Initial regaining of power (2000s-mid 2010s)

In the 21st century, the Democratic Party has risen to become the most popular party in Delaware. The party has control at the state level over the executive branch and the legislative branch. In 2000, incumbent Democratic Governor Tom Carper defeated Delaware's last Republican United States Senator to date, William Roth, by a 12-point margin. Incumbent Republican United States Representative Mike Castle retired in 2010 to run for U.S. Senate. The seat switched from Republican to Democratic when then-Lieutenant Governor John Carney won the seat that year, which was one of three congressional seats that Democrats gained in 2010.

Progressive movement and ideological factions (late 2010s-present)

Preceding the late-2010s, the progressive faction of the Democratic Party held little power in Delaware politics, with the party being primarily dominated by the centrist and conservative wings. In 2018, incumbent centrist U.S. Senator Tom Carper faced an unexpected progressive primary challenge from Dover activist Kerri Evelyn Harris, who received 35 percent of the vote, which was the highest percentage against a statewide incumbent in 20 years.

In the 2020 state Democratic primaries, the progressive movement made unexpected significant gains on the state and local level. The most powerful Democrat in the Delaware Senate, President Pro Tempore David McBride, lost to progressive challenger Marie Pinkney by nearly 5 points. Among other notable wins was progressive Eric Morrison's 22-point landslide defeat of conservative Democrat incumbent state representative Earl Jaques Jr., who faced controversy over homophobic comments he made towards Morrison, who is gay. Other progressive insurgents in the Delaware legislature in the 2020 primaries included Larry Lambert and Madinah Wilson-Anton.^[4] Progressive incumbent County Executive of New Castle County Matt Meyer also defeated his significantly funded centrist challenger by 13 points.^[5]

Following the progressive gains in the 2020 elections, bills advanced by the progressive faction to raise the Delaware minimum wage to $15 an hour, and the legalization of recreational marijuana were passed through the state legislature.^[6][7] Governor John Carney signed the $15/hour minimum wage bill, but vetoed the legalization of recreational marijuana, for which he was heavily criticized by fellow Democrats.^[8] Progressive County Executive Matt Meyer wrote an open letter to the Delaware legislature encouraging them to override Carney's veto.^[9]

During Carney's governorship, the progressive movement has managed to pressure more typically centrist Democrats to more liberal policy positions, mainly in reaction to Carney's comparatively conservative stances. Delaware Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long came out in support of legalizing recreational marijuana following Carney's veto announcement.^[10] Carney ultimately allowed marijuana to be legalized in Delaware in 2023, when a second round of legalization bills came to his desk, and he neither signed nor vetoed it.

Further criticism of Carney's stances by the progressive wing of the party have been for his support for capital punishment in certain cases. Attorney General Kathy Jennings stated that if the death penalty was reinstated in Delaware, she would refuse to enforce it.^[11] 72 percent of Delaware Democratic voters oppose capital punishment.^[12]

In the 2022 elections, progressive former U.S. Senate candidate Kerri Evelyn Harris won a seat to the Delaware House of Representatives.^[13][14]

U.S. Senate

Democrats have controlled both of Delaware's seats in the U.S. Senate since 2000:

• Senior U.S. Senator Tom Carper
• Junior U.S. Senator Chris Coons

U.S. House of Representatives

Democtats have controlled Delaware's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2010: