Bethany Hall-Long

Bethany A. Hall-Long (born November 12, 1963) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Hall-Long served as the 75th governor of Delaware for two weeks in January 2025, after having served as the 26th lieutenant governor of Delaware from 2017 to 2025. She previously served in the Delaware Senate from 2008 to 2016 and the Delaware House of Representatives from 2002 to 2008.

She ran for governor in the 2024 Democratic primary election but was defeated by Matt Meyer. She assumed the governorship when John Carney resigned to become mayor of Wilmington and completed the remaining two weeks of Carney's term in January 2025.

Early life and career

Hall-Long was born on November 12, 1963, in Sussex County. She is a descendant of David Hall, the 15th governor of Delaware. She was raised on a farm with her two older brothers and attended Indian River High School. She earned a BSN from Thomas Jefferson University, an MSN from the Medical University of South Carolina, and a PhD in health policy and nursing administration from George Mason University.

Hall-Long began a teaching career at George Mason University before moving to the University of Delaware, where she is a professor of nursing.

Lieutenant Governor of Delaware

Hall-Long was elected Lieutenant Governor of Delaware in 2016, taking office on January 17, 2017. She helped create a Behavioral Health Consortium in June 2017, which she now chairs. The consortium's role is to develop short-term and long-term plans to address addiction and mental health issues in Delaware. In 2018, Pew Charitable Trusts partnered with the Consortium to help increase access to opioid treatment. In June 2022 Hall-Long worked with state senator Sarah McBride and state representative Melissa Minor-Brown to secure $3.2 million in funding from the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services for the first in-patient addiction treatment facility for pregnant and parenting women in Delaware. She was reelected in 2020 over Republican Donyale Hall.

She served as Chair of the National Lieutenant Governor's Association from 2020 to 2021.

Governor of Delaware

2024 gubernatorial election

In April 2024, Hall-Long announced her candidacy for governor of Delaware, joining New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer and former Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O’Mara in the Democratic primary race. She faced controversy when her campaign team discovered that she has provided more than $200,000 in undisclosed payments to her husband, Dana Long. She eventually amended seven years of campaign finance reports in response to the scandal. Meyer ultimately won the primary and went on to win the general election.

Tenure

Despite losing her gubernatorial bid, Hall-Long became the 75th governor of Delaware on January 7, 2025, when incumbent Governor John Carney resigned early to become mayor of Wilmington. She served the remaining two weeks of Carney's term and was succeeded by Meyer.

Personal life

Hall-Long met her husband, Dana Long, while in high school, and they married in 1987. Dana served in the U.S. Navy from 1982 to 1991 as a data systems technician. On October 30, 2014, he was arrested after being caught on video taking down political signs erected by Republicans.

Electoral history

*In 2000, Hall-Long initially challenged incumbent Republican Representative Richard C. Cathcart for the District 9 seat, but lost in the general election.
*In 2002, Hall-Long was redistricted to District 8 and won the general election with 3,591 votes (60.7%) against Republican nominee William Hutchinson.
*In 2004, Hall-Long won the general election unopposed with 8,228 votes.
*In 2006, Hall-Long won the general election with 5,864 votes (77.0%) against Republican nominee Edward Colaprete.
*In 2008, Republican Senator Steven H. Amick retired and left the District 10 seat open. Hall-Long won the general election with 13,965 votes (64.9%) against Republican nominee James Weldin for the senate seat.
*In 2012, Hall-Long won the general election unopposed with 16,498 votes.

See also

*List of female governors in the United States
* List of female lieutenant governors in the United States

References

External links

Lt. Governor of Delaware
official government website
Campaign website

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall-Long, Bethany A
1963 births
21st-century Delaware politicians
21st-century American women politicians
21st-century members of the Delaware General Assembly
Candidates in the 2024 United States elections
Democratic Party Delaware state senators
Democratic Party governors of Delaware
Democratic Party members of the Delaware House of Representatives
George Mason University alumni
Lieutenant governors of Delaware
Living people
Medical University of South Carolina alumni
New Castle County, Delaware politicians
Sussex County, Delaware politicians
Thomas Jefferson University alumni
Women in Delaware politics
Women state governors of the United States
Women state legislators in Delaware