Politics of Delaware in 1992
The politics of Delaware in 1992 were heavily influenced by the national political climate of the time. In the presidential election, Democratic nominee Bill Clinton narrowly defeated incumbent Republican President George H.W. Bush in a close three-way race which also included independent candidate Ross Perot. This result was reflected in Delaware, where Clinton won with 48% of the vote, compared to Bush’s 41% and Perot’s 11%.
In Delaware’s own gubernatorial election, incumbent Democratic Governor Michael N. Castle comfortably won reelection over his Republican challenger William Swain Lee by a margin of 62% to 38%. This victory was largely attributed to Castle’s strong performance on economic and environmental issues during his first term as governor.
At the congressional level, Delaware retained its two U.S Senate seats in 1992 with both incumbents being reelected by comfortable margins. The state’s lone U.S House seat was held by Republican Michael N. Castle who had held it since 1982 and easily won reelection for a seventh term with 66% of the vote against his Democratic challenger Michael E. Miller (34%).
At the state level, Democrats controlled both chambers of the General Assembly for most of 1992 following their strong showing in the 1990 elections which saw them regain control from Republicans who had previously held it for over twenty years since 1971 (with brief exceptions). The Democrats maintained their majority status throughout 1992 and into 1993 before losing control to Republicans after that year’s elections due in part to Bill Clinton’s unpopularity at the time due to his economic policies and foreign policy decisions like sending troops to Somalia and Haiti during his first term as president.
Overall, 1992 was an important year politically for Delaware as it marked a transition between two different eras: one where Republicans had long been dominant at both state and national levels; and another where Democrats began regaining power at both levels following Bill Clinton’s presidential victory that same year. Despite this change in power dynamics, however, most of Delaware’s elected officials remained relatively consistent throughout this period with only minor changes occurring due to general elections or retirements from officeholders who had held their positions for many years prior.
Population of Delaware in 1992
In 1992, Delaware had a population of 672,066 people according to the 1990 US Census. The state was the 45th most populous in the nation. Of this population, 56.7% were White, 26.8% African American, 0.5% Native American/Alaskan Native, 2.3% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 12.2% Hispanic/Latino of any race. According to travelationary, the largest city in Delaware in 1992 was Wilmington with a population of 73,072 people and it was followed by Dover (32,945), Newark (26,716), Middletown (18,380), and Smyrna (10,922).
The median age of the population in 1992 was 34 years old and there were slightly more females than males at 50.2%. Of those 25 years old or older in 1992, 84.3% had earned at least a high school diploma or equivalent while 28.1% had earned at least a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education. The median household income for Delawareans in 1992 was $35,787 which was slightly above the national average that year of $33,721 while the poverty rate for Delawareans was 10%, slightly below the national rate of 13%.
Economy of Delaware in 1992
In 1992, Delaware had a diversified economy with a mix of manufacturing, services, and tourism. The largest industries in the state included chemicals and petroleum products, financial services, food processing, paper products, rubber and plastic products, textiles and apparel. Manufacturing accounted for about 20% of the state’s total employment that year. The leading employers were DuPont Co., Chrysler Corp., ICI Americas Inc., Hercules Inc., Astra USA Inc., Diamond State Telephone Co., and MBNA America Bank NA.
According to allunitconverters, the service sector was important to Delaware’s economy in 1992 with retail trade accounting for about 17% of total employment followed by health care and social assistance (12%), professional and technical services (9%), finance (7%), leisure and hospitality (7%), education (6%) and government (5%). Tourism was an important part of the service sector in 1992 with visitors spending over $1 billion in the state.
The unemployment rate for Delawareans in 1992 was 5.4%, slightly below the national rate of 6%. Per capita personal income was $26,836 which was slightly above the national average of $25,421 that year. The median household income for Delawareans in 1992 was $35,787 which was slightly above the national average that year of $33,721 while the poverty rate for Delawareans was 10%, slightly below the national rate of 13%.
Events held in Delaware in 1992
In 1992, Delaware hosted a variety of events that drew visitors from all over the country. In April, Rehoboth Beach hosted the annual Spring Festival, which featured live music, crafts and food vendors. During Memorial Day weekend, Delaware celebrated its unique heritage with the First State Heritage Park’s Colonial Days celebration. The event included a reenactment of the 1776 reading of the Declaration of Independence in Dover and other colonial activities.
According to watchtutorials, the summer months brought many events to Delaware including concerts in Wilmington’s Rodney Square Park and Dover International Speedway’s NASCAR races. The state’s beaches were also popular destinations for visitors with Rehoboth Beach hosting its annual Sandcastle Contest in July and Bethany Beach holding its annual Sea Witch Festival in October.
In September, Delawareans celebrated their statehood with the First State Celebration at Legislative Hall in Dover. The event included music, food, arts and crafts as well as historical reenactments from all eras of Delaware history. The end of October saw thousands gather for the annual Punkin Chunkin festival where teams compete to see who can throw a pumpkin furthest using various contraptions such as catapults and trebuchets.
Finally, during December 1992 Wilmington held its annual Christmas parade that featured floats from local businesses and organizations as well as marching bands from across the state. This event was followed by New Year’s celebrations in cities across Delaware to welcome 1993 with fireworks displays and other festivities for all ages to enjoy.
