Jack Markell
Jack A. Markell (b. November 26, 1960, in Newark, DE) served as the 73rd Governor of Delaware. On May 12, 2023, President Joe Biden (D) appointed Markell to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Italy and San Marino.[1]
Markell was first elected governor on November 4, 2008, defeating Republican William Swain Lee.[2] He took office January 20, 2009, becoming the state's first Jewish governor. Markell won re-election in 2012 against three challengers, including Jeff Cragg (R).[3][4] He was not eligible to seek a third term in the office in the 2016 election cycle because state law restricts governors to a lifetime limit of two terms.
As governor, Markell helped shape and adopt new statewide policies regarding pension reform, school safety, campaign finance reporting, and disability services. In late 2012, Markell responded to the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, by rolling out a package of gun-control legislation proposing five measures, two of which were signed into law by June 2013.[5][6] Markell was named to serve on the executive committee of the National Governors Association in August 2013.[7]
Markell previously served as state treasurer of Delaware from 1999–2009. He was elected to the position three times—in 1998, 2002, and 2006—but left midway through his third term after being elected governor in 2008.
Before entering politics, Markell had a successful career in business, banking, and consulting. Notably, Markell served as vice president for corporate development at Nextel. He is credited with coming up with the name "Nextel" as well as helping to lead the movement to wireless technology.
Biography
Markell graduated from Newark High School and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, with degrees in economics and development studies. He also received an MBA from the University of Chicago.[8]
Markell was a vice president for corporate development at Nextel. His other professional experience includes working in a senior management position at Comcast Corporation, as a consultant at McKinsey and Company, Inc., and as a banker at First Chicago Corporation.[8]
Education
- B.A. in economics/development studies - Brown University
- MBA - University of Chicago
Political career
Delaware Governor (2009-2017)
Markell was first elected Delaware Governor in 2008. Markell took the oath of office as the 73rd governor of Delaware on January 20, 2009, becoming the state's first Jewish governor. He won re-election in 2012 but was ineligible to seek a third term in 2016 due to term limits.
Issues
Gun control
In the wake of the December 2012 shooting in Newton, Conn., Markell proposed a package of gun control legislation seeking to expand background checks for private gun sales, restrict high capacity magazines and ban assault rifles, prohibit individuals with mental health issues from obtaining a firearm and make it illegal to bring firearms within one-thousand feet of school premises.[9][5] Each piece of legislation put forth by the Markell administration faced stiff opposition, but two were signed into law during the 2013 legislative session.[6] One expanded background checks on private gun sales inside Delaware while the other made it mandatory for a gun-owner to report a lost or stolen firearm mandatory within seven days of discovering its disappearance.[6][9] The second measure targeted "straw purchases," to which law enforcement attributed the two most popular excuses given by individuals whose guns are found at the scene of a crime: "I lost that weapon, or that weapon was stolen. We needed to eliminate these excuses," Markell stated.[6] After passing with overwhelming support in the state House, the proposal to ban the sale of firearms to individuals with mental illness was defeated in the senate.[10]
Job creation ranking
A June 2013 analysis by The Business Journals ranked 45 governors based on the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Markell was ranked number 32. The five governors omitted from the analysis all assumed office in 2013.[11][12]
School safety legislation
In his 2011 State of the State address, Markell announced that instituting school safety plans was one of his administration's top priorities.[13] On September 11, 2012, Markell signed a bill into a law that created a formal, statewide framework for school safety plans.[14] Known as the Omnibus School Safety Act, Senate Bill 223 made Delaware the first U.S. state to enact this type of statewide protocol.[14] The bill required the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security to work with schools, districts, and first responders to develop comprehensive, up-to-date safety plans.[14] Under SB 233, each safety plan would be coordinated with law enforcement agencies, fire departments and other first responders in compliance with the National Incident Management System.[14][15]
| “ | We want our kids to go as far as their potential will take them but, we can’t control everything. For students to learn to the best of their abilities, they need, first and foremost, to be safe. Our goal is to bring comprehensive school safety plans to every public school and district in our state. This law is an important part of an ambitious, multi-year effort to make our schools and the students in our schools safer.[16] | ” |
| —Gov. Markell (September 2011), speaking at a press conference after signing the Omnibus School Safety Act[14] | ||
Disability services
Markell signed two bills in August 2012 providing services for people with hearing and speech disabilities.[17][18] One bill, Senate Bill 248, would provide telecommunications services for those with impaired hearing and speech. The other, House Bill 384, updated the Universal Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening Act. The bill introduced a required tracking and intervention protocol for children identified as needing additional hearing services. It also created the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Board.[18][19]
Campaign finance reform
On August 16, 2012, Markell signed into law three pieces of legislation aimed at improving government transparency and voters' access to election information.[20][21] One of the bills, House Bill 300, was the first major overhaul of Delaware’s campaign finance laws in more than 20 years.[20] HB 300, also known as the Delaware Elections Disclosure Act, mandated prompt reporting of third-party spending on campaign advertisements, thus closing a "loophole" in the campaign finance reporting rules that previously allowed for major delays in relevant disclosures.[20][20] The others, House Bill 310 and Senate Bill 185, enhanced disclosure requirements for lobbyists as well as increased the penalties for late filing of elections disclosure reports–from $50 per month to $50 per day and $50 per day for incomplete campaign finance reports.[20] The laws went into effect January 1, 2013.
Public employee pensions
Markell's plan to cut public employee pension and health benefits received overwhelming support from officials within his administration as well as from legislators and even public employee union officials. The proposal, which became law on May 2, 2011, called for new state employees, after earning their first $6,000, to pay 5 percent of their salary towards their pension, rather than 3 percent. It also eliminated the use of overtime when calculating pensions and the "double state share" health care benefit. According to projections provided by the governor's office in April 2011, the plan would save Delaware taxpayers $130 million over five years and $480 million over 15 years.[22][23]
Same-sex marriage
On April 8, 2013, Markell spoke in support of same-sex marriage legislation at the University of Delaware Trabant center. "If you promise to do your part and to assure that the marriage equality bill reaches my desk this year, I make a promise to you. I will sign it," the governor stated.[24] Three days later, Markell held a press conference to announce the introduction of a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.[25]
On May 7, 2013, Markell signed a bill extending marriage rights to same-sex couples in Delaware, making it the 11th state in the country to legalize gay marriage.[26] He followed up with an anti-discrimination bill to ensure equal treatment for transgender individuals seeking housing, employment, insurance, and other services in the state of Delaware.[27]
Clean water initiative
Markell supported an annual fee on Delaware businesses and households to pay for a waterway clean-up plan for the state. The fees reportedly would raise $30 million annually and would be collected through property taxes at the county level.[28]
Stance on Syrian refugee resettlement
- Main article: U.S. governors and their responses to Syrian refugees
Following the Paris terrorist attacks on November 13, 2015, in which members of the Islamic State (ISIS) killed at least 129 people and wounded more than 350, The Washington Post reported that one of the terrorists possibly came to France posing as a Syrian refugee.[29] Many governors issued statements of support or opposition to President Barack Obama’s plan to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States. Markell had strong support to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state of Delaware. He said:
| “ | We should rally around the President's call for compassion for a suffering population that wants nothing more than a safe place to rebuild their lives from the rubble of war.[16] | ” |
| —Gov. Jack Markell[30] | ||
Delaware Treasurer (1999-2009)
Markell was first elected Treasurer of Delaware in 1998, unseating Republican incumbent Janet C. Rzewnicki, and was re-elected in 2002 and 2006.
Information technology
In 2001, then-Governor Ruth Ann Minner chose Markell to chair the Information Services Task Force, which developed and implemented recommendations to modify the state's management of information technology. In 2002, he led an effort to streamline and coordinate the procurement of goods and services using modern purchasing techniques.
He also led the "Health Rewards" initiative, offering Delaware state government employees comprehensive physical assessments, detailed statistics about how their health compared with their peers across the country, and recommendations on ways they could improve their health.
Financial Literacy Initiatives
As state treasurer, Markell led the development of several educational efforts in personal financial management, known collectively as the "financial literacy initiatives." He created the Delaware Money School to offer free classes to state residents throughout the year on topics such as saving for college and retirement planning. He also began the "Delaware Bank at School Program," to take banks and financial education to schools. In a third program, he partnered with the University of Delaware, the Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship as well as top Delaware banks to help educate young children about the basics of money and savings.
Elections
2016
- See also: Delaware gubernatorial election, 2016
Markell was ineligible to seek re-election in 2016 due to term limits.
2012
- See also: Delaware gubernatorial election, 2012
Markell won re-election to the governor's office in 2012 on the Democratic ticket.[31][3] Markell ran unopposed in the September 11 Democratic primary and defeated three challengers in the general election on November 6, 2012.
| Governor of Delaware General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Jack Markell Incumbent |
69.3% | 275,993 | |
| Republican | Jeff Cragg | 28.6% | 113,793 | |
| Libertarian | Jesse McVay | 0.9% | 3,668 | |
| Green | Mark Joseph Perri | 1.1% | 4,575 | |
| Total Votes | 398,029 | |||
| Election results via Delaware Board of Elections | ||||
Endorsements
Markell was endorsed by the Barbara Gittings Delaware Stonewall Democrats.[32]
Campaign finance
Roughly $1 million (about 52 percent) of the $1.9 million raised for Markell's gubernatorial campaign between January 2011 and October 2012 came from outside the state.[33] According to his campaign finance reports, in 2011 and 2012 about $964,500, or less than half of the money raised by Markell’s campaign, came from Delaware contributors, including $75,000 from the state Democratic Party.[33]
More than 18 percent, or $368,300, of money raised came from more than 560 donors in Pennsylvania; about 13 percent, or $257,750, came from donors in New York and New Jersey; nearly $112,000 came from Maryland.[33] Markell's campaign finance reports also show money for his campaign coming from Alabama, Maine, Colorado, Montana and one donor from Japan.[33]
Markell's fundraising for the 2012 campaign differed from the 2008 race, when reportedly 60 percent of the more than $4 million he raised came from businesses and individual donors in Delaware.[33]
2008
On November 4, 2008, Markell easily defeated Republican William Swain Lee to win the general election.[34]
| Delaware Governor, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Jack Markell |
67.5% | 266,861 | |
| Republican | William Swain Lee | 32% | 126,662 | |
| Blue Enigma | Jeffrey Brown | 0.4% | 1,681 | |
| Total Votes | 395,204 | |||
- Primary
| Delaware Governor Democratic Primary, 2008 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Jack Markell |
51.2% | 37,849 |
| John Carney | 48.8% | 36,112 |
| Total Votes | 73,961 | |
2006
On November 7, 2006, Markell easily won re-election as state treasurer.[35]
| Delaware State Treasurer, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Jack Markell |
70.5% | 174,388 | |
| Republican | Esthelda R. Parker Selby | 29.5% | 73,005 | |
| Total Votes | 247,393 | |||
2002
Markell was re-elected state treasurer in 2002.
1998
Markell won his first term as state treasurer in the 1998 general election.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
2016 Democratic National Convention
- Delegate to the 2016 DNC (click to expand)
- See also: Democratic National Convention, 2016
Jack Markell Democratic National Convention, 2016 Status: Superdelegate State: Delaware Supporting: Hillary Clinton Delegates to the DNC 2016 Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • State election law and delegates • Superdelegates by state Markell was one of ten superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention from Delaware.[36] Superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention were not bound by the results of their state’s primary or caucus to support a specific presidential candidate. Markell supported Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.[37] Clinton formally won the Democratic nomination for president on July 26, 2016.[38]
What is a superdelegate?
Superdelegates in 2016 were automatic delegates to the Democratic National Convention, meaning that, unlike regular delegates, they were not elected to this position. Also unlike regular delegates, they were not required to pledge their support to any presidential candidate, and they were not bound by the results of their state's presidential primary election or caucus. In 2016, superdelegates included members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors, and distinguished party leaders, including former presidents and vice presidents. All superdelegates were free to support any presidential candidate of their choosing at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.[39]
Delaware primary results
Hillary Clinton defeated Bernie Sanders in Delaware's Democratic primary on April 26, 2016, by approximately 21 percentage points.[40]
Delaware Democratic Primary, 2016 Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates Hillary Clinton 59.8% 55,954 12 Bernie Sanders 39.2% 36,662 9 Roque De La Fuente 1.1% 1,024 0 Totals 93,640 21 Source: The New York Times and Delaware Secretary of State Delegate allocation
Delaware had 32 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 21 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide primary results.[41][42]
Eleven party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.[41][43]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Markell is married to Carla Markell, whom he met while attending Newark High School. They have two children, Molly and Michael. The Markell family lives in Wilmington, Del.[8]
Recent news
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See also
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External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Executive actions:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
Footnotes
- ↑ Delaware Business Times, "Biden taps Markell for Italy ambassadorship," May 12, 2023
- ↑ State of Delaware, "2008 general election results," accessed December 10, 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Delaware State Board of Elections, "General Election Results 2012" accessed November 6, 2012 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "general" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ National Governors Association, "Delaware Governor Jack Markell," accessed July 8, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 USA Today, "Where each state stands on gun-control legislation," January 14, 2013
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 WBOC "Del. Governor: Passing Two of Five Gun Bills Likely it for Now" accessed June 14, 2013
- ↑ National Governors Association, NGA Announces New Executive Committee Leadership, August 4, 2013
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Governor of Delaware, "Governor Jack Markell Biography," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Delmarva Public Radio, "Delaware Governor Signs Last of Gun Control Laws" accessed June 14, 2013
- ↑ delawareonline.com, "Biden renews push for gun bill," December 24, 2013
- ↑ The Business Journals, "Governors and jobs: How governors rank for job creation in their states," June 27, 2013
- ↑ The Business Journals, "How state governors rank on their job-growth record," June 27, 2013
- ↑ Office of the Governor, "Governor Moves Forward with School Safety Plans Focused on Prevention, Protection, Response and Recovery" accessed September 13, 2012
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Office of Governor, "Governor Signs SB 233, Omnibus School Safety Act" accessed September 13, 2012
- ↑ WBOC "Delaware Eyes Comprehensive School Safety Plans" accessed September 13, 2012
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ ABC WPVI "Del. governor to sign deaf services bill" accessed August 14, 2012
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 The Republic, "Delaware governor signs bills providing services for the hearing and speech impaired" accessed August 14, 2012
- ↑ Delaware.gov, "Governor Signs Two Bills Helping Those with Hearing Loss" accessed August 14, 2012
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 Office of Governor, "Governor Signs First Major Update to Delaware Campaign Finance Laws in more than 20 Years" accessed August 28, 2012
- ↑ Delaware Online, "You can fund, but you can't hide in Delaware" accessed August 28, 2012
- ↑ Office of the Governor of Delaware, "Markell Thanks Legislature for Overwhelming Votes of Support for Employee Pension and Healthcare Reform – Changes Will Save Taxpayers over $480M over 15 years," April 14, 2011
- ↑ Stateline, "States overhaul pensions but pass on 401(k)-style plans," June 21, 2011
- ↑ Delaware Online, "Markell on gay marriage: 'It can happen here in Delaware'," April 8, 2013
- ↑ Reuters, "Delaware becomes latest state to take up gay marriage," April 11, 2013
- ↑ delawareonline.com, "Gay marriage approved as Delaware lawmaker comes out," May 8, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Blade, "Markell signs transgender rights bill into law," June 19, 2013
- ↑ Delmarva Public Radio, "Delaware Clean Water Initiative Failing to Get Legislative Support," April 16, 2014
- ↑ Washington Post, "Were Syrian refugees involved in the Paris attacks? What we know and don’t know," November 17, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "Why my state won't turn refugees away," November 17, 2015
- ↑ Delaware Elections 2012 "Candidate List," accessed August 11, 2012
- ↑ Barbara Gittings Delaware Stonewall Democrats, "Endorsed Candidates" accessed September 5, 2012
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 Delaware Online, "Out-of-state donors pad Markell's funds" accessed October 16, 2012
- ↑ State of Delaware, "2008 general election results," accessed December 10, 2011
- ↑ State of Delaware, "2006 general election results," accessed December 10, 2011
- ↑ Ballotpedia's list of superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention is based on our own research and lists provided by the Democratic National Committee to Vox.com in February 2016 and May 2016. If you think we made an error in identifying superdelegates, please send an email to [email protected].
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "The Endorsement Primary," accessed June 11, 2016
- ↑ To find out which candidate a superdelegate supported, Ballotpedia sought out public statements from the superdelegate in other media outlets and on social media. If we were unable to find a public statement that clearly articulated which candidate the superdelegate supported at the national convention, we listed that superdelegate as "unknown." If you believe we made an error in identifying which candidate a superdelegate supported, please email us at [email protected].
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions," December 30, 2015
- ↑ The New York Times, "Delaware Primary Results," June 10, 2016
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
- ↑ The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
- ↑ Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ruth Ann Minner (D) |
Governor of Delaware 2009-2017 |
Succeeded by John Carney Jr. (D) |
| Preceded by Janet Rzewnicki |
Delaware State Treasurer 1999-2009 |
Succeeded by Velda Jones-Potter |
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