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Delaware House of Representatives

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Delaware House of Representatives
Delaware General Assembly
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 10, 2023
Leadership
Speaker
Valerie Longhurst (D)
since June 30, 2023
Majority Leader
Melissa Minor-Brown (D)
since June 30, 2023
Minority Leader
Michael Ramone (R)
since January 10, 2023
Structure
Seats41
Political groups
Majority
  •   Democratic (26)

Minority

Length of term
2 years
AuthorityArticle III, Section 1, Delaware Constitution
Salary$48,237/year.[1]
Elections
Last election
November 8, 2022
(41 seats)
Next election
November 5, 2024
(41 seats)
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
House of Representatives Chamber
Delaware Legislative Hall
Dover, Delaware
Website
Delaware House of Representatives

The Delaware State 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 number of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two-year term. Its members are not subject to term limits, and their terms start the day after the election.[2] The House meets at the Delaware Legislative Hall in Dover.

Name

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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 Confederation. The name was changed by Delaware's 1792 Constitution, reflecting the new federal House of Representatives. This change on the part of Delaware initiated a movement that has resulted in a majority of the lower houses of U.S. state legislatures sharing the name of the federal House of Representatives.

Leadership

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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.

Terry Spence (R) was the longest serving speaker in the history of the Delaware General Assembly.

Office Representative Party District
Speaker of the House Valerie Longhurst Democratic 14
Majority Leader Melissa Minor-Brown Democratic 15
Majority Whip Kerri Evelyn Harris Democratic 32
Minority Leader Michael Ramone Republican 21
Minority Whip Lyndon Yearick Republican 34

Qualifications

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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

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26 15
Democratic Republican
Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic Republican Vacant
November 7, 2018[3] 26 15 41 0
Current 26 15 41 0
Latest voting share 63.4% 36.6%

Current members

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District Name Party Since Residence County
1 Nnamdi Chukwuocha Democratic 2018 Wilmington New Castle
2 Stephanie Bolden Democratic 2010 Wilmington New Castle
3 Sherry Dorsey Walker Democratic 2018 Wilmington New Castle
4 Jeff Hilovsky Republican 2022 Long Neck Sussex
5 Kendra Johnson Democratic 2018 New Castle New Castle
6 Debra Heffernan Democratic 2010 Wilmington New Castle
7 Larry Lambert Democratic 2020 Claymont New Castle
8 Sherae'a Moore Democratic 2020 Middletown New Castle
9 Kevin Hensley Republican 2014 Townsend New Castle
10 Sean Matthews Democratic 2014 Wilmington New Castle
11 Jeffrey Spiegelman Republican 2012 Clayton Kent, New Castle
12 Krista Griffith Democratic 2018 Wilmington New Castle
13 DeShanna Neal Democratic 2022 Wilmington New Castle
14 Peter Schwartzkopf Democratic 2002 Rehoboth Beach Sussex
15 Valerie Longhurst Democratic 2004 Bear New Castle
16 Franklin Cooke Jr. Democratic 2018 Wilmington New Castle
17 Melissa Minor-Brown Democratic 2018 New Castle New Castle
18 Sophie Phillips Democratic 2022 New Castle
19 Kimberly Williams Democratic 2012 Wilmington New Castle
20 Stell Selby Democratic 2022 Milton Sussex
21 Michael Ramone Republican 2008 Newark New Castle
22 Michael Smith Republican 2018 Newark New Castle
23 Paul Baumbach Democratic 2012 Newark New Castle
24 Edward Osienski Democratic 2010 Newark New Castle
25 Cyndie Romer Democratic 2022 Newark New Castle
26 Madinah Wilson-Anton Democratic 2020 Newark New Castle
27 Eric Morrison Democratic 2020 Newark New Castle
28 William Carson Jr. Democratic 2007 Smyrna Kent
29 William Bush IV Democratic 2018 Camden Kent
30 Shannon Morris Republican 2018 Camden Kent
31 Sean Lynn Democratic 2014 Dover Kent
32 Kerri Evelyn Harris Democratic 2022 Dover Kent
33 Charles Postles Jr. Republican 2016 Milford Kent
34 Lyndon Yearick Republican 2014 Magnolia Kent
35 Jesse Vanderwende Republican 2018 Bridgeville Sussex
36 Bryan Shupe Republican 2018 Milford Sussex
37 Valerie Jones Giltner Republican 2024 Georgetown Sussex
38 Ronald Gray Republican 2012 Selbyville Sussex
39 Daniel Short Republican 2006 Seaford Sussex
40 Timothy Dukes Republican 2012 Laurel Sussex
41 Richard Collins Republican 2014 Millsboro Sussex

Past composition of the House of Representatives

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "2022 Legislator Compensation". ncsl.org. National Conference of State Legislatures.
  2. ^ "Delaware Constitution". delcode.delaware.gov. State of Delaware. Schedule, section 4.
  3. ^ Delaware legislators' terms begin the second Wednesday in November (i.e. the day after Election Day), even though they are not sworn in until January. Constitution of Delaware, Article II, Section 3
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