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352. Delaware 1809 House of Representatives, New Castle County
353. Delaware 1805 Levy Court Commissioner, Kent County
354. Delaware 1797 Levy Court Commissioner, New Castle County
355. Delaware 1807 Levy Court Commissioner, New Castle County
356. Delaware 1824 U.S. Senate
357. Delaware 1819 State Senate, New Castle County
358. Delaware 1824 U.S. House of Representatives
359. Delaware 1796 House of Representatives, Kent County
360. Delaware 1804 House of Representatives, New Castle County
361. Delaware 1803 State Senate, New Castle County
362. Delaware 1798 U.S. Senate, Special
363. Delaware 1801 Inspector, White Clay Creek Hundred
364. Delaware 1821 Coroner, New Castle County
365. Delaware 1799 State Senate, Sussex County
366. Delaware 1789 Sheriff, Kent County
367. Delaware 1814 Levy Court Commissioner, Kent County
368. Delaware 1824 State Senate, Kent County, Special
369. Delaware 1819 State Senate, Kent County
370. Delaware 1801 Coroner, Sussex County
371. Delaware 1797 State Senate, New Castle County
372. Delaware 1804 Assessor, New Castle Hundred
373. Delaware 1794 State Senate, New Castle County
374. Delaware 1811 U.S. Senate
375. Delaware 1791 Coroner, Kent County
376. Delaware 1803 Levy Court Commissioner, Kent County
377. Delaware 1810 House of Representatives, Sussex County
378. Delaware 1820 State Senate, Sussex County
379. Delaware 1823 State Senate, Kent County
380. Delaware 1797 House of Representatives, New Castle County
381. Delaware 1803 U.S. Senate
382. Delaware 1789 House of Representatives, Sussex County
383. Delaware 1816 House of Representatives, New Castle County
384. Delaware 1794 Coroner, New Castle County
385. Delaware 1807 U.S. House of Representatives, Special
386. Delaware 1823 House of Representatives, New Castle County
387. Delaware 1819 House of Representatives, New Castle County
388. Delaware 1816 House of Representatives, Kent County
389. Delaware 1817 House of Representatives, Kent County
390. Delaware 1791 Sheriff, Kent County
391. Delaware 1818 House of Representatives, Kent County
392. Delaware 1818 House of Representatives, New Castle County
393. Delaware 1805 U.S. Senate
394. Delaware 1802 House of Representatives, Sussex County
395. Delaware 1792 Governor
396. Delaware 1802 State Senate, Sussex County
397. Delaware 1814 Levy Court Commissioner, New Castle County
398. Delaware 1801 Levy Court Commissioner, Sussex County
399. Delaware 1819 Governor
400. Delaware 1811 House of Representatives, Sussex County
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On December 7, 1787 the Delaware State Legislature, by a unanimous vote of 30 to 0, became the first state to ratify the newly proposed national Constitution.
When a new State Constitution was adopted in 1792, the office of State Executive, which had previously been called President and chosen by the Legislature, was changed to Governor, and became an elected position. The term of office was kept at three years.
Delaware with only three counties (New Castle, Kent and Sussex) had the fewest in the nation. They also had the smallest State Legislature, comprised of nine State Senators and twenty-one Representatives.
Each county had three Senators, serving for three years. Their terms were staggered, so that one Senator was elected every year from each county. The House of Representatives had twenty one members, seven from each county, and who were elected annually at large.
Congressional, State and County Elections were held simultaneously in early October. Delaware elected one Congressman from 1788 – 1810, two for 1812 – 1820, and then one again from 1822 onward. State offices elected by popular vote were Governor, State Senator and Representatives. County officials elected by popular vote were Levy Court Commissioners, Coroners and Sheriff.
The voting alignment of the three counties, with New Castle voting Republican and Sussex and Kent being Federalist, meant that the State Legislature was almost always controlled by Federalists. As a result, from 1792 to 1820 Delaware chose Federalist Presidential Electors, even in 1820 when all four electors gave their Vice Presidential votes to Daniel Rodney, a Federalist and former Governor.
The Legislature also selected United States Senators, and with the exception of Caesar A. Rodney, who was elected in 1822, all those chosen during this time period were Federalists.
Party competition began with the state elections of 1792 and continued virtually unabated until 1826, when the last Federalist Governor was elected. Despite the dominance of Federalists in the Legislature, the parties were fairly balanced in popular voting strength, with Republicans electing their candidate for Governor in 1801, 1810, 1820 and 1822 and Congressmen in 1792, 1794, 1802 and capturing one of their two seats in 1816, 1818 and 1820.
Delaware counties were broken down into Hundreds, which seem to be the equivalent of townships. By 1811 state election returns started to be reported by Hundreds, a procedure which began showing the tight cohesion in voting amongst Federalist and Republican tickets.
The Hundreds also elected local officials such as Assessors, Inspectors and Road Commissioners. These elections were held in September, before the state voted in October, and on occasion, if they were favorable to either party, these returns were reported in the newspapers.
Delaware, the first state in the Union was the last to elect a Federalist Governor.