1998 Delaware Senate election
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10 out of 21 seats in the Delaware Senate 11 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1998 Delaware Senate election was held on November 3, 1998, to determine which party would control the Delaware Senate for the following two years in the 140th Delaware General Assembly. Ten out of the 21 seats in the Delaware Senate were up for election and the primary was held on September 12, 1998. Prior to the election, 12 seats were held by Democrats and 9 seats were held by Republicans. The general election saw Democrats hold their majority in the State Senate.[1]
Retirements
| District | Incumbent | Party | Elected Senator | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Margaret Rose Henry | Dem | Margaret Rose Henry | Dem | ||
| 3 | Robert Marshall | Dem | Robert Marshall | Dem | ||
| 4 | Richard Hauge | Rep | Dallas Winslow | Rep | ||
| 6 | Liane Sorenson | Rep | Liane Sorenson | Rep | ||
| 10 | Steven Amick | Rep | Steven Amick | Rep | ||
| 11 | Donna Reed | Rep | Tony DeLuca | Dem | ||
| 16 | Colin Bonini | Rep | Colin Bonini | Rep | ||
| 17 | John Still III | Rep | John Still III | Rep | ||
| 18 | Robert Voshell | Dem | Gary Simpson | Rep | ||
| 21 | Robert Venables Sr. | Dem | Robert Venables Sr. | Dem | ||
| Party | Candi- dates | Votes | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | +/– | % | |||
| Democratic | 8 | 34,557 | 46.49% | 13 |  | 61.90% | |
| Republican | 8 | 38,597 | 51.93% | 8 | | 38.10% | |
| Constitution | 1 | 1,171 | 1.58% | 0 | | 0.00% | |
| Total | 17 | 74,325 | 100% | 21 | | 100% | |
| Republican | 51.93% | |||
| Democratic | 46.49% | |||
| Constitution | 1.58% | |||
| Democratic | 61.90% | |||
| Republican | 38.10% | |||
- Richard Hauge (R-District 4) retired, seat won by Dallas Winslow (R).
- Robert Voshell (D-District 18) retired, seat won by Gary Simpson (R).
Defeated incumbents
- Donna Reed (R-District 11) lost re-election to Tony DeLuca (D).
Closest races
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
- District 11, 3.84% (gain)
- District 16, 5.18%
- District 18, 6.26% (gain)
Detailed Results
District 2
Incumbent Republican turned Democrat Margaret Rose Henry has represented the 2nd district since 1994.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Margaret Rose Henry (incumbent) | 4,626 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 4,626 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 3
Incumbent Democrat Robert Marshall has represented the 3rd district since 1979.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert Marshall (incumbent) | 4,135 | 85.13% | |
| Republican | Wesley N. Smith | 722 | 14.87% | |
| Total votes | 4,857 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 4
Incumbent Republican Richard Hauge has represented the 4th district since 1989. Hauge didn't seek re-election and fellow Republican Dallas Winslow won the open seat.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dallas Winslow | 5,783 | 58.94% | |
| Democratic | Kenneth W. Turoczy | 4,028 | 41.06% | |
| Total votes | 9,811 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 6
Incumbent Republican Liane Sorenson has represented the 6th district since 1995.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Liane Sorenson (incumbent) | 7,885 | 87.07% | |
| Constitution | Victoria Santoro | 1,171 | 12.93% | |
| Total votes | 9,056 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 10
Incumbent Republican and Minority Leader Steven Amick has represented the 10th district since 1995.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Steven Amick (incumbent) | 4,932 | 64.02% | |
| Democratic | Mark E. Amsler | 2,772 | 35.98% | |
| Total votes | 7,704 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 11
Incumbent Republican Donna Reed has represented the 11th district since 1995. Reed lost re-election to Democrat Tony DeLuca.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tony DeLuca | 3,413 | 51.92% | |
| Republican | Donna Reed (incumbent) | 3,160 | 48.08% | |
| Total votes | 6,573 | 100% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
District 16
Incumbent Republican Colin Bonini has represented the 16th district since 1995.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Colin Bonini (incumbent) | 4,155 | 52.59% | |
| Democratic | Terry L. Pepper | 3,745 | 47.41% | |
| Total votes | 7,900 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 17
Incumbent Republican John Still III has represented the 17th district since 1989.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Still III (incumbent) | 5,502 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 5,502 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 18
Incumbent Democrat Robert Voshell has represented the 18th district since 1993. Voshell didn't seek re-election and Republican Gary Simpson won the open seat.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gary Simpson | 6,458 | 53.13% | |
| Democratic | Gary W. Downes | 5,696 | 46.87% | |
| Total votes | 12,154 | 100% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
District 21
Incumbent Democrat Robert Venables Sr. has represented the 21st district since 1989.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert Venables Sr. (incumbent) | 6,142 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 6,142 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
- ↑ "State of Delaware Department of Elections 1998 General Election". elections.delaware.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
- ↑ This figure includes Margaret Rose Henry who changed her party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in 1998.