131st Delaware General Assembly

The 131st 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 6, 1981, which was two weeks before the beginning of the fifth administrative year of Republican Governor Pierre S. du Pont, IV from New Castle County and the first year for Republican Lieutenant Governor Michael N. Castle, also from New Castle County.

Governor Pierre S. du Pont, IV
131st General Assembly
In office January 6, 1981 – January 4, 1983
Preceded by	130th Assembly
Succeeded by	132nd 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 131st Delaware General Assembly session the Senate had a Democratic majority and the House had a Republican majority.

Leadership

Senate Richard S. Cordrey, Sussex County, Democratic

House of Representatives Charles L. Hebner, New Castle County, Republican

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. Robert I. Marshall 4. Robert J. Berndt 5. Charles E. Hughes 6. Myrna L. Bair 7. Andrew G. Knox 8. John H. Arnold

New Castle County 9. Thomas B. Sharp 10. James P. Neal 11. Angelo T. Citro 12. Robert T. Connor 13. David B. McBride 14. Roger A. Martin 15. James T. Vaughn

Kent County 16. Nancy W. Cook 17. Jacob W. Zimmerman 18. William M. Murphy, Jr. William C. Torbert 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. Herman M. Holloway, Jr. 4. Kevin Free 5. Casimir S. Jonkiert 6. Thomas E. Brady, Jr. 7. David H. Ennis 8. James F. Edwards 9. Charles L. Hebner, Sr. 10. Gwynne P. Smith 11. Richard Sincock 12. Jane P. Maroney 13. John P. McKay 14. Philip J. Corrozi 15. John A. Campanelli

New Castle County 16. Donald Van Sciver 17. Rodney Dixon 18. Richard Cathcart 19. Jeffrey G. Mack 20. Terry R. Spence 21. Robert F. Gilligan 22. Roger P. Roy 23. Robert S. Powell 24. William A. Oberle, Jr. 25. Ada Leigh Soles 26. Marian P. Anderson 27. Joseph R. Petrilli 28. Gerald S. Cain 29. Katherine M. Jester

Kent County 30. Robert W. Riddagh 31. Michael J. Harrington, Jr. 32. Edward J. Bennett 33. Ruth Ann Minner 34. Gerald A. Buckworth 35. Robert L. Darling Sussex County 36. John M. Burris 37. Harry E. Derrickson 38. B. Bradford Barnes 39. Evelyn K. Fallon 40. Carroll B. Cordrey 41. Charles P. West

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]