James D. McGinnis
Encyclopedia
James D. McGinnis was an American real estate agent and politician from Dover in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as the 19th Lieutenant Governor
.
. In 1964, after only one term in the House, McGinnis won election to the State Senate, holding his seat until 1966.
Upon the retirement of Democratic State Representative Ralph R. Smith in 1972, McGinnis returned to the State House by winning Smith's seat in Delaware's 32nd Representative district. He was reelected in 1974 and served as Majority Leader from 1975 to 1976.
McGinnis's legislative prowess led Delaware Democrats to nominate him for Lieutenant Governor. The Democratic candidate for Governor was incumbent Sherman W. Tribbitt
, running for reelection amid a financial crisis. Then U.S. Congressman and du Pont family
heir Pierre S. du Pont, IV
defeated Tribbitt for Governor by a 15 point margin. Despite this overwhelming defeat by the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, McGinnis won his race for Lieutenant Governor, defeating Republican Andrew Foltz by a slim one and a half point margin.
In 1980 McGinnis declined to run for reelection as Lieutenant Governor, instead opting to run for Governor. However, he and most of the other Democratic contenders dropped out of the primary in favor of eventual nominee William J. Gordy. Gordy lost to incumbent Governor du Pont. The Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor was State Senate Majority Leader and future President Pro Tempore
Thomas B. Sharp, who lost the election to future Governor Michael N. Castle by 19%.
In March 1997 Democratic Governor Thomas R. Carper recognized McGinnis's combined experience in the areas of politics and real estate by appointing him to a three-year term on the Delaware Real Estate Commission. He has been reappointed since then by Carper and his successor, Ruth Ann Minner
. Minner and McGinnis had served together in the State House from 1975 to 1977, when McGinnis was the floor leader for their caucus and Minner was in her first term.
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Public Offices
|-
! Office
! Type
! Location
! Elected
! Began office
! Ended office
! notes
|-
|State Representative
|Legislature
|Dover
|1962
|January 8, 1963
|January 12, 1965
|
|-
|State Senator
|Legislature
|Dover
|1964
|January 12, 1965
|January 10, 1967
|
|-
|State Representative
|Legislature
|Dover
|1972
|January 9, 1973
|January 14, 1975
|
|-
|State Representative
|Legislature
|Dover
|1974
|January 14, 1975
|January 11, 1977
|Majority Leader
|-
|Lt. Governor
|Executive
|Dover
|1976
|January 18, 1977
|January 20, 1981
|
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly service
|-
! Dates
! Assembly
! Chamber
! Majority
! Governor
! Committees
! District
|-
|1963-1964
|122nd
|State House
|Democratic
|Elbert N. Carvel
|
| 2nd Kent
|-
|1965-1966
|123rd
|State Senate
|Democratic
|Charles L. Terry, Jr.
|
| 14th
|-
|1973-1974
|127th
|State House
|Republican
|Sherman W. Tribbitt
|
| 32nd
|-
|1975-1976
|128th
|State House
|Democratic
|Sherman W. Tribbitt
|
| 32nd
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
|-
!Year
!Office
!
!Subject
!Party
!Votes
!%
!
!Opponent
!Party
!Votes
!%
|-
|1962
|State Representative
|
| |James D. McGinnis
| |Democratic
| |
| |
|
| |
| |Republican
| |
| |
|-
|-
|1964
|State Representative
|
| |James D. McGinnis
| |Democratic
| |
| |
|
| |
| |Republican
| |
| |
|-
|1972
|State Representative
|
| |James D. McGinnis
| |Democratic
| |2,884
| |55.3%
|
| |J. Ronald Fidler
| |Republican
| |2,330
| |44.7%
|-
|1974
|State Representative
|
| |James D. McGinnis
| |Democratic
| |2,562
| |61.6%
|
| |Andrea L. Barros
| |Republican
| |1,599
| |38.4%
|-
|1976
|Lt. Governor
|
| |James D. McGinnis
| |Democratic
| |110,328
| |50.4%
|
| |Andrew Foltz
| |Republican
| |107,075
| |48.9%
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
.
Professional career
McGinnis was born in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Dover, Delaware in 1954. In 1964 he entered the real estate business by selling and leasing commercial property. He worked in the industry for eleven years before earning his Broker's license from the Delaware Real Estate Commission in 1975. McGinnis earned a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation from the National Association of Realtors and is a member of the Kent County Association of Realtors, Delaware Association of Realtors, and National Association of Realtors. From 1990 to 1992, he served on the Landlord-Tenant Committee for the Kent County Realtors Association.Political career
McGinnis first won elected office in 1962, when he was elected to the Delaware House of RepresentativesDelaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
. In 1964, after only one term in the House, McGinnis won election to the State Senate, holding his seat until 1966.
Upon the retirement of Democratic State Representative Ralph R. Smith in 1972, McGinnis returned to the State House by winning Smith's seat in Delaware's 32nd Representative district. He was reelected in 1974 and served as Majority Leader from 1975 to 1976.
McGinnis's legislative prowess led Delaware Democrats to nominate him for Lieutenant Governor. The Democratic candidate for Governor was incumbent Sherman W. Tribbitt
Sherman W. Tribbitt
Sherman Willard Tribbitt was an American merchant and politician from Odessa, in New Castle County, Delaware...
, running for reelection amid a financial crisis. Then U.S. Congressman and du Pont family
Du Pont family
The Du Pont family is an American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours . The son of a Paris watchmaker and a member of a Burgundian noble family, he and his sons, Victor Marie du Pont and Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, emigrated to the United States in 1800 and used the resources of...
heir Pierre S. du Pont, IV
Pierre S. du Pont, IV
Pierre Samuel "Pete" du Pont IV is an American lawyer and politician from Rockland, in New Castle County, Delaware, near Wilmington. He is a member of the Republican Party, who served three terms as U.S...
defeated Tribbitt for Governor by a 15 point margin. Despite this overwhelming defeat by the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, McGinnis won his race for Lieutenant Governor, defeating Republican Andrew Foltz by a slim one and a half point margin.
In 1980 McGinnis declined to run for reelection as Lieutenant Governor, instead opting to run for Governor. However, he and most of the other Democratic contenders dropped out of the primary in favor of eventual nominee William J. Gordy. Gordy lost to incumbent Governor du Pont. The Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor was State Senate Majority Leader and future President Pro Tempore
President pro tempore
A President pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer...
Thomas B. Sharp, who lost the election to future Governor Michael N. Castle by 19%.
In March 1997 Democratic Governor Thomas R. Carper recognized McGinnis's combined experience in the areas of politics and real estate by appointing him to a three-year term on the Delaware Real Estate Commission. He has been reappointed since then by Carper and his successor, Ruth Ann Minner
Ruth Ann Minner
Ruth Ann Minner is an American politician and businesswoman from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware. She is a member of the Democratic Party who served in the Delaware General Assembly, as the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Delaware and two terms as the first female Governor of Delaware.-Early life...
. Minner and McGinnis had served together in the State House from 1975 to 1977, when McGinnis was the floor leader for their caucus and Minner was in her first term.
Almanac
Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. Members of the Delaware General Assembly take office the second Tuesday of January. The Lt. Governor takes office the third Tuesday of January.{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Public Offices
|-
! Office
! Type
! Location
! Elected
! Began office
! Ended office
! notes
|-
|State Representative
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
|Legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
|Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
|1962
|January 8, 1963
|January 12, 1965
|
|-
|State Senator
Delaware Senate
The Delaware Senate is the upper house of the Delaware General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 21 Senators, each of whom is elected to a four-year term, except when reapportionment occurs, at which time Senators may be elected to a two-year term....
|Legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
|Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
|1964
|January 12, 1965
|January 10, 1967
|
|-
|State Representative
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
|Legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
|Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
|1972
|January 9, 1973
|January 14, 1975
|
|-
|State Representative
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
|Legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
|Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
|1974
|January 14, 1975
|January 11, 1977
|Majority Leader
|-
|Lt. Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
The Lieutenant Governor of Delaware is the second ranking executive officer of the U.S. state of Delaware. Lieutenant Governors are elected for a term of four years in the same general election as the U.S. President and take office the following January....
|Executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
|Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
|1976
|January 18, 1977
|January 20, 1981
|
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly service
|-
! Dates
! Assembly
! Chamber
! Majority
! Governor
! Committees
! District
|-
|1963-1964
|122nd
Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 Senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 Representatives...
|State House
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
|Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
|Elbert N. Carvel
Elbert N. Carvel
Elbert Nostrand "Bert" Carvel was an American businessman and politician from Laurel, in Sussex County, Delaware...
|
| 2nd Kent
|-
|1965-1966
|123rd
Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 Senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 Representatives...
|State Senate
Delaware Senate
The Delaware Senate is the upper house of the Delaware General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 21 Senators, each of whom is elected to a four-year term, except when reapportionment occurs, at which time Senators may be elected to a two-year term....
|Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
|Charles L. Terry, Jr.
Charles L. Terry, Jr.
Charles Layman "Charlie" Terry, Jr. was an American lawyer and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court and as Governor of Delaware.-Early life and family:Terry was born at Camden, Delaware,...
|
| 14th
|-
|1973-1974
|127th
Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 Senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 Representatives...
|State House
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
|Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
|Sherman W. Tribbitt
Sherman W. Tribbitt
Sherman Willard Tribbitt was an American merchant and politician from Odessa, in New Castle County, Delaware...
|
| 32nd
|-
|1975-1976
|128th
Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 Senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 Representatives...
|State House
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
|Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
|Sherman W. Tribbitt
Sherman W. Tribbitt
Sherman Willard Tribbitt was an American merchant and politician from Odessa, in New Castle County, Delaware...
|
| 32nd
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
|-
!Year
!Office
!
!Subject
!Party
!Votes
!%
!
!Opponent
!Party
!Votes
!%
|-
|1962
|State Representative
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
|
| |James D. McGinnis
| |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| |
| |
|
| |
| |Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
| |
| |
|-
|-
|1964
|State Representative
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
|
| |James D. McGinnis
| |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| |
| |
|
| |
| |Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
| |
| |
|-
|1972
|State Representative
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
|
| |James D. McGinnis
| |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| |2,884
| |55.3%
|
| |J. Ronald Fidler
| |Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
| |2,330
| |44.7%
|-
|1974
|State Representative
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
|
| |James D. McGinnis
| |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| |2,562
| |61.6%
|
| |Andrea L. Barros
| |Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
| |1,599
| |38.4%
|-
|1976
|Lt. Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
The Lieutenant Governor of Delaware is the second ranking executive officer of the U.S. state of Delaware. Lieutenant Governors are elected for a term of four years in the same general election as the U.S. President and take office the following January....
|
| |James D. McGinnis
| |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| |110,328
| |50.4%
|
| |Andrew Foltz
| |Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
| |107,075
| |48.9%
External links
Places with more information
- Delaware Historical SocietyDelaware Historical SocietyThe Delaware Historical Society began in 1864 as an effort to preserve documents from the Civil War. Since then, it has expanded into a state-wide historical institution with several venues and a major museum in Wilmington and the historic Read House & Gardens in New Castle.The society...
; website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161 - University of DelawareUniversity of DelawareThe university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
; Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965