Main content
Delaware ephemera collection related to politics, policy, and government
Notifications
Held at: University of Delaware Library Special Collections [Contact Us]181 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19717-5267
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Delaware Library Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Delaware comprises three counties: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex. The Delaware General Assembly comprises the Senate and the House. There are twenty-one Senate districts and forty-one House districts. Delaware is allocated one at-large member in the U.S. House of Representatives and two U.S. Senators.
This Delaware ephemera collection is a vertical file of fliers, clippings, artifacts, and other ephemeral materials pertaining to local and federal election campaigns, environmental groups, grassroots organizations, and political groups.
This collection is organized into four series: topical, campaigns and elections, individuals and organizations, and artifacts. This collection consists primarily of fliers, clippings, postcards, campaign posters and other ephemeral materials from local and federal election campaigns in Delaware. Typical content includes campaign materials from congressional and general elections and primaries.
This collection also includes ephemera from different grassroots organizations such as Occupy Delaware (2011) and Newark Residents against the Power Plant (2013-2014). The series of individuals and organizations includes biographical and other miscellaneous clippings.
Material in this collection has been collected by staff of the University of Delaware Library, as well as other miscellaneous items. This collection is continually growing. Anyone who is interested in donating material should contact a Manuscripts Librarian.
- Series I and III: Shelved in SPEC MSS vertical files
- Boxes 1, 2, and 4: Shelved in SPEC MSS record center cartons
- Box 3: Shelved in SPEC MSS manuscript boxes (3 inch)
- Removals: Shelved in SPEC oversize mapcases
Access to a digitized version of Series II, Campaigns and elections, as well as select folders and items from Series I and III are available by following the links in the Container List. These digitized files are housed in the University of Delaware Institutional Repository.
Processed and encoded by Tammi Kim, May 2015. Additional processing and encoding by John Caldwell, 2019, 2022.
People
- Carper, Thomas R., 1947-
- Carney, John C., 1956-
- Castle, Michael N., 1939-
- Biden, Joseph R., Jr.
- Kaufman, Edward E., 1939-
- Peterson, Russell W. (Russell Wilbur), 1916-2011
- Du Pont, Pierre S.
- Obama, Barack
- Blunt Rochester, Lisa
Organization
Subject
- Advertising, Political--United States
- Elections
- Environmentalism
- Political campaigns
- Women legislators--United States
Place
- Delaware
- Newark (Del.)
- Kent County (Del.)
- New Castle County (Del.)
- Sussex County (Del.)
- Delaware--Politics and government--1951-
- United States--Politics and government
Occupation
- Publisher
- University of Delaware Library Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
- Finding Aid Date
- 2015 May 6
- Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, http://library.udel.edu/spec/askspec/
Collection Inventory
For oversized items, view image 1 49 and 50 in the PDF.
Additional materials have not been scanned but are availabe in the physical folder.
For oversized items, view images 2 and 3 in the PDF.
Additional newspaper clips covering the 2004 elections in Delaware have not been scanned and can be found in the oversize folder.
For oversized items, view images 4 and 50 in the PDF.
For oversized items, view images 6 through 239 and 50 in the PDF.
For oversized items, view images 25 through 30 in the PDF.
For oversized items, view images 31 through 48 in the PDF.
For oversized items, view image 24 in the PDF.
Additional materials have not been scanned but are availabe in the physical folder.
For oversized items, view images 49 and 50 in the PDF.
Joseph "Joe" R. Biden, Jr., has served as a member of the New Castle County Council from 1970-1972; U.S. Senator from Delaware from 1973-2009; and Vice President of the United States from 2009-2017.
Joseph R. Biden III, known as Beau Biden, served as Delaware's Attorney General from 2007-2015.
John Carney served as Lieutenant Governor of Delaware from 2001-2009; Congressman from 2009-2017; and currnetly serves as Delaware's Governor.
Michael "Mike" N. Castle served as Lieutenant Governor of Delaware from 1981-1985; Governor of Delaware from 1985-1992; and Congressman from 1993-2011.
Vance Funk served as Mayor of Newark, Delaware, from 2005-2013.
Edward E. "Ted" Kaufman served as Senator Joe Biden's Chief of Staff from 1976 to 1995. In 2008, Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner appointed Kaufman to fill the Senate seat vacated by Senator Biden prior to his inauguration as Vice President. Kaufman served as a U.S. Senator from Delaware from 2009-2010.
Barak Obama served as a member of the Illinois Senate (13th district) from 1997-2004; U.S. Senator from Illinois from 2004-2008; and was the 44th President of the United States from 2009-2017. Obama's Vice President was Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Campaign ephemera for Laird Stabler, Republican candidate for Delaware Attorney General in 1970.
Sticker for Russell Peterson and Eugene Bookhammer re-election in 1972.
Two pencils from the office or campaign of State Representative Cathy Wojewodzki. Wojeworzki served a single term in the Delaware House of Representatives, representing the 23rd district in the 137th Delaware General Assembly (1993-1995).
A napkin printed printed for 97.1 [FM], the Fox, a classic rock station on the Delmarva peninsula for "Return Day 1996" [November 5, 1996]. The napkin says "Roasting the Ox with Delmarva's Classic 97.1 the Fox."
Two small bars of soap from the Chris Castagno campaign. Castagno was the Republican candidate for New Castle County Executive in 2004, losing to Democratic challenger Chris Coons.
T-shirt from Mike Castle's 2010 U.S. Senate campaign.
2 item
These bobbleheads were given out to first 1250 fans only at the Wilmington Blue Rocks vs Carolina Mudcats baseball game on July 31, 2015.
2 item
T-shirt from the "Biden is Back" celebration held at the University of Delaware on April 7, 2017.
5 item
2 item
2 item
Three business cards printed for Lieutenant Governor Beth Hall Long and U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons. Also includes a card which says: "I get being Republican, I don't get being mean." This is part of a series of prints created by the Lead Graffiti printing lab in Newark, Delaware.
Physical Description4 item
3 item
Black and white photograph of the Great Seal of the United States, attached to a piece of posterboard. On the back of the posterborad is the name "Frear," believed to refer to U.S. Senator J. Allen Frear (D-Delaware).
David P. Buckson (R), served as Lieutenant Governor of Delaware from 1957-1961 and two terms as Attorney General of Delaware from 1963-1971. He ran for Governor of Delaware twice, once in 1964 (losing to Democratic opponent Charles L. Terry), and again in 1972 (losing in the Republican primary to sitting Governor Russell Peterson). This button could be from either the 1964 or 1972 campaign.
Physical Description2 item
Russell Peterson (R), was a one-term Governor in Delaware, winning election in 1968 and losing his re-election campaign in 1972 to Sherman Tribbit (D). It is unclear which from which campaign this button originates.
Believed to be an image of Michael Dukakis (D), former governor of Massachusetts and the 1988 Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
This button was part of an effort to attract the 1984 Democratic National Convention to Washington D.C. in 1984.
William (Bill) Quillen (D), is a former justice on the Delaware Supreme Court. Quillen ran a single campaign for Governor in 1984, losing to Michael N. Castle (R).
Carol Moseley Braun was the first African American woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.
The button lists the name of seven Democratic women who ran for seats in the U. S. Senate in 1992, dubbed "The Year of the Woman:" Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, both from California; Geraldine Ferraro, New York; Josie Heath, Colorado; Barbara Mikulski, Maryland; Lynn Yeakel, Pennsylvania; and Carol Moseley Braun, Illinois.
Michele Rollins (R) ran for Delaware's single seat in the House of Representatives in 2010, running for the seat being vacated by then-Congressman and former Delaware Governor Michael N. Castle (R). Rollins lost in the Republican primary to Glen Urquhart. Urquhart lost to Democratic candidate John Carney in the general election.
Ken Simpler (R) was elected as State Treasurer of Delaware in 2014. In 2018, he ran for re-election, losing to Democratic challenger Colleen Davis.
Physical Description2 item
Demitri Theodorophoulos was the Green party candidate for the United States Senate general election in 2018.
Former Secretary of State and New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine were the Democratic Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates in 2016, losing to Republican nominees Donald Trump and Mike Pence.
Campaign sign for the Hillary Clinton campaign. Clinton was the 2016 Democratic presidiental nominee, losing to Republican Donald Trump in the general election.
Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long ran as the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2016, winning election and serving with Governor John Carney (D).
Trinidad Navarro was the Democratic candidate for Delaware Insurance Commissioner in 2016, defeating Republican Jeffrey Cragg.
In the 2016 general election, Democrat ran for New Castle County Executive against Republican Mark Blake. Meyer won the election.
Jeffrey Day was a candidate for the Christina School Board in 2017.
In 2017, U.S. Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) ran for Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, eventually losing to former Labor Secretary Tom Perez.
Jen Wallace ran in 2016 for a seat on the Newark City Council, District 3, serving two consecutive terms.
United States Senator Thomas (Tom) Carper (D) is the incumbant senior United States senator from Delaware and was the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in the 2018 general election. Senaotr Carper won re-election, defeating primary challenger Kerri Evelyn Harris and Republican candidate Rob Arlet, Libertarian candidate Nadine Frost and Green Party candidate Demitri Theodoropoulos in the general election.
Harris was a Democratic candidate for the United States Senate in 2018, losing in the Democratic primary to incumbant United States Senator Tom Carper.
Robert (Rob) Arlet was the Republican candidate for United States Senate in 2018. Arlet won the Republican primary against Roque (Rocky) de la Fuente and Eugene (Gene) Truno. Arlet lost in the general election to incumbant Senator Tom Carper (D).
Eugene "Gene" Truono Jr. was a Republican candidate for United States Senate during the 2018 primary election, losing to Robert Arlet.
Demitri Theodoropoulos was the Green party candidate for United States Senate during the 2018 general election. Theodoropoulos lost to incumbant Senator Tom Carper (D).
Nadine Frost was the Libertarian candidate in the 2018 general election for United States Senate, losing to incumbant Senator Tom Carper (D).
Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D) was with incumbant for Delaware's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives. Blunt Rochester was first elected to Congress in 2016, the first woman and first African American to represent Delaware. In 2018, Congresswoman Blunt Rochester won re-election against Republican Scott Walker.
Scott Walker was the Republican nominee for Delaware's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives in 2018. Walker defeated challenger Lee Murphy in the primary election, and lost to incumbant Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D) in the general election.
Physical Description6 item
Lee Murphy was a Republican nominee in the 2018 primary election for Delaware's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives. Murphy lost the primary to Scott Walker.
Paul A. Johnston was a write-in candidate for Delaware's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, losing to incumbant Congresswoman Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D).
Kathleen (Kathy) Jennings was a Democratic candidate for Delaware Attorney General in 2018. Jennings won the Democratic primary, defeating challengers Chris Johnson, Tim Mullaney and Lakresha Roberts. Jennings defeated Republican Bernard Pepukayi in the general election.
Johnson was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Delaware Attorney General, losing in the primary to Kathy Jennings.
Physical Description2 item
Timothy (Tim) Mullaney was a Democratic candidate for Delaware's Attorney General in the 2018 primary election, losing to Kathleen Jennings.
Bernard Pepukayi was the Republican nominee for Delaware Attorney General in the 2018 general election. Pepukayi lost to Democrat Kathleen Jennings.
Kathleen (Kathy) McGuiness was a Democratic nominee for Delaware Auditor of Accounts. McGuinness won the Democratic primary election against challengers Kathleen Davies and Dennis Williams. In the general election, McGuiness defeated Republican James Spadola.
Kathleen Davies was a Democratic candidate for Delaware Auditor of Accounts in the 2018 primary election, losing to Kathleen McGuiness.
Dennis Williams was a Democratic candidate for Delaware's Auditor of Accounts in the 2018 primary election, losing to Kathleen McGuinness.
James Spadola was the Republican candidate for Delaware Auditor of Accounts in the 2018 general election. Spadola lost to Democrat Kathleen McGuiness.
Physical Description2 item
Colleen Davis was the Democratic nominee for Delaware State Treasurer in the 2018 general election. Davis defeated the Republican incumbant, Kenneth Simpler.
Kenneth (Ken) Simpler was the incumbant and Republican nominee for Delaware State Treasurer in the 2018 general election. Simpler lost to Democratic challenger Colleen Davis.
Elizabeth Lockman was a Democratic candidate running for District 3 of the Delaware State Senate. Lockman defeated Jordan Hines in the primary election, and won the 2018 general election, running unopposed.
Laura Sturgeon was the Democratic candidate for District 4 of the Delaware State Senate. Sturgeon won the general election, defeating incumbant State Senator Gregory Lavelle (R).
State Senator Stephanie Hansen (D) is the incumbant state senator for District 12 of the Delaware State Senate. Hansen won re-election in the 2018 general election, defeating Republican Christine Metzing.
Christine Metzing was the Republican nominee for District 12 of the Delaware State Senate. Metzing was defeated by incumbant State Senator Stephanie Hansen (D).
Jim Miller was a Democratic primary candidate for District 3 of the Delaware House of Representatives, losing to Sherry Dorsey Walker.
Cody McNutt was the Libertarian candidate for District 8 of the Delaware House of Representatives in the 2018 general election. McNutt lost to incumbant State Representative S. Quinton Johnson (D).
Daniel Zitofsky was the Republican nominee for District 8 of the Delaware House of Representatives in the 2018 general election. Zitofsky lost to Democratic candidate S. Quinton Johnson.
Krista Griffith was a Democratic candidate for District 12 of the Delaware House of Representatives. Griffith defeated Rachel Blumefeld in the Democratic primary election and Republican Deborah Hudson in the general election.
Deborah Hudson was the Republican candidate for District 12 of the Delaware House of Representatives. Hudson was defeated by Democrat Krista Griffith in the 2018 general election.
State Representative Michael Ramone (R) represents District 21 in the Delaware House of Representatives. In 2018, State Representative Ramone won re-election, defeating Democrat Stephanie Barry.
Stephanie Barry was a Democratic candidate for District 21 in the Delaware House of Representatives. Barry lost the election to incumbant State Representative Mike Ramone (R).
State Representative Michael (Mike) Smith (R), represents District 22 in the Delaware House of Representatives. In 2018, Representative Smith defeated challenger Katherine Beard in the primary election, and defeated Democrat Guillermina Gonzalez in the general election.
Guillermina Gonzalez was the Democratic nominee for District 22 of the Delaware House of Representatives. Gonzalez won the priamry election against challenger Renee Taschner, and lost in the general election to incumbant State Representative Michael Smith (R).
William (Bill) Dilks was the Republican candidate for District 24 of the Delaware State House of Representatives. Dilks lost the general election to incumbant State Representative Edward Osienski (D).
State Representative John Kowalko, Jr., (D), was the Democratic nominee for District 25 of the Delaware House of Representatives. Kowalko defeated Republican Bryan Rash in the general election.
Bryan Rash was the Republican candidate for District 25 of the Delaware House of Representatives in the 2018 general election. Rash lost to incumbant State Representative John Kowalko, Jr. (D).
William (Bill) Hinds was the Libertarian party candidate for District 27 of the Delaware House of Representatives. Hinds lost to incumbant State RepresentativeEarl G. Jaques, Jr. (D).
Michael Kozikowski was the incumbant Democratic Recorder of Deeds for New Castle County, Delaware. Kozikowski defeated Republican Daniel Rappa in the 2018 general election.
Daniel Rappa was the Republican candidate for New Castle County, Delaware, Recorder of Deeds in the 2018 general election. Rappa lost to Democratic incumbant Michael Kozikowski.
Dee Durham was the Democratic candidate for New Castle County, Delaware, County Council, District 2. Durham defeated Republican Robert Weiner in the general election.
Jerry Clifton is a long-time member of the Newark City Council who ran and won election as Mayor of Newark in 2018, defeating Kesai Guthrie, Brandon Farzad and Catherine Ciferni.
Catherine Ciferni ran for Mayor of Newark in 2019. She lost to Jerry Clifton.
Kasai Guthrie was a University of Delaware undergraduate student running for Mayor of Newark in 2019. He lost to Jerry Clifton.
Brandon Farzad ran for Mayor of Newark in 2019. He lost to Jerry Clifton.
State Representative Gerald Brady is a Democratic member of the Delaware House of Representatives, representing District 4. Representative Brady has served in the Delaware House of Representatives since 2006.
State Representative John Mitchell Jr.is a Democratic member of the Delaware House of Representatives, representing District 13. Representative Mitchell has served in the Delaware House of Representatives since 2006.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic primary, losing the nomination to former Vice President Joe Biden.
Poster from the Bernie Sanders campaign. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic primary, losing the nomination to former Vice President Joe Biden.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic primary, losing the nomination to former Vice President Joe Biden.
Former Vice President Joe Biden was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic Primary, winning the nomination for President of the United States.
Campaign poster for the Democratic presidential and vice presidential nominees, former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA).
Campaign poster for the Democratic presidential and vice presidential nominees, former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA).
Campaign poster for the Republican presidential and vice presidential nominees, incumbent President Donald Trump and incumbent Vice President Mike Pence.
Campaign sign for incumbent Democratic Senator Chris Coons. Coons won the Democratic primary against Jessica Scarane, and went on to win in the general election against Republican challenger Lauren Witzke.
Jessica Scarane was a candidate in the Democratic senatorial primary, challenging incumbent Senator Chris Coons. Coons won the primary.
Lauren Witzke was a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, defeating Jim DeMartino in the Republican primary. Witzke lost to incumbent Democratic Senator Chris Coons in the general election.
Jim DeMartino ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, losing to Lauren Witzke.
Lee Murphy was the Republican candidate for Delaware's at-large seat in the House of Representatives, losing to incumbent Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester.
Incumbent Democratic Governor John Carney won reelection, defeating primary challenger David Lamar Williams, Jr., and Republican candidate Julianne Murray in the general election.
David Lamar Williams, Jr., was a candidate in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, losing to incumbent Governor John Carney.
Julianne Murray won the Republican gubernatorial primary against four challengers, losing to incumbent Democratic Governor John Carney in the general election.
Colin Bonini was a candidate in the Republican gubernatorial primary, losing to Julianne Murray.
State senator Bryant Richardson was a candidate in the Republican gubernatorial primary, losing to Julianne Murray.
Dave Graham was a candidate in the Republican gubernatorial primary, losing to Julianne Murray.
Incumbent Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro ran and won reelection in 2020, defeating Republican challenger Julia Pillsbury.
Amy Solomon ran in the Democratic primary for a seat in the Delaware House of Representatives, losing to incumbent State Representative Gerald Brady.
Jordan Nally ran as a Republican for the Delaware House of Representatives, 4th district. Nally won the Republican primary, but lost to incumbent State Representative Gerald Brady.
Incumbent Democratic State Representative Krista Griffith won reelection in 2020, defeating Republican challenger Jeffrey Cragg in the general election.
Jeff Cragg ran as a Republican for the 12th district seat in the Delaware House of Representatives, losing to incumbent Democratic State Representative Krista Griffith.
Luann D'Agostino ran as a Democrat for a seat in the Delaware House of Representatives, losing to incumbent Republican Representative Michael Smith.
Incumbent Democratic County Executive Matt Meyer ran for reelection in 2020, defeating Democratic primary challenger Maggie Jones. Meyer ran unopposed in the general election.
Maggie Jones ran in the Democratic primary, losing to incumbent Democratic County Executive Matt Meyer.
Monique Jones ran in the Democratic primary, losing to former New Castle County Executive Karen Hartley-Nagle.
Ciro Poppiti ran in the Democratic primary, losing to former New Castle County Executive Karen Hartley-Nagle.
Aja Ajavon ran as a Democrat for New Castle County Clerk of the Peace, losing to Lisa Darrah.
This sign is from incumbent Democrat Chris Johnson's primary candidate. Johnson ran in the Democratic primary for the 7th district seat on Wilmington City Council.
Incumbent Wilmington City Councilor Loretta Walsh ran for and won reelection to one of three at-large seats on City Council.
Sign created by the Friends of Wooddale Preserve organization, trying to protect the area of the former Hercules Country Club from development, hoping instead that the land would be turned into a preserve.