2004 Delaware gubernatorial election
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The 2004 Delaware gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2004, coinciding with the U.S. presidential election. Incumbent Governor Ruth Ann Minner faced a serious challenge from retired Superior Court Judge Bill Lee but managed a five-point victory on election day. As of 2026, this is the last time Kent County voted Republican in a gubernatorial election, and the last time the Republican gubernatorial nominee won a majority of Delaware's counties.
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November 2, 2004
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  Minner: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Lee: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Primaries
Democratic Party
- Ruth Ann Minner, incumbent Governor of Delaware
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ruth Ann Minner (incumbent) | 41,671 | 100.00 | |
Republican Party
- Bill Lee, former Delaware Superior Court Justice
- David Charles Graham, state government employee
- Michael D. Protack, pilot
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Lee | 15,270 | 70.47 | |
| Republican | Michael D. Protack | 5,108 | 23.57 | |
| Republican | David Charles Graham | 1,292 | 5.96 | |
| Total votes | 21,670 | 100.00 | ||
Independent Party/Libertarian Party
- Frank Infante, Independent Party of Delaware and Libertarian Party of Delaware fusion ticket nominee
Campaign
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[2] | Likely D | November 1, 2004 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ruth Ann Minner (incumbent) | 185,548 | 50.87% | −8.38% | |
| Republican | Bill Lee | 167,008 | 45.79% | +6.04% | |
| Independent Party | Frank Infante | 12,203 | 3.34% | +1.8% | |
| Majority | 18,540 | 5.08% | −14.42% | ||
| Turnout | 364,759 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
By county
By county | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||