2016 Delaware gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:	2016 Delaware gubernatorial election
Country:	Delaware
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2012 Delaware gubernatorial election
Previous Year:	2012
Next Election:	2020 Delaware gubernatorial election
Next Year:	2020
Election Date:	November 8, 2016
Image1:	File:John C. Carney Jr. 2017.jpg
Nominee1:	John Carney
Party1:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	248,404
Percentage1:	58.34%
Nominee2:	Colin Bonini
Party2:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	166,852
Percentage2:	39.18%
Map Size:	210px
Governor
Before Election:	Jack Markell
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:	John Carney
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

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 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.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• John Carney, U.S. Representative, former lieutenant governor of Delaware and candidate for governor in 2008^[1]

Deceased

• Beau Biden, former Delaware Attorney General and son of Delaware Senator, Vice President, and future President Joe Biden^[2] (died May 30, 2015)

Withdrew

• Kevin Tinsley^[3]

Declined

• Matthew Denn, Delaware Attorney General and former Lieutenant Governor of Delaware^{[4] [5] [6]}
• Thomas P. Gordon, County Executive of New Castle County^[7]
• John Kowalko, state representative^[8]
• Peter Schwartzkopf, Speaker of the Delaware House of Representatives^[8]
• Bryan Townsend, state senator (running for Delaware's at-large seat in Congress)^[8]

Polling

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Colin Bonini, state senator and nominee for State Treasurer in 2010^[7]

Eliminated in primary

• Lacey Lafferty, retired state trooper

Declined

• Greg Lavelle, state senator and Minority Whip of the Delaware Senate^{[4] [9]}
• Alan Levin, director of the Delaware Economic Development Office and former president and CEO of Happy Harry's^[4]
• Michael Ramone, state representative^[10]
• Daniel Short, Minority Leader of the Delaware House of Representatives^[8]
• Ken Simpler, State Treasurer of Delaware^{[4] [7] [11]}

Results

Libertarian Party

Candidates

Declared

• Sean Louis Goward^[12]

General election

Debates

• Complete video of debate, October 19, 2016 - C-SPAN

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
align=left	The Cook Political Report^[13]		August 12, 2016
align=left	Daily Kos^[14]		November 8, 2016
align=left	Rothenberg Political Report^[15]		November 3, 2016
align=left	Sabato's Crystal Ball^[16]		November 7, 2016
align=left	Real Clear Politics^[17]		November 1, 2016
align=left	Governing^[18]		October 27, 2016

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	John Carney (D)	Colin Bonini (R)	Other	Undecided
SurveyMonkey	November 1–7, 2016	367	± 4.6%	align=center	56%	40%	—	4%
SurveyMonkey	October 31–November 6, 2016	383	± 4.6%	align=center	54%	42%	—	4%
SurveyMonkey	October 28–November 3, 2016	405	± 4.6%	align=center	56%	40%	—	4%
SurveyMonkey	October 27–November 2, 2016	397	± 4.6%	align=center	56%	39%	—	5%
SurveyMonkey	October 26–November 1, 2016	413	± 4.6%	align=center	58%	37%	—	5%
SurveyMonkey	October 25–31, 2016	458	± 4.6%	align=center	60%	36%	—	4%
University of Delaware	September 16–28, 2016	900	± 3.8%	align=center	57%	25%	7%	11% Results Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Sussex (largest city: Seaford) External links Official campaign websites (Archived) John Carney (D) for Governor Colin Bonini (R) for Governor Lacey Lafferty (R) for Governor

Notes and References

1. News: Rep. John Carney to Run for Governor of Delaware. National Journal. Bruggeman. Karyn. Railey. Kimberly. September 16, 2015. September 16, 2015.
2. News: Beau Biden says he plans to run for governor in Delaware. April 17, 2014. CNN. April 17, 2014. January 18, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160118132828/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/17/beau-biden-says-he-plans-to-run-for-governor-in-delaware/?hpt=hp_t2. dead.
3. Web site: Can Carney be topped in Delaware governor race?. Delaware State News. Matt. Bittle. July 23, 2016. August 14, 2016.
4. News: Delaware's 2016 speculation all about Biden. November 9, 2014. Delaware Online. November 8, 2014.
5. News: Jonathan Starkey. Denn enters AG's race; primary still possible. March 3, 2013. DelawareOnline. April 21, 2014.
6. News: Levy Court's Eaby pursuing a run for lieutenant governor . DelawareNewszap . Matt Bittle . February 21, 2015 . February 24, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150224102657/http://delaware.newszap.com/centraldelaware/138458-70/levy-courts-eaby-pursuing-a-run-for-lieutenant-governor . February 24, 2015 .
7. Web site: Bonini declares for governor's race . Delaware Online . November 6, 2014 . November 9, 2014.
8. News: Talk of 2016 rears its head at Return Day . . Dawson . James . November 6, 2014 . February 24, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150225011454/http://www.wdde.org/69591-2016-rearing-head-return-day . February 25, 2015 .
9. News: Sen. Lavelle opts out of 2016 governor race. The News Journal. Starkey. Jonathan. February 23, 2015. February 24, 2015.
10. News: McPike. Erin. Is Beau Biden Democrats' Next Emerging Star?. March 3, 2013. RealClearPolitics. September 11, 2012.
11. Web site: GOP may eye Simpler for governor in 2016 . Delaware Online . November 6, 2014 . November 9, 2014.
12. Web site: Candidate slate set for fall election. Newark Post. July 14, 2016. September 2, 2016. Josh. Shannon.
13. Web site: 2016 Governor Race ratings . The Cook Political Report . October 15, 2018.
14. Web site: Elections 2015-16 . Daily Kos . October 15, 2018 .
15. Web site: Gubernatorial Ratings . The Rothenberg Political Report . October 15, 2018.
16. Web site: Our Final 2016 picks . Sabato's Crystal Ball . October 15, 2018 . October 15, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181015114619/http://crystalball.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/our-final-2016-picks/ . dead .
17. Web site: 2016 Election Maps - 2016 Governor Races . Real Clear Politics . October 15, 2018.
18. Web site: 2016 Governors Races Ratings & News. Governing Magazine. October 28, 2016. October 27, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161027090343/http://www.governing.com/governor-races-2016. dead.