The position of lieutenant governor was established by the
Constitution of Delaware in 1897. The first election for the office took place in 1900, when it was won by
Philip L. Cannon. Since then, a total of 27 individuals (15 Democrats and 12 Republicans) have held the lieutenant governorship. On December 30, 1960, Lieutenant Governor
David P. Buckson became the first occupant of the office to ascend to the governorship. He served the remaining two weeks of the term of
J. Caleb Boggs, who resigned from office ahead of his inauguration as a United States senator. Though lieutenant governors are permitted to serve two terms, none sought reelection until
Eugene Bookhammer in
1972. No lieutenant governor who has pursued a second term has ever lost reelection of renomination to the office. Despite being separately elected positions, Delaware has historically chosen governors and lieutenant governors of the same party. The last time voters split their tickets for the two offices was in 1984, when Democrat
S. B. Woo won the lieutenant governorship at the same time as
Mike Castle won the governorship. Reflecting Delaware's
increasingly Democratic political lean, no Republican has won the office since 1988.
Kyle Evans Gay is the current lieutenant governor, having taken office January 21, 2025. The offices of the lieutenant governor are at the state capital of
Dover. Lieutenant governors receive an annual salary of $83,884. ==List==