Mike Castle | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2006 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Delaware's at-large district | |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Carper |
| Succeeded by | John Carney |
| 69th Governor of Delaware | |
| In office January 15, 1985 – December 31, 1992 | |
| Lieutenant | S. B. Woo Dale E. Wolf |
| Preceded by | Pete du Pont |
| Succeeded by | Dale E. Wolf |
| 20th Lieutenant Governor of Delaware | |
| In office January 20, 1981 – January 15, 1985 | |
| Governor | Pete du Pont |
| Preceded by | James D. McGinnis |
| Succeeded by | S. B. Woo |
| Member of the Delaware Senate from the 1st district | |
| In office January 7, 1969 – January 4, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | Russell D. F. Dineen |
| Succeeded by | Harris McDowell III |
| Member of the Delaware House of Representatives from the 6th district | |
| In office January 3, 1967 – January 7, 1969 | |
| Preceded by | Frank A. Parisi |
| Succeeded by | George C. Hering III |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Newbold Castle July 2, 1939 Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Jane DiSabatino |
| Education | Hamilton College (BS) Georgetown University (LLB) |
Michael Newbold Castle (born July 2, 1939) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 69th Governor of Delaware from 1985 to 1992 and as the U.S. representative from Delaware's at-large congressional district from 1993 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.
The district includes the entire state of Delaware and is the oldest intact surviving district in the nation. He was the longest-serving U.S. Representative in the state's history.[1] Before his election to Congress, Castle served as a member of the Delaware General Assembly, starting in the State House of Representatives from 1966 to 1967 and then in the State Senate from 1968 to 1976. He was the 20th lieutenant governor of Delaware from 1981 to 1985, and the 69th governor of Delaware from 1985 to 1992.
On October 6, 2009, Castle announced his candidacy in the 2010 special election for the seat in the United States Senate held by Democrat Ted Kaufman.[2] Kaufman, appointed by Governor Ruth Ann Minner to fill the vacancy created by Joe Biden (who resigned to become vice president of the United States), was not a candidate in the election.[3] The election determined who would fill the balance of Biden's term, which ended on January 3, 2015. In one of the most surprising election results of 2010, Castle lost the Republican primary to Christine O'Donnell.[4] He would have been heavily favored in the general election against Democrat Chris Coons, who defeated O'Donnell by 17 percentage points.[5] Castle is the most recent Republican to represent Delaware in Congress.
Castle is a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.[6]
- ^ "Rep. Mike Castle announces run for U.S. Senate". WHYY. October 6, 2009. Archived from the original on November 6, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
- ^ "Delaware GOP Congressman to Run for Biden's Former Senate Seat". FOX News. October 6, 2009. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
- ^ Brumfield, Sarah (November 25, 2008). "Longtime Biden aide picked to fill his Senate seat". FOX News. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
- ^ "Christine O'Donnell upsets Mike Castle in Delaware Senate primary". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012.
- ^ "Election 2010: Delaware Senate". Rasmussenreports.com. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
- ^ "ReFormers Caucus". Issue One. Retrieved June 16, 2017.