I am in a heated conversation with Capt Jack in the prior posting. I contend that Delaware, Sen. Joe Biden's state of residence, is a left leaning state. He contends otherwise. I point out that the overwhelming majority of the statewide offices are held by democrats. I point out that Sen. Biden is ranked as the third most liberal senator in Congress. I further contend that Delaware is comprised of many commuting citizens who are more kin to their big city neighbors (Philadelphia, Newark, New York City, Washington). It is less than one hour from Wilmington to New York via train and slightly longer to DC. The realities of the northeast corridor make commuting not only practical but essential to avoid the onerous costs of living in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
The Captain points out Delaware's "free market" tax structure. There is a reason that Delaware has established itself as an economic haven - otherwise it would likely cease to be a viable governmental entity, unable to sustain it's tax base. Delaware has a population of about 850,000. Of these, 637,000 are eligible to vote. The population centers (Wilmington, Dover and Newark) have 70, 30 and 30 thousand inhabitants respectively. In the last primary, only about twenty percent of eligibles chose to exercise their right to vote. Thus, I submit the result of the recent presidential primary;
| Machine | Absentee | Total | Percent | |
| Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | |
PRESIDENT | 313 of 313 Districts Reported | |||
| DEMOCRATIC PARTY | ||||
| JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR. | 2789 | 74 | 2863 | 3 . 0 % |
| HILLARY CLINTON | 39984 | 776 | 40760 | 42 . 3 % |
| CHRISTOPHER J. DODD | 167 | 3 | 170 | 0 . 2 % |
| JOHN EDWARDS | 1116 | 125 | 1241 | 1 . 3 % |
| DENNIS J. KUCINICH | 183 | 9 | 192 | 0 . 2 % |
| BARACK OBAMA | 50467 | 681 | 51148 | 53 . 0 % |
| REPUBLICAN PARTY | ||||
| RUDY GIULIANI | 1161 | 94 | 1255 | 2 . 5 % |
| MICHAEL D. HUCKABEE | 7577 | 129 | 7706 | 15 . 3 % |
| JOHN MCCAIN | 22228 | 400 | 22628 | 45 . 0 % |
| RON PAUL | 2083 | 48 | 2131 | 4 . 2 % |
| MITT ROMNEY | 16060 | 284 | 16344 | 32 . 5 % |
| TOM TANCREDO | 174 | 1 | 175 | 0 . 5 % |
Out of a total of 130,000 plus voters, democrats enjoyed a two to one majority. Support for Barack Obama soundly eclipsed Hillary Clinton and traditional "conservatives", Huckabee, Tancredo and Guiliani, were soundly trounced by McCain and Romney. Delaware was ranked 21st most liberal state, by virtue of laws protecting women, reproductive rights and homosexuals. Wilmington ranks 134, versus a national average of 100, for gays and lesbians. This is a measure of same sex households versus a national average.
Given all of these aspects, I believe it is safe to conclude that Delaware is a democrat controlled, left leaning state. Economic policies notwithstanding, it should remain so for many years to come.
Data Sources:
