Governor of Delaware
Over the next twenty years Delaware politics were not unlike those of a state in the Deep South. In spite of a large minority of Republicans in New Castle County, hatred of the Republicans and their policies of racial equality, ran high throughout the rest of the state. There were years when the Republicans were unable to elect anyone to the General Assembly and years when they did not even bother to nominate a candidate for Governor.
Biggs was nominated to run for Governor in 1886, and fortunately for him, it was the last year such a disparity existed between the parties. For the last time there was no Republicans candidate, and he received only the token opposition of the Temperance Reform Party candidate, James R. Hoffecker, whom he defeated easily. Biggs served from January 18, 1887 until January 20, 1891. Two years later the Republicans began their long road back and took advantage of splits in the Democratic leadership to elect a small majority in the State House. Meanwhile Biggs did as countless governors before him, and pleaded with the General Assembly for all kinds of reform, including better representation for New Castle County, and reform of the voting procedures. And as usual, he was largely ignored, except for a provision to establish a State Hospital for the Insane, now the Delaware State Hospital at Farnhurst.
| Delaware General Assembly |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Assembly | Senate Majority | Speaker | House Majority | Speaker | ||||||
| 1887–1888 | 84th | Democratic | John E. Collins | Democratic | William R. McCabe | ||||||
| 1889–1890 | 85th | Democratic | Beniah L. Lewis | Republican | John H. Hoffecker | ||||||
|}
Read more about this topic: Benjamin T. Biggs
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