Delaware's at-large congressional district is a congressional district that includes the entire U.S. state of Delaware. It is the nation's oldest congressional district, having existed uninterrupted since the 1st United States Congress in 1789. With 1,051,917 residents, the district has the highest population of any congressional district in the nation. Delaware has always had only one member of the United States House of Representatives, except for a single decade from 1813 to 1823, when the state had two at-large members. The two seats were filled by a statewide ballot, with the two candidates receiving the highest votes being elected. The district is represented by Democrat Sarah McBride.

Mike Castle, a Republican and former governor of Delaware, held this seat from January 1993 until his retirement in January 2011, after his unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination to run for U.S. Senator. Even as Delaware swung heavily Democratic at the state and national level, Castle was usually reelected without serious difficulty. Since his retirement, however, the Democrats have held it with no substantive opposition.

The district is currently represented by Sarah McBride, a Democrat, who was first elected in 2024. McBride is the first openly transgender person elected to Congress.

Recent statewide results Year Office Results 2000 PresidentGore 55–42% 2004 PresidentKerry 53–46% 2008 PresidentObama 62–37% 2012 PresidentObama 59–40% 2016 PresidentClinton 53–42% 2020 PresidentBiden 59–40% 2024 PresidentHarris 56–42%

List of members representing the district

Member Party Term CongressElectoral history John Vining Pro-Administration March 4, 1789 –March 3, 1793 Elected in 1789.Re-elected in 1790.Retired. John Patten Anti-Administration March 4, 1793 –February 14, 1794 Elected in 1792.Lost election contest. Henry Latimer Pro-Administration February 14, 1794 –February 7, 1795 Won election contest.Lost re-election. John PattenDemocratic-Republican March 4, 1795 –March 3, 1797 Elected in 1794.Retired. James A. Bayard Federalist March 4, 1797 –March 3, 1803 Elected in 1796.Re-elected in 1798.Re-elected in 1800.Lost re-election. Caesar Augustus Rodney Democratic-Republican March 4, 1803 –March 3, 1805 Elected in 1802.Lost re-election.Vacant March 4, 1805 –October 1, 1805 James A. Bayard was elected in 1804 but declined to serve, having also been elected U.S. senator. James M. Broom Federalist October 1, 1805 –October 6, 1807 Elected October 1, 1805 to finish Bayard's term and seated December 2, 1805.Re-elected in 1806, but declined the seat. Nicholas Van Dyke Federalist October 6, 1807 –March 3, 1811 Elected to finish Broom's term.Re-elected in 1808.Retired. Henry M. Ridgely Federalist March 4, 1811 –March 3, 1815 Elected in 1810.Re-elected in 1812.Retired. Thomas Clayton Federalist March 4, 1815 –March 3, 1817 Elected in 1814.Lost re-election. Louis McLane Federalist March 4, 1817 –March 3, 1825 Elected in 1816.Re-elected in 1818.Re-elected in 1820.Re-elected in 1822.Re-elected in 1824.Re-elected in 1826 but declined to serve having been elected U.S. senator. Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –March 3, 1827Vacant March 3, 1827 –October 2, 1827 Kensey Johns Jr. Anti-Jacksonian October 2, 1827 –March 3, 1831 Elected October 2, 1827 to finish McLane's term and seated December 3, 1827.Re-elected in 1828.Retired. John J. Milligan Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1831 –March 3, 1837 Elected in 1830.Re-elected in 1832.Re-elected in 1834.Re-elected in 1836.Lost re-election. Whig March 4, 1837 –March 3, 1839 Thomas Robinson Jr. Democratic March 4, 1839 –March 3, 1841 Elected in 1838.Lost re-election.George B. Rodney Whig March 4, 1841 –March 3, 1845 Elected in 1840.Re-elected in 1842.Retired. John W. Houston Whig March 4, 1845 –March 3, 1851 Elected in 1844.Re-elected in 1846.Re-elected in 1848.Retired. George R. Riddle Democratic March 4, 1851 –March 3, 1855 Elected in 1850.Re-elected in 1852.Lost re-election. Elisha D. Cullen Know Nothing March 4, 1855 –March 3, 1857 Elected in 1854.Lost re-election. William G. Whiteley Democratic March 4, 1857 –March 3, 1861 Elected in 1856.Re-elected in 1858.Retired. George P. Fisher Union March 4, 1861 –March 3, 1863 Elected in 1860.Lost re-election. William Temple Democratic March 4, 1863 –May 28, 1863 Elected in 1862.Died.Vacant May 28, 1863 –December 7, 1863 Nathaniel B. Smithers Union December 7, 1863 –March 3, 1865 Elected to finish Temple's term.Lost re-election. John A. Nicholson Democratic March 4, 1865 –March 3, 1869 Elected in 1864.Re-elected in 1866.Retired. Benjamin T. Biggs Democratic March 4, 1869 –March 3, 1873 Elected in 1868.Re-elected in 1870.Retired. James R. Lofland Republican March 4, 1873 –March 3, 1875 Elected in 1872.Lost re-election. James Williams Democratic March 4, 1875 –March 3, 1879 Elected in 1874.Re-elected in 1876.Retired. Edward L. Martin Democratic March 4, 1879 –March 3, 1883 Elected in 1878.Re-elected in 1880.Retired. Charles B. Lore Democratic March 4, 1883 –March 3, 1887 Elected in 1882.Re-elected in 1884.Retired.John B. Penington Democratic March 4, 1887 –March 3, 1891 Elected in 1886.Re-elected in 1888.Retired. John W. Causey Democratic March 4, 1891 –March 3, 1895 Elected in 1890.Re-elected in 1892.Retired. Jonathan S. Willis Republican March 4, 1895 –March 3, 1897 Elected in 1894.Lost re-election. L. Irving Handy Democratic March 4, 1897 –March 3, 1899 Elected in 1896.Lost re-election. John H. Hoffecker Republican March 4, 1899 –June 16, 1900 Elected in 1898.Died.Vacant June 16, 1900 –November 6, 1900 Walter O. Hoffecker Republican November 6, 1900 –March 3, 1901 Elected to finish his father's term.Retired. L. Heisler Ball Republican March 4, 1901 –March 3, 1903 Elected in 1900.Retired to run for U.S. senator. Henry A. Houston Democratic March 4, 1903 –March 3, 1905 Elected in 1902.Retired. Hiram R. Burton Republican March 4, 1905 –March 3, 1909 Elected in 1904.Re-elected in 1906.Lost renomination. William H. Heald Republican March 4, 1909 –March 3, 1913 Elected in 1908.Re-elected in 1910.Retired. Franklin Brockson Democratic March 4, 1913 –March 3, 1915 Elected in 1912.Lost re-election. Thomas W. Miller Republican March 4, 1915 –March 3, 1917 Elected in 1914.Lost re-election. Albert F. Polk Democratic March 4, 1917 –March 3, 1919 Elected in 1916.Lost re-election. Caleb R. Layton Republican March 4, 1919 –March 3, 1923 Elected in 1918.Re-elected in 1920.Lost re-election. William H. Boyce Democratic March 4, 1923 –March 3, 1925 Elected in 1922.Lost re-election. Robert G. Houston Republican March 4, 1925 –March 3, 1933 Elected in 1924.Re-elected in 1926.Re-elected in 1928.Re-elected in 1930.Retired. Wilbur L. Adams Democratic March 4, 1933 –January 3, 1935 Elected in 1932.Retired to run for U.S. senator. J. George Stewart Republican January 3, 1935 –January 3, 1937 Elected in 1934.Lost re-election. William F. Allen Democratic January 3, 1937 –January 3, 1939 Elected in 1936.Lost re-election. George S. Williams Republican January 3, 1939 –January 3, 1941 Elected in 1938.Lost re-election. Philip A. Traynor Democratic January 3, 1941 –January 3, 1943 Elected in 1940.Lost re-election. Earle D. Willey Republican January 3, 1943 –January 3, 1945 Elected in 1942.Lost re-election. Philip A. Traynor Democratic January 3, 1945 –January 3, 1947 Elected in 1944.Lost re-election. J. Caleb Boggs Republican January 3, 1947 –January 3, 1953 Elected in 1946.Re-elected in 1948.Re-elected in 1950.Retired to run for Governor of Delaware. Herbert Warburton Republican January 3, 1953 –January 3, 1955 Elected in 1952.Retired to run for U.S. senator. Harris McDowell Democratic January 3, 1955 –January 3, 1957 Elected in 1954.Lost re-election. Harry G. Haskell Jr. Republican January 3, 1957 –January 3, 1959 Elected in 1956.Lost re-election. Harris McDowell Democratic January 3, 1959 –January 3, 1967 Elected in 1958.Re-elected in 1960.Re-elected in 1962.Re-elected in 1964.Lost re-election. William Roth Republican January 3, 1967 –December 31, 1970 Elected in 1966.Re-elected in 1968.Retired to run for U.S. senator and resigned after the election.Vacant December 31, 1970 –January 3, 1971 Pete du Pont Republican January 3, 1971 –January 3, 1977 Elected in 1970.Re-elected in 1972.Re-elected in 1974.Retired to run for Governor of Delaware. Thomas B. Evans Jr. Republican January 3, 1977 –January 3, 1983 Elected in 1976.Re-elected in 1978.Re-elected in 1980.Lost re-election. Tom Carper Democratic January 3, 1983 –January 3, 1993 Elected in 1982.Re-elected in 1984.Re-elected in 1986.Re-elected in 1988.Re-elected in 1990.Retired to run for Governor of Delaware. Mike Castle Republican January 3, 1993 –January 3, 2011 Elected in 1992.Re-elected in 1994.Re-elected in 1996.Re-elected in 1998.Re-elected in 2000.Re-elected in 2002.Re-elected in 2004.Re-elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2008.Retired to run for U.S. senator. John Carney Democratic January 3, 2011 –January 3, 2017 Elected in 2010.Re-elected in 2012.Re-elected in 2014.Retired to run for Governor of Delaware. Lisa Blunt Rochester Democratic January 3, 2017 –January 3, 2025 Elected in 2016.Re-elected in 2018.Re-elected in 2020.Re-elected in 2022.Retired to run for U.S. Senator.Sarah McBride DemocraticJanuary 3, 2025–presentElected in 2024.

Second at-large seat: 1813–1823 From 1813 to 1823, Delaware elected two members of the United States House of Representatives. Both were elected statewide at-large. Four men held the second seat during that decade.

Member Party Term Congress Electoral history Thomas Cooper Federalist March 4, 1813 –March 3, 1817 Elected in 1812.Re-elected in 1814.Lost re-election. Willard Hall Democratic-Republican March 4, 1817 –January 22, 1821 Elected in 1816.Re-elected in 1818.Lost re-election and resigned early.Vacant January 22, 1821 –March 3, 1821 Caesar Augustus Rodney Democratic-Republican March 4, 1821 –January 24, 1822 Elected in 1820.Resigned when elected U.S. senator.Vacant January 24, 1822 –October 1, 1822 Daniel Rodney Federalist October 1, 1822 –March 3, 1823 Elected to finish his cousin's term.Retired.

Electoral history

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1926

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1930

1932

1934

1936

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1940

1980

1982

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1986

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1990

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2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

Notes

References

External links