The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly does not have term limits. The House meets at the Delaware Legislative Hall in Dover.
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The naming of the House
From 1776 to 1792, the chamber was known as the House of Assembly, a common name for lower houses of colonial legislatures and states under the loose Confederation. The name was changed by the state's 1792 Constitution, reflecting the new federal House of Representatives, which Delaware was the first state to approve of in ratifying the federal U.S. Constitution in 1787. The renaming began a trend that has resulted in a majority of the lower houses of U.S. state legislatures sharing the same name of the U.S. House.
Leadership of the House
The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House Resolution. The Speaker is the chief leadership position of the body. The other House leaders are elected by their respective party caucuses. The Majority Leader determines which bills are brought to the floor for debate (from an Agenda prepared by the Speaker of the House) and manages debates and floor votes.
The current Speaker of the House is Robert Gilligan of District 19 (Stratford). Prior to Gilligan's election, the prior Speaker of the House, Terry Spence, was the longest serving speaker in the History of the Delaware General Assembly.
Qualifications
Members of the House of Representatives must be citizens of the United States, have lived in Delaware for three years, been a resident of their constituent district for at least one year preceding their election and must be at least 24 years old by the time of their election.
Current composition
The strong Democratic turnout in 2008, aided by homestate Senator Joe Biden, cost Republicans the majority in the State House. As of 2009, Democrats control all three branches of state government.
| Affiliation | Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | Vacant | ||
| End of previous legislature | 19 | 22 | 41 | 0 |
| Begin | 24 | 17 | 41 | 0 |
| August 3, 2009 [1] | 16 | 40 | 1 | |
| September 12, 2009[2] | 17 | 41 | 0 | |
| Latest voting share | 58.5% | 41.5% | ||
Current members, 2009-2010
| District | Name | Party | First Elected | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Dennis P. Williams | Dem | 1996 | Wilmington North |
| 02 | Hazel D. Plant | Dem | 2001 | Wilmington Central |
| 03 | Helene M. Keeley | Dem | 1996 | Wilmington South |
| 04 | Gerald L. Brady | Dem | 2006 | Wilmington West |
| 05 | Melanie George Marshall | Dem | 2002 | Bear/Newark |
| 06 | Thomas H. Kovach | Rep | 2008 | Fox Point |
| 07 | Bryon H. Short | Dem | 2007 | |
| 08 | S. Quinton Johnson | Dem | 2008 | Middletown |
| 09 | Richard C. Cathcart | Rep | 1998 | Middletown |
| 10 | Dennis E. Williams | Dem | 2008 | Talleyville |
| 11 | Gregory F. Lavelle | Rep | 2000 | Sharpley |
| 12 | Deborah Hudson | Rep | 2000 | Fairthorne |
| 13 | John L. Mitchell Jr. | Dem | 2006 | |
| 14 | Peter C. Schwartzkopf | Dem | 2002 | Rehoboth |
| 15 | Valerie Longhurst | Dem | 2004 | Bear |
| 16 | James Johnson | Dem | 2002 | |
| 17 | Michael P. Mulrooney | Dem | 1998 | Pennwood |
| 18 | Michael A. Barbieri | Dem | 2008 | Newark |
| 19 | Robert F. Gilligan | Dem | 1972 | Sherwood Park |
| 20 | Nick T. Manolakos | Rep | 2006 | |
| 21 | Michael Ramone | Rep | 2008 | Drummond Hill |
| 22 | Joseph E. Miro | Rep | 1998 | Pike Creek Valley |
| 23 | Teresa Schooley | Dem | 2004 | Newark |
| 24 | William A. Oberle Jr. | Rep | 1976 | Beechers Lot |
| 25 | John A. Kowalko Jr. | Dem | 2006 | Newark South |
| 26 | John J. Viola | Dem | 1998 | Newark |
| 27 | Earl G. Jaques Jr. | Dem | 2008 | Glasgow |
| 28 | William J. Carson | Dem | 2008 | Smyrna |
| 29 | Pam Thornburg | Rep | 2000 | Dover West |
| 30 | William R. Outten | Rep | 2004 | Harrington |
| 31 | Darryl M. Scott | Dem | 2008 | Dover |
| 32 | E. Bradford Bennett | Dem | 2008 | Dover |
| 33 | Robert E. Walls | Dem | 2006 | |
| 34 | Donald A. Blakey | Rep | 2006 | |
| 35 | David L. Wilson | Rep | 2008 | Bridgeville |
| 36 | V. George Carey | Rep | 1984 | Milford |
| 37 | Ruth Briggs King | Rep | 2009 | |
| 38 | Gerald W. Hocker | Rep | 2002 | Ocean View |
| 39 | Daniel B. Short | Rep | 2006 | Seaford |
| 40 | Clifford G. "Biff" Lee | Rep | 2000 | Laurel |
| 41 | John C. Atkins | Dem | 2002-2006 2008 |
Millsboro |
See also
External links
References
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