129th Delaware General Assembly

The 129th Delaware General Assembly was a meeting of the legislative branch of the state government, consisting of the Delaware Senate and the Delaware House of Representatives. Elections were held the first Tuesday after November 1 and terms began in Dover on the first Tuesday in January. This date was January 4, 1977, which was two weeks before the beginning of the first administrative year of Republican Governor Pierre S. du Pont, IV from New Castle County and the first year for Republican Lieutenant Governor James D. McGinnis from Kent County.

Governor Pierre S. du Pont, IV
129th General Assembly
In office January 4, 1977 – January 2, 1979
Preceded by	128th Assembly
Succeeded by	130th Assembly

Currently the distribution of seats for both houses was based on the interpretation of the federal 1970 census. It resulted in a large numbers of membership numbers in the New Castle County area and ruling that the election districts would abandonment of county lines for their boundaries, but would design whatever district boundaries that would accomplish such population equals.

In the 129th Delaware General Assembly session both chambers had a Democratic majority.

Leadership

Senate Richard S. Cordrey, Sussex County, Democratic

House of Representatives Kenneth W. Boulden, New Castle County, Democratic John P. Ferguson, New Castle County, Democratic

Members

Senate

About half the State Senators were elected every two years for a four-year term, except the decade district redesign year, when all served two years. They were designed for equal populations from all districts and its accomplishment occasionally included some territory from two counties.

New Castle County 1. Harris B. McDowell, III 2. Herman M. Holloway, Sr. 3. George F. Schlor 4. Robert J. Berndt 5. Charles E. Hughes 6. Daniel E. Weiss 7. Andrew G. Knox 8. John H. Arnold

New Castle County 9. Thomas B. Sharp 10. Everette Hale 11. Anthony J. Cicione 12. Calvin R. McCullough 13. Francis J. Kearns 14. Roger A. Martin 15. Winifred Spence

Kent County 16. Nancy W. Cook 17. Jacob W. Zimmerman 18. William M. Murphy, Jr. Sussex County 19. Thurman G. Adams, Jr. 20. Richard S. Cordrey 21. W. Lee Littleton

House of Representative

All the State Representatives were elected every two years for a two-year term. They were designed for equal populations from all districts and its accomplishment occasionally included some territory from two counties.

New Castle County 1. Orlando J. George, Jr. 2. Al O. Plant, Sr. 3. Henrietta Johnson 4. Marcello Rispoli 5. Casimir S. Jonkiert 6. Thomas E. Brady, Jr. 7. Joseph P. Ambrosino, Jr. 8. Joseph Loughney 9. Charles L. Hebner, Sr. 10. Gwynne P. Smith 11. Richard Sincock 12. C. Leslie Ridings 13. John P. McKay 14. Robert Maxwell 15. Robert Byrd

New Castle County 16. Daniel J. Kelly 17. John Matushefske 18. Kenneth W. Boulden, Sr. 19. Robert T. Connor 20. John P. Ferguson 21. Robert F. Gilligan 22. Roger P. Roy 23. Robert S. Powell 24. William A. Oberle, Jr. 25. John G.S. Billingsley 26. Marian P. Anderson 27. Sandra L. Worthen 28. Gerald S. Cain 29. William H. Brady, II

Kent County 30. Robert W. Riddagh 31. Karen Miller 32. Edward J. Bennett 33. Ruth Ann Minner 34. John E. Morris 35. Robert L. Darling Sussex County 36. John M. Burris 37. William H. Vernon 38. Howard A. Clendaniel 39. Thomas A. Temple, Sr. 40. William J. Gordy 41. Donald J. Lynch

References

• Hoffecker, Carol E. (2004). Democracy in Delaware. Wilmington, Delaware: Cedar Tree Books. ISBN 1-892142-23-6.
• Martin, Roger A. (1995). Memoirs of the Senate. Newark, Delaware: Roger A. Martin.

Places with more information

• Delaware Historical Society; website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; [phone]
• University of Delaware; Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; [phone]