Attorney Generals, Delaware

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney Generals ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Last update to this page:

Sunday,
" February 11, 2024 "

Originally Created: January, 2000

( All weblinks within this document are "Blue" )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney Generals ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The following list displays those who served as Delaware's Attorney General.
They are listed by date served.
Those that have served in other elected Delaware Office's
have their names highlighted in " Bright Blue " !
When you click on " their names below "
you will see information, not only on all the offices they served,
but also personal information on them and their families !

( Lettering in " Bright Blue " below are weblinks )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware's First Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1778 - 1790
1st Attorney General



" Gunning Bedford, Jr. "
( Click his name for more on him and his family )

Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1790 - 1801
2nd Attorney General
" Nicholas Ridgely "
( born: 1762 - died: 1830 - Age 67 )
( Also served as the Second Chancellor of Delaware )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )

Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1801 - 1806
3rd Attorney General



" Nicholas Van Dyke, Jr. "
( December 20, 1769 - May 21, 1826 )
( Also served as a Delaware U.S. Senator & Representative )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )

Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1806 - 1810
4th Attorney General
" Outerbridge Horsey "
( March 5, 1777 - June 9, 1842 )
( Also served as a Delaware's 9th U.S. Senator )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )

Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

January 16, 1810 - January 17, 1815
5th Attorney General



" Thomas Clayton "
( July, 1777 - August 21, 1854 )
( Also served as a U.S. Senator & Representative )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )

Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1815 - 1830
6th Attorney General
( 1st Term )



" James Rogers "
( May 12, 1780 - September 15, 1868 )
Son of Delaware's 12th Governor - " Daniel Rogers "
( Click his name for more on him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1830 - 1835
7th Attorney General
" Robert Frame "
Married Jennette Macomb Clayton Frame daughter of Delaware's U.S. Senator
" Thomas Clayton " .....
( Click his name for more on him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1835 - 1840
8th Attorney General
( 2nd Term )



" James Rogers "
( May 12, 1780 - September 15, 1868 )
Son of Delaware's 12th Governor - " Daniel Rogers "
( Click his name for more on him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1840 - 1850
9th Attorney General
" Edward W. Gilpin "
( July 13, 1803 - April 29, 1876 )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1850 - 1855
10th Attorney General



" Willard Saulsbury, Sr. "
( June 2, 1820 - April 6, 1892 )
( Also served as Delaware's 29th U.S. Senator )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1855 - 1860
11th Attorney General



" George Purnell Fisher "
( October 13, 1817 - February 10, 1899 )
( Also served as a Delaware's 23rd U.S. Representative )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1860 - 1864
12th Attorney General
" Alfred Wooten "
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1864 - 1869
13th Attorney General
" Jacob Moore "
( November 21, 1829 - December 13, 1886 )
( Moore was appointed attorney-general by Governor William Cannon )
( This was the only political office that Moore held in his life )

Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1869 - 1874
14th Attorney General



" Charles Brown Lore "
( March 16, 1831 - March 6, 1911 )
( Also served as Delaware's 31st U.S. Representative )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1874 - 1879
15th Attorney General



" John Brown Penington "
( December 20, 1825 - June 1, 1902 )
( Also served as Delaware's 32nd U.S. Representative )
His two daughters :
" Mary Elizabeth Penington Dunning " and " Ida Harriet Penington Deane "
were " Murdered " after eating poison candy sent by a jealous lover of
Mary Elizabeth's husband ~ John Preston Dunning .....

To read the story
" A Cross Country Murder " :

( Click his name for more on him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1879 - 1885
16th Attorney General



" George Gray "
( Also served as Delaware's 34th U.S. Senator )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1885 - 1887
17th Attorney General
" John Henry Paynter "
( February 28, 1838 - June 21, 1890 )
( Click his name for more about him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1887 - 1892
18th Attorney General
John Biggs
( 1855 - 1937 )
Son of Delaware's 46th Governor :
Benjamin T. Biggs
( Click on his Dad's name for more on him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1892 - 1895
19th Attorney General
" John Reed Nicholson "
( May 19, 1849 - December 7, 1937 )
( Click his name for more about him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1895 - 1901
20th Attorney General
" Robert C. White "
( July 16, 1852 - June 28, 1919 )
( Click his name for more about him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1901 - 1905
21st Attorney General
" Herbert Hamilton Ward "
( October 11, 1856 - June 2, 1927 )
( Click his name for more about him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1905 - 1909
22nd Attorney General
Robert Haven Richards
( November 15, 1873 - August 27, 1951 )
( Click his name for more about him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1909 - 1913
23rd Attorney General



Andrew Caldwell Gray
( October 13, 1871 - December 15, 1929 )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1913 - 1917
24th Attorney General



Josiah Oliver Wolcott
( October 31, 1877 - November 11, 1938 )
( Also served as Delaware's 42nd U.S. Senator )
( Click his name for more about him and his family )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1917 - 1921
25th Attorney General
David Jones Reinhardt, Sr.
( November 6, 1867 - November 22, 1935 )
( Click his name for more about him and his family )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1921 - 1925
26th Attorney General



Sylvester Deputy Townsend, Jr.
( June 25, 1871 - February 16, 1927 )
At the time of his passing he was serving as Delaware's Secretary of State under Delaware's 57th Governor :
Robert Pyle Robinson
( Click on his name for more on him and his family )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1925 - 1929
27th Attorney General



Clarence Andrew Southerland
( April 10, 1889 - June 16, 1973 )
( First Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court 1951 - 1963 )

Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1929 - 1933
28th Attorney General
Reuben Satterthwaite, Jr.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1933 - 1933
29th Attorney General
Daniel John Layton
( April 12, 1905 - October 29, 1975 )
Son of Delaware 's 45th U.S. Representative :
" Caleb R. Layton"
( Click above for more on him and his family )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1933 - 1939
30th Attorney General
P. Warren Green

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1939 - 1943
31st Attorney General
James R. Morford

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1943 - 1947
32nd Attorney General



Clair John Killoran
( April 12, 1905 - October 29, 1975 )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1947 - 1951
33rd Attorney General
Albert W. James

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1951 - 1955
34th Attorney General
H. Albert Young
( May 30, 1904 ~ May 29, 1982 )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1955 - 1959
35th Attorney General
Joseph Donald Craven
( March 20, 1903 ~ January 19, 1989 )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1959 - 1963
36th Attorney General
Januar D. Bove, Jr.
( August 17, 1920 ~ October 16, 1991 )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1963 - 1971
37th Attorney General



David Penrose Buckson
( July 25, 1920 - January 17, 2017 )
( Also served as Lt. Governor & 68th Governor of Delaware )
( Click his name for more on him and his family )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1971 - 1975
38th Attorney General
Winder Laird Stabler, Jr.
( May 2, 1930 ~ February 24, 2008 )
( Stabler was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for Delaware by President Gerald Ford in 1975 )

Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1975 - 1979
39th Attorney General
Richard R. Wier, Jr.
Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1979 - 1983
40th Attorney General



Richard Stephen Gebelein
( June 8, 1946 ~ December 22, 2021 )
Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1983 - 1995
41st Attorney General
Charles Monroe Oberly, III
( Oberly was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for Delaware by President Barack Obama in 2010 )
Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

January 3, 1995 - December 7, 2005
42nd Attorney General



M. Jane Brady
( Brady was the 1st women to hold this position in Delaware History ! )
Visit her Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

December 7, 2005 - January 2, 2007
43rd Attorney General



Carl C. Danberg

Danberg was appointed as Attorney General upon the resignation of Brady
who accepted an appointment to the Superior Court.
( Danberg served as the Commissioner of the Delaware Department of Correction in 2007 )
( Danberg serves as a Brigadier General in the Delaware National Guard )
Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

January 2, 2007 - January 6, 2015
44th Attorney General



Joseph R. " Beau " Biden III
( February 3, 1969 ~ May 30, 2015 )

Resigned from office due to the illness and his eventual passing in 2015 .....
Visit his Wikipedia Page :

" Delaware Statewide Election Results "
Joseph R. " Beau " Biden III
( winner marked in " Red "   /   *   = incumbant   /   Only Top " two " candidates shown )

Year Election
Type Office Name Party     Votes     Percent
Of Votes Opponent Party     Votes     Percent
Of Votes

2006 General Attorney
General Beau
Biden Democrat 133,152 52.5 % Ferris
Wharton Republican 120,062 47.4 %

2010 General Attorney
General Beau
Biden * Democrat 196,799 78.9 % Doug
Campbell Independent 52,517 21.1 %

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

January 6, 2015 - January 1, 2019
45th Attorney General



    Matthew P. Denn
  Also served as " Delaware's 25th Lieutenant Governor "
( Click his name for more on this office )
Visit his Wikipedia Page :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delaware's Current Attorney General ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

January 1, 2019 - Present
46th Attorney General



Kathleen Jennings
        Visit her " State of Delaware " homepage :

Visit her Wikipedia Page :

" Delaware Statewide Election Results "
Kathleen Jennings
( winner marked in " Red "   /   *   = incumbant   /   Only Top " two " candidates shown )

Year Election
Type Office Name Party     Votes     Percent
Of Votes Opponent Party     Votes     Percent
Of Votes

2018 General Attorney
General Kathleen
Jennings Democrat 218,351 61.31 % Bernard
Pepukayi Republican 137,730 38.68 %

2022 General Attorney
General Kathleen
Jennings * Democrat 171,837 53.83 % Julianne
Murray Republican 147,369 46.17 %



Email any questions or comments to:
Russ Pickett
( russpickde@comcast.net )
Originally Created: January, 2000