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to the office. But the
Republicans were divided and enough supported the candidacy of Addicks to barely prevent a majority from electing du Pont. Then, with accession of Watson to the Governor's office, the total number of members seemed to be reduced and du Pont had a majority. The Delaware General
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Watson was a
Democrat, and was first elected to the state house in 1884, but his eligibility was challenged due his previous residence in Philadelphia. As a result, did not take his seat and waited eight years, until 1892, to seek office again. Then he was elected to the state senate and served in
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Assembly went to vote only to find Watson had returned to his old state senate seat, casting his vote for the
Democratic candidate, but more importantly preventing du Pont from receiving a majority. This was an unprecedented action by an unelected governor, but the
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Elections are held the first
Tuesday after November 1. Members of the Delaware General Assembly took office the first Tuesday of January. State senators have a four-year term. The governor takes office the third Tuesday of January and has a four-year term.
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the 1893/94 session and the 1895/96 session, when he was the
Speaker. The 1894 elections, however, resulted in a Republican State House and a Republican Governor. Regardless, the state senate kept its Democratic majority, and when Governor
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288:. A gas company industrialist, he spent vast amounts of his own fortune to rebuild the Republican Party in Delaware, seemingly for that purpose. This effort was very successful in heavily Democratic Kent County and
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All the while the
Delaware General Assembly was attempting to elect a U.S. Senator. Since the two houses voted together, the more numerous Republicans held an overall majority and attempted to elect
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died, the
Speaker of the state senate succeeded him. Watson assumed the office of Governor of Delaware and served from April 8, 1895, until January 19, 1897.
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At the turn of the twentieth century
Delaware was going through a political transformation. Most obvious to the public was the unprecedented division in the
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Because of
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Watson died at Milford and is buried there in the Odd Fellows Cemetery. The
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823:; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161
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resolved the issue for good by creating the independent office of
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296:"Regular Republicans," who considered him nothing more than a
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Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States
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Portrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover.
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722:. Wilmington, Delaware: The Delaware Heritage Press.
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Clearing New Ground, The Life of John G. Townsend, Jr
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748:A History of Delaware Through its Governors
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750:. Wilmington, Delaware: McClafferty Press.
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56:April 8, 1895 – January 19, 1897
1494:Democratic Party Delaware state senators
262:Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Railroad
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1499:Democratic Party governors of Delaware
682:"National Register Information System"
280:caused, in part, by the ambitions of
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1514:19th-century American businesspeople
759:. Newark, Delaware: Roger A. Martin.
687:National Register of Historic Places
441:National Register of Historic Places
1519:19th-century American Episcopalians
256:, Maryland and for a time lived in
771:Hall of Governors Portrait Gallery
553:Delaware General Assembly service
335:have been held in the year of the
333:Delaware's gubernatorial elections
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1509:19th-century American politicians
272:Professional and political career
1504:Burials in Kent County, Delaware
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739:History of the State of Delaware
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99:January 6, 1893 – April 8, 1895
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1479:People from Milford, Delaware
322:Delaware Constitution of 1897
318:Delaware Constitution of 1831
1489:Businesspeople from Delaware
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817:Delaware Historical Society
718:Carter, Richard B. (2001).
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337:U.S. presidential election
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755:Martin, Roger A. (1995).
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356:(sessions while Governor)
350:Delaware General Assembly
226:Delaware General Assembly
220:. He was a member of the
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805:The Political Graveyard
282:J. Edward "Gas" Addicks
266:Christ Episcopal Church
827:University of Delaware
757:Memoirs of the Senate
692:National Park Service
236:Early life and family
218:Kent County, Delaware
908:lieutenant governors
855:Governor of Delaware
800:Delaware’s Governors
230:Governor of Delaware
224:, who served in the
214:William Tharp Watson
44:Governor of Delaware
326:lieutenant governor
300:from Philadelphia.
240:Watson was born in
16:American politician
840:Political offices
704:1895 session only.
614:Robert J. Reynolds
439:was listed on the
424:Henry H. McMullen
284:for a seat in the
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174:Residence(s)
141:(1917-04-14)
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74:Succeeded by
51:
1474:1917 deaths
1469:1849 births
504:Legislature
286:U.S. Senate
254:Chestertown
62:Preceded by
1463:Categories
1408:Bookhammer
1333:Mendinhall
1314:Lieutenant
1036:J. Collins
961:T. Collins
859:1895–1897
712:References
643:Democratic
629:1895-1896
609:Democratic
595:1893-1894
584:Committees
420:Republican
410:Democratic
399:1895-1896
200:Occupation
189:Alma mater
160:Democratic
119:1849-06-22
1448:Hall-Long
1373:MacCollum
1316:governors
1191:Pennewill
1131:Saulsbury
1026:Molleston
1016:D. Rodney
946:Dickinson
919:Governors
904:Governors
529:Executive
443:in 1982.
95:In office
52:In office
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1091:Stockton
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956:Van Dyke
912:Delaware
589:District
579:Governor
574:Majority
564:Assembly
524:Governor
477:Location
369:Assembly
182:Delaware
150:Delaware
130:Delaware
1393:Buckson
1388:Rollins
1343:Eliason
1291:Markell
1266:du Pont
1241:Buckson
1176:Tunnell
1146:J. Hall
1141:Cochran
1081:Comegys
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1066:Hazzard
1056:Paynter
996:D. Hall
986:Bassett
976:Bedford
971:Clayton
926:McKinly
821:website
653:Speaker
569:Chamber
544:acting
447:Almanac
414:vacant
393:Speaker
381:Speaker
228:and as
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126:Milford
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1196:Miller
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1126:Cannon
1121:Burton
1116:Causey
1101:Temple
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1046:Haslet
1011:Haslet
1006:Truitt
981:Rogers
931:McKean
765:Images
726:
467:Office
203:Banker
166:Spouse
1368:Cooch
1358:Hazel
1251:Terry
1236:Boggs
1226:Bacon
1156:Biggs
1106:Tharp
1096:Maull
1031:Stout
1021:Clark
991:Sykes
966:Davis
668:Notes
559:Dates
534:Dover
509:Dover
492:notes
42:49th
1443:Denn
1428:Wolf
1348:Bush
1276:Wolf
1216:Buck
1181:Hunn
1111:Ross
1076:Polk
1061:Polk
951:Cook
936:Read
906:and
724:ISBN
633:88th
599:87th
472:Type
403:88th
364:Year
136:Died
113:Born
1423:Woo
1186:Lea
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793:at
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