Delaware Democrats secured two-thirds supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature in Tuesday's election, flipping three Republican-held House seats and winning the power to pass constitutional amendments without Republican votes.
The two-thirds majorities open the door to constitutional amendments the party has been pushing, including protecting same-sex marriage and prohibiting corporations and entities from voting in elections. The gains mirrored the national results, where Democrats won control of the US House and Senate.
House Speaker Melissa "Mimi" Minor-Brown called the result "a vote of confidence from Delawareans across our state" who saw the work done last year and are "ready for us to keep working." Sen. Chris Coons, who won a fourth term Tuesday, said the results were a referendum on President Donald Trump and his policies, while cautioning that his party does not have a mandate: "This was a wave election, a blue tsunami that is going to reset the political table. Now, the challenge for my political party is to realize that we don't have a mandate; we have a moment, we have an opportunity."
Democrats already held a supermajority in the state Senate; an attempt to extend it by flipping a western Kent County seat vacated by a longtime Marydel Republican fell short. In the House, the flips came in districts in Middletown, Camden and Long Neck. Retired media executive Gregg Lindner beat Republican Dan Zitofsky by about three percentage points, and Annie Norman, Delaware's state librarian for 24 years, ousted Republican incumbent Lyndon Yearick in Camden by just 150 votes. Ayanna Khan-Flowers, president and chief executive of the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce, took 64 percent of the vote to Republican Jamar Money's 36 percent to win the seat previously held by Kevin Hensley, who pleaded guilty last year to driving drunk and crashing into a car on Route 1 near Milford. Republican Rep. Jeff Hilovsky of Long Neck did not seek another term.
Dave Redlawsk, a former University of Delaware political science professor, will occupy the Newark seat of state Sen.-elect Mara Gorman, who is replacing retiring Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola. He said the results pointed to voters thinking Republicans had “kind of gone off the rails” and that Democrats were “offering change.” He said large-scale federal deportation efforts could also have contributed to the House pickups, noting the significant Hispanic population in Sussex County; he said Hispanic voters nationally moved towards Trump two years ago and that this year they “massively rebound to the Democrats” after “the appalling things that the Trump administration has been doing in those communities.”
Lindner said his district probably has more registered Republicans than Democrats but the largest number of unaffiliated voters of any district in the state, a detail he said people may overlook.
Delaware Republican Party Chair Gene Truono said his party's candidates fared better in the state than many Republicans did nationally, but expressed disappointment at not flipping any seats. He said the party would “hunker down and work hard” and continue to fight in 2027, hoping for “some flips and wins” in 2028.
Five of the nine new state representatives are members of the Working Families Party, as is state Sen.-elect Shay Frisby. New Rep.-elect Rae Krantz, a software engineer replacing retiring Democratic Rep. Debra Heffernan, ran on a vision that "we can have the lives that we deserve," without people having to work multiple jobs, and with affordable housing and checks on "the monopoly powers of our electric suppliers."
Analysis
Why This Matters
- With two-thirds majorities in both chambers, Delaware Democrats can amend the state constitution without Republican votes, putting their proposals to protect same-sex marriage and bar corporations and entities from voting within reach.
- The state results extended the national Democratic wave, which also delivered control of the US House and Senate, into a legislature that was already firmly Democratic.
- The incoming cohort, several of them Working Families Party members, campaigned on affordability and living standards, which could shape the chamber's agenda in the coming session.
Background
Delaware has been strongly Democratic territory in recent elections: the party already held a supermajority in the state Senate before Tuesday and has now added a House supermajority. Its statewide ticket performed strongly, with Sen. Chris Coons winning a fourth term and the party picking up three Republican-held House seats in Middletown, Camden and Long Neck.
Key Perspectives
- House Speaker Melissa "Mimi" Minor-Brown (D): called the result "a vote of confidence from Delawareans across our state" in the legislature's work.
- Sen. Chris Coons (D): called it "a wave election, a blue tsunami" that will reset the political table, but said Democrats "don't have a mandate; we have a moment, we have an opportunity."
- State Rep.-elect Dave Redlawsk (D): said voters think Republicans have "kind of gone off the rails," and that federal deportation efforts drove Hispanic voters in Sussex County back to the Democrats.
- Rae Krantz (D), incoming state representative: ran on the vision that "we can have the lives that we deserve," citing affordable housing and checks on electric suppliers.
- Gene Truono, Delaware Republican Party chair: said the party fared "okay in Delaware" but was disappointed not to flip any seats, and plans to fight again in 2027 and 2028.
What to Watch
- Whether Democrats use their new two-thirds majorities to advance the constitutional amendments on same-sex marriage and corporate voting.
- How the five Working Families Party members among the nine new representatives influence the agenda on housing and utility costs.
- Whether Republicans can rebuild ahead of the 2027 and 2028 elections, as Truono said the party intends.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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- SupportedDelaware Democrats won supermajorities in both legislative chambers and flipped three House seats.WHYY: “A political landslide swept several Delaware progressives into the state legislature, flipping three seats in the state House and giving Democrats a supermajority in both chambers.”
- SupportedThe two-thirds majorities put constitutional amendments on same-sex marriage and corporate voting within reach.WHYY: “Having a two-thirds majority in each chamber means that Democrats can pass constitutional amendments without needing votes from Republicans. Democrats have been pushing several constitutional amendments, including protecting same-sex marriage and prohibiting corporations and entities from voting in elections.”
- SupportedDemocrats could pass constitutional amendments without Republican votes.WHYY: “Having a two-thirds majority in each chamber means that Democrats can pass constitutional amendments without needing votes from Republicans.”
- SupportedThe House Speaker said the result was “a vote of confidence from Delawareans across our state” who saw the work done last year and were “ready for us to keep working.”WHYY: ““What you’re seeing right now is a vote of confidence from Delawareans across our state,” House Speaker Melissa “Mimi” Minor-Brown said. “They saw the work that we’ve done last year, and they’re ready for us to keep working.””
- SupportedThe results mirrored the national outcome, where Democrats won control of the US House and Senate.WHYY: “The victories mirrored the national level, where Democrats won control of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate”
- SupportedChris Coons said the results were a referendum on President Donald Trump and his policies.WHYY: “Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, who won a fourth term Tuesday, said that while the results were a referendum on President Donald Trump and his policies, his own party must deliver results.”
- SupportedCoons said, “This was a wave election, a blue tsunami that is going to reset the political table,” and said his party had “a moment” and “an opportunity,” not a mandate.WHYY: ““This was a wave election, a blue tsunami that is going to reset the political table,” he said. “Now, the challenge for my political party is to realize that we don’t have a mandate; we have a moment, we have an opportunity.””
- SupportedDemocrats already held a Senate supermajority, but fell short in an attempt to extend it by flipping a western Kent County seat.WHYY: “Democrats already had a supermajority in the state Senate, but they failed to extend that majority by flipping a western Kent County Senate seat vacated by a longtime Marydel Republican.”
- SupportedGregg Lindner beat Dan Zitofsky by about three percentage points.WHYY: “State Rep.-elect Gregg Lindner, a retired media executive, beat Republican Dan Zitofsky, by about 3 percentage points.”
- SupportedAnnie Norman ousted Lyndon Yearick by 150 votes and had served as Delaware’s state librarian for 24 years.WHYY: “Annie Norman, who served for 24 years as Delaware’s state librarian, ousted incumbent state Rep. Lyndon Yearick, R-Camden, by just 150 votes.”
- SupportedAyanna Khan-Flowers won 64% of the vote to Jamar Money’s 36% for Kevin Hensley’s seat.WHYY: “Ayanna Khan-Flowers, the president and CEO of the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce, beat her Republican opponent and longtime educator Jamar Money with 64% of the vote, compared with Money’s 36% to earn state Rep. Kevin Hensley’s seat.”
- SupportedFive of the nine new state representatives are Working Families Party members.WHYY: “Five of the nine new state representatives are Working Families Party members.”