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102. Delaware 1800 Levy Court Commissioner, Kent County
103. Delaware 1800 Levy Court Commissioner, New Castle County
104. Delaware 1800 Levy Court Commissioner, Sussex County
105. Delaware 1800 Sheriff, New Castle County
106. Delaware 1800 State Senate, Kent County
107. Delaware 1800 State Senate, New Castle County
108. Delaware 1800 State Senate, Sussex County
109. Delaware 1800 U.S. House of Representatives
110. Delaware 1801 Assessor, Mill Creek Hundred
111. Delaware 1801 Assessor, White Clay Creek Hundred
112. Delaware 1801 Coroner, Sussex County
113. Delaware 1801 Governor
114. Delaware 1801 House of Representatives, Kent County
115. Delaware 1801 House of Representatives, New Castle County
116. Delaware 1801 House of Representatives, New Castle County, Special
117. Delaware 1801 House of Representatives, Sussex County
118. Delaware 1801 Inspector, Mill Creek Hundred
119. Delaware 1801 Inspector, White Clay Creek Hundred
120. Delaware 1801 Levy Court Commissioner, Kent County
121. Delaware 1801 Levy Court Commissioner, New Castle County
122. Delaware 1801 Levy Court Commissioner, Sussex County
123. Delaware 1801 Sheriff, Kent County
124. Delaware 1801 State Senate, Kent County
125. Delaware 1801 State Senate, New Castle County
126. Delaware 1801 State Senate, New Castle County, Special
127. Delaware 1801 State Senate, Sussex County
128. Delaware 1802 House of Representatives, Kent County
129. Delaware 1802 House of Representatives, Kent County, Special
130. Delaware 1802 House of Representatives, New Castle County
131. Delaware 1802 House of Representatives, Sussex County
132. Delaware 1802 Levy Court Commissioner, New Castle County
133. Delaware 1802 Sheriff, Sussex County
134. Delaware 1802 State Senate, Kent County
135. Delaware 1802 State Senate, New Castle County
136. Delaware 1802 State Senate, Sussex County
137. Delaware 1802 U.S. House of Representatives
138. Delaware 1802 U.S. Senate, Special
139. Delaware 1803 Assessor, Brandywine Hundred
140. Delaware 1803 Assessor, New Castle Hundred
141. Delaware 1803 Clerk of the Market, New Castle Hundred
142. Delaware 1803 Commissioner, New Castle Hundred
143. Delaware 1803 Coroner, Kent County
144. Delaware 1803 Coroner, New Castle County
145. Delaware 1803 House of Representatives, Kent County
146. Delaware 1803 House of Representatives, New Castle County
147. Delaware 1803 House of Representatives, Sussex County
148. Delaware 1803 Inspector, Brandywine Hundred
149. Delaware 1803 Inspector, New Castle Hundred
150. Delaware 1803 Levy Court Commissioner, Kent 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.