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Mike Castle

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Michael N. Castle
U.S. Representative from Delaware
Assumed office
January 3 1993
Preceded byThomas R. Carper
Governor of Delaware
In office
January 15 1985 – December 31 1992
Preceded byPierre S. du Pont, IV
Succeeded byDale E. Wolf
Lt. Governor of Delaware
In office
January 20 1981 – January 15 1985
Preceded byJames D. McGinnis
Succeeded byShien Biau Woo
Personal details
Born (1939-07-02) July 2, 1939 (age 85)
Wilmington, Delaware
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJane DiSabatino
Residence(s)Wilmington, Delaware
Alma materHamilton College
ProfessionLawyer
NicknameMike

Michael Newbold "Mike" Castle (born July 2 1939) is an American lawyer and incumbent U.S. Representative from Delaware, currently serving his eighth term, from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He is a member of the Republican Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly, as Lieutenant Governor of Delaware, two terms as Governor of Delaware.

Early life and family

Castle was born July 2 1939 in Wilmington, Delaware. He is a graduate of Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and Georgetown University School of Law. He married Jane DiSabatino in 1992; they have no children. They are members of the Roman Catholic Church.

Early Delaware political career

Lt. Governor Castle (left) with Governor Dick Thornburgh of Pennsylvania (center) and Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, July 1982.

Castle was Deputy Attorney General in Delaware from 1965 until 1966, and was elected to the Delaware House of Representatives in 1966. He served one term there during the 1967/68 session, and then was elected to the Delaware State Senate, serving two terms from the 1969/70 session through the 1975/76 session. Following this, he returned to the full time practice of law.

In 1980, Castle was recruited to run for Lieutenant Governor of Delaware by the incumbent Governor, Pierre S. du Pont, IV. With that endorsement, he was elected, defeating State Senator Thomas B. Sharp. He served one term from January 20 1981 to January 15 1985.

Governor of Delaware

As the hand-picked choice of the popular Governor du Pont, he easily won election as Governor of Delaware, defeating former Delaware Supreme Court Justice William T. Quillen. In the campaign, Castle was criticized for being a shadow of his mentor, and only promising an extension of du Pont’s program. Despite this criticism, Delaware voters elected him to another term in 1988, when he defeated Democrat Jacob Kreshtool. Castle served two terms from January 15 1985 to December 31 1992, when he resigned to begin his first term as U.S. Representative.

Castle’s terms marked the full establishment of what Delaware political commentator, Celia Cohen has called, “the Age of Incumbency.” Following du Pont’s very successful and popular terms as Governor, Delaware politics seemed to have reached a consensus, with leaders of both parties being regularly re-elected, while working closely and quietly together on a conservative fiscal low tax, pro business, and clean government agenda. Prior to du Pont only four men had served eight years as Governor, and one of those had two non consecutive terms. From 1977 until the present there have been four Governors, two from each party, each emulating Castle in essentially carrying out the program initiated by Pierre S. du Pont, IV.


Delaware General Assembly
(sessions while Governor)
Year Assembly Senate Majority President
pro tempore 		House Majority Speaker
1985–1986 133rd Democratic Richard S. Cordrey Republican Charles L. Hebner
1987–1988 134th Democratic Richard S. Cordrey Republican B. Bradford Barnes
Terry R. Spence
1989–1990 135th Democratic Richard S. Cordrey Republican Terry R. Spence
1991–1992 136th Democratic Richard S. Cordrey Republican Terry R. Spence

United States Representative

See also: 110th United States Congress

for others currently serving in the U.S. Congress

See also: United States order of precedence

With the new consensus style of decision making in Delaware, important decisions are made by a few leaders in both parties. So it was in 1992, when Castle was forced to retire as Governor due to constitutional term limits. The result was what became known as "the Swap." Castle ran for the seat of U.S. Representative Thomas R. Carper and Carper ran for Governor. Delaware’s political leadership had quietly worked out the arrangement and retained the services of two very popular office holders.

Castle was first elected to the U.S. Representatives in 1992, defeating former Lieutenant Governor Shien Biau Woo, and since has won election seven more times in all, also defeating Democrats Carol Ann DeSantis in 1994, Dennis E. Williams in 1996 and 1998, Michael C. Miller in 2000 and 2002, Paul Donnelly in 2004, and Dennis Spivack in 2006.

Castle is president of the Republican Main Street Partnership and is considered one of the most moderate Republicans in the House. In the wake of Tom DeLay's indictment in September 2005, E.J. Dionne named Castle as one of four lawmakers capable of leading an anticorruption reform of the Republican Party. Castle is a member of various moderate/liberal Republican Organizations, such as Republicans For Environmental Protection, The Republican Majority For Choice, Republicans For Choice and Christine Todd Whitman's Its My Party Too. Castle is also the co-chair of several Congressional caucuses, including the Diabetes Caucus, the Community College Caucus, the Biomedical Research Caucus and the Passenger Rail Caucus.

The best example of Castle’s leadership and independence came with his cosponsorship of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. The bill proposed expanding the number of stem cell lines that are eligible for federally funded research, expecting that this funding would generate more research and ultimately greater progress in addressing many kinds of diseases. Presently only those lines derived before August 9 2001 are eligible for federal funded research. This legislation removes that date restriction, along with proposing stronger ethical requirements. After successfully passing both the Senate and the House, it received U.S. President George W. Bush’s first presidential veto in July 2006. Despite the production of Induced pluripotent stem cell research Castle is still pushing for the funding of Embryonic stem cell research.

Castle suffered two minor strokes during the 2006 campaign, but seemed fully recovered. Considering the general Democratic sweep of other offices, he won the election comfortably, but with a greatly reduced margin over previous years.

Castle serves on the following committees in the 110th U.S. Congress:

Almanac

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1st. Members of the Delaware General Assembly take office the second Tuesday of January. State Senators have a four year term and State Representatives have a two year term. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor take office the third Tuesday of January and have four year terms. U.S. Representatives take office January 3rd, and have a two year term.

Public Offices
Office Type Location Elected Term began Term ends notes
State Representative Legislature Dover 1966 January 10 1967 January 14 1969
State Senator Legislature Dover 1968 January 14 1969 January 9 1973
State Senator Legislature Dover 1972 January 9 1973 January 11 1977
Lt. Governor Executive Dover 1980 January 20 1981 January 15 1985
Governor Executive Dover 1984 January 15 1985 January 17 1989
Governor Executive Dover 1988 January 17 1989 December 31 1992 resigned
U.S. Representative Legislature Washington 1992 January 3 1993 January 3 1995
U.S. Representative Legislature Washington 1994 January 3 1995 January 3 1997
U.S. Representative Legislature Washington 1996 January 3 1997 January 3 1999
U.S. Representative Legislature Washington 1998 January 3 1999 January 3 2001
U.S. Representative Legislature Washington 2000 January 3 2001 January 3 2003
U.S. Representative Legislature Washington 2002 January 3 2003 January 3 2005
U.S. Representative Legislature Washington 2004 January 3 2005 January 3 2007
U.S. Representative Legislature Washington 2006 January 3 2007 January 3 2009


Delaware General Assembly service
Dates Assembly Chamber Majority Governor Committees District
1967–1968 124th State House Democratic Charles L. Terry, Jr. 6th
1969–1970 125th State Senate Republican Russell W. Peterson 1st
1971–1972 126th State Senate Republican Russell W. Peterson 1st
1973–1974 127th State Senate Republican Sherman W. Tribbitt 1st
1975–1976 128th State Senate Republican Sherman W. Tribbitt 1st


United States Congressional service
Dates Congress Chamber Majority President Committees Class/District
1993–1995 103rd U.S. House Democratic William J. Clinton, Jr. Education, Financial Services at-large
1995–1997 104th U.S. House Republican William J. Clinton, Jr. Education, Financial Services at-large
1997–1999 105th U.S. House Republican William J. Clinton, Jr. Education, Financial Services at-large
1999–2001 106th U.S. House Republican William J. Clinton, Jr. Education, Financial Services at-large
2001–2003 107th U.S. House Republican George W. Bush Education, Financial Services at-large
2003–2005 108th U.S. House Republican George W. Bush Education, Financial Services at-large
2005–2007 109th U.S. House Republican George W. Bush Education, Financial Services at-large
2007–2009 110th U.S. House Democratic George W. Bush Education, Financial Services at-large


Election results
Year Office Election Subject Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %
1980 Lt. Governor General Michael N. Castle Republican 128,827 59% Thomas B. Sharp Democratic 88,224 40%
1984 Governor General Michael N. Castle Republican 135,250 55% William T. Quillen Democratic 108,315 45%
1988 Governor General Michael N. Castle Republican 169,733 71% Jacob Kreshtool Democratic 70,236 29%
1992 U.S. Representative Primary Michael N. Castle Republican 18,377 56% Janet C. Rzewnicki Republican 9,812 30%
1992 U.S. Representative General Michael N. Castle Republican 153,037 55% Shien Biau Woo Democratic 117,426 43%
1994 U.S. Representative General Michael N. Castle Republican 137,945 71% Carol Ann DeSantis Democratic 51,793 27%
1996 U.S. Representative General Michael N. Castle Republican 185,577 70% Dennis E. Williams Democratic 73,258 27%
1998 U.S. Representative General Michael N. Castle Republican 119,811 66% Dennis E. Williams Democratic 57,446 32%
2000 U.S. Representative General Michael N. Castle Republican 211,797 68% Michael C. Miller Democratic 96,488 31%
2002 U.S. Representative General Michael N. Castle Republican 164,605 72% Michael C. Miller Democratic 61,011 27%
2004 U.S. Representative General Michael N. Castle Republican 245,978 69% Paul Donnelly Democratic 105,716 30%
2006 U.S. Representative General Michael N. Castle Republican 143,897 57% Dennis Spivack Democratic 97,555 39%

References

  • Barone, Michael (2005). Almanac of American Politics. Washington: National Journal Group. ISBN 0-89234-112-2. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Boyer, William W. (2000). Governing Delaware. Newark, Delaware: University of Delaware Press. ISBN 1-892142-23-6. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |coauthors= (help)
  • Cohen, Celia (2002). Only in Delaware, Politics and Politicians in the First State. Newark, Delaware: Grapevine Publishing. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Hoffecker, Carol E. (2004). Democracy in Delaware. Wilmington, Delaware: Cedar Tree Books. ISBN 1-892142-23-6. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Martin, Roger A. (1995). Memoirs of the Senate. Newark, DE: Roger A. Martin. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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