The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.
Delaware Party Control: 1992-2024
Sixteen years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
The table below details demographic data in Delaware and compares it to the broader United States as of 2022.
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| Demographic Data for Delaware | ||
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | United States | |
| Population | 989,948 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 1,948 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 63.8% | 65.9% |
| Black/African American | 22% | 12.5% |
| Asian | 4.1% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more | 6.5% | 8.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 9.9% | 18.7% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 91.2% | 89.1% |
| College graduation rate | 34.5% | 34.3% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $79,325 | $75,149 |
| Persons below poverty level | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2017-2022). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The number of Democratic senators includes four independents.
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed December 15, 2023
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