The 2000 United States Senate election in Delaware was held on November 7, 2000, in conjunction with the

2000 U.S. presidential election The 2000 United States presidential election was the 54th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 2000. Republican candidate George W. Bush, the governor of Texas and eldest son of the 41st president, George H. W. Bush, ...

, other elections to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

in other states, as well as elections to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator William Roth ran for re-election to a sixth term, but he was defeated by outgoing Democratic Governor

Tom Carper Thomas Richard Carper (born January 23, 1947) is an American politician and former military officer serving as the senior United States senator from Delaware, having held the seat since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, Carper served i ...

. Carper subsequently became the first Democrat to hold this seat since 1947. It was also the first time since 1943 that both seats were held by Democrats.

General election

Candidates

, Governor of Delaware and former U.S. Representative (Democratic) *Mark E. Dankof (Constitution) *Robert Mattson (Natural Law) *J. Burke Morrison (Libertarian) * William Roth, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1971 (Republican)

Campaign

For 16 years, the same four people had held all four major statewide positions in Delaware. Governor

was term-limited and could not run for re-election again. Both he and U.S. Representative

Michael Castle Michael Newbold Castle (born July 2, 1939) is an American lawyer and politician who was governor of Delaware (1985–92) and the U.S. representative for (1993–2011). He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes the entir ...

wanted to be

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...

. However, Roth would not retire, and fellow Republican Castle decided against a primary. Roth, 79, had served in the U.S. Senate for 30 years. He was the Chairman of the Finance Committee. Carper, 53, was a popular Governor and former U.S. Congressman of Delaware's At-large congressional district, who announced his candidacy against Roth in September 1999. Both candidates were moderates. Roth was one of the few Republicans to vote for the

Brady Bill The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act ( Pub.L. 103–159, 107 Stat. 1536, enacted November 30, 1993), often referred to as the Brady Act or the Brady Bill, is an Act of the United States Congress that mandated federal background checks on ...

. Although Roth started the campaign with a 2-to-1 spending advantage, Carper went into the final month with more than $1 million on hand. In a contest between two popular and respected politicians, the main issue seemed to be Roth's age versus Carper's relative youth.

Debates

Complete video of debate
October 15, 2000

Results

Carper defeated Roth by over ten points. Roth received more votes than Presidential candidate George W. Bush, suggesting the strength of the Democratic turnout was a boon to Carper's candidacy. Some attributed Roth's loss to his age and health, as he collapsed twice during the campaign, once in the middle of a television interview and once during a campaign event.

References

{{United States elections, 2000 2000

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...