The News Journal, November 5, 2008

Democrat Matt Denn became the state’s next lieutenant governor with more than 61 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Charlie Copeland.

Denn garnered 236,741 votes compared to Copeland’s 149,222 in a year that saw overwhelming victories for Democrats across the nation.

Speaking to supporters at the Doubletree Hotel in Wilmington, Denn said he got two messages from voters. They know the state faces difficult times and needs proven leadership, “and the old slash-and-burn politics does not work anymore in Delaware,” he said.

“Starting tomorrow morning — not January — Jack Markell and I will go to work for you to help turn this state around,” he said. “I have two little boys. We’ve been trying to teach them not to call other people names. The other side has called me a trial lawyer, a politician and other things I won’t relate. Tonight they can call me lieutenant governor.”

Copeland addressed Republican supporters at the Christiana Hilton, saying that Tuesday was not the day to lament the loss.

“I view this as a night to say let’s reload, let’s get back on the horse and let’s start moving forward,” he said.

With Republicans defeated across the state — including in Copeland’s home district, the only in the state with a Republican majority — he said much of the losses could be attributed to national politics.

“It’s hard to beat George Bush, and that’s what we’ve had to face,” he said.

Copeland said it was too early to start talking about a run for governor in 2012. But within moments of delivering his concession speech, supporters began approaching Copeland to voice regrets that he didn’t run for the state’s top spot.

“You should have run for governor,” one supporter said, hugging Copeland after he stepped off stage.

But that may not have mattered considering the wave of Democratic sentiment across the state and the number of Republican Party stalwarts who fell in other races.

At the polls Tuesday, Wayne A. Widdoes, 65, of Newark, said the Republican Party was his motivation for heading to the voting booth — and not because he was voting for its candidates.

“We’ve got to have change,” Widdoes said. “It’s that simple, we need to change.”

He said he opted for Jack Markell, the Democrat who won the governor’s office, and Denn, adding Markell is “right for this state” after problems created by outgoing Gov. Ruth Ann Minner.

Bruce Jester of Rockland saw Denn and Copeland as qualified for the lieutenant governor’s job, but voted for Denn — because he had voted for Markell for governor.

“It would be a waste to have a lieutenant governor from the other party,” Jester said. “They have a better chance of getting things done together.”