Kathy Jennings

Kathy Jennings
Jennings in 2022
46th Attorney General of Delaware
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2019
GovernorJohn Carney
Bethany Hall-Long
Matt Meyer
Preceded byMatthew Denn
Personal details
Born (1953-04-04) April 4, 1953
Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
Spouse(s)David A. White, Esq.
Children2
EducationUniversity of Delaware (BA)
Villanova University (JD)

Kathleen Jennings (born April 4, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Attorney General of Delaware. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life and education

Jennings was born on April 4, 1953 in Wilmington, Delaware.[1] She was raised by a single mother, who was the first person in her family to ever graduate college, and two grandparents in Downtown Wilmington.[2] Her Grandfather was a WWII veteran and union carpenter during her childhood[3]. Jennings graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1971 and subsequently earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Delaware and Juris Doctor from the Villanova University School of Law.[1][4]

Career

Jennings began her career in the Delaware Department of Justice, spending over twenty years as a state prosecutor and chief deputy attorney general, with other stints in county government and private practice, before winning office for the first time in 2018.

When she got to the Delaware DOJ upon her graduation from Villanova Law School, she was one of only two women in the Criminal Division's office.[5] Among hundreds of other cases, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and homicide cases, she successfully tried serial killer Steven Brian Pennell, one of the most prolific serial killers in Delaware history, admitting DNA evidence into court for the first time ever in a Delaware courtroom.[6] Eventually, she rose to Chief Deputy Attorney General who is second in command in the Department of Justice. In 1995, she and former Attorney General Charles Oberly opened their own law firm, Oberly and Jennings, upon his departure from office after 3 terms as Attorney General and an unsuccessful run for United States Senate in 1994.[7] In 2011, she returned to the Delaware DOJ as State Prosecutor in former Attorney General Beau Biden's office. [8]

After her second stint in the Delaware DOJ, Jennings served as Chief Administrative Officer for New Castle County for one year under now Governor Matt Meyer to help get his office running after his unexpected victory in the 2016 New Castle County Executive election. In his office, as his second in command, she managed a budget of almost $300 million and oversaw a staff of roughly 1,500. [9] She resigned in January 2018 in order to run for Attorney General of Delaware, after incumbent Attorney General and former Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn announced he would not seek reelection for a second term.[10][11]

After a hotly contested primary election, she comfortably won the Democratic Party nomination in a 4 way primary, winning every county and over 56% of the votes cast.[12] She defeated Republican nominee Bernard Pepukayi in the general election by over 23% and with over 60% of the vote in a landslide, the largest margin of victory for a Delaware Attorney General in an election that was contested by both major parties since 1928.[13][14] She was sworn into office on January 1, 2019.[15][16]

In the 2022 election, after running unopposed in the Democratic primary, Jennings won a second term in a much closer election, defeating Republican Julianne Murray by roughly 8 points and taking roughly 54 percent of the vote, the best performance for a Republican running for Attorney General in over a decade as Democratic President Joe Biden's approvals in his home state suffered. [17]

Jennings has participated in several Attorney General conferences during her time in office. In addition to several events around the United States, she and her husband, along with dozens of other Attorneys General from around the country, traveled to South Africa in November 2023 for an event paid for by the Attorney General Alliance (AGA), a nonprofit. AGA brings all Attorneys General from across the country together for non-partisan discussions with each other and with corporations who financially back the organization on issues facing their states and the country. AGA has come under some scrutiny in the past, as these corporate sponsorships include backing from companies that state attorneys general are often tasked with investigating.[18] While no taxpayer money paid for her flights, lodging, or any other expenses incurred during the trip, Jennings's $6,500 annual membership in the alliance that allowed her to attend this trip was funded by Delaware taxpayers.[19]

During her travels to South Africa, Jennings and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, a Republican, worked together on strategies to help combat human trafficking, culminating in a 2025 letter signed by 40 Attorneys General intended to help shape new policies under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. [20]

Personal life

Attorney General Jennings resides in the City of Wilmington and is married to David White, who is the president of the Delaware State Bar Association and an attorney. [21][22] She has two adult children, a son who lives in Baltimore, Maryland and a daughter who resides in Wilmington, Delaware.

Electoral history

Election results
Year Office Election Subject Party Votes % Opponent(s) Party Votes %
2018 Attorney General Primary Kathy Jennings Democratic 44,005 56.6%[23] LaKresha Roberts Democratic 17,584 21.64%
2018 Attorney General Primary Christofer Johnson Democratic 12,195 14.99%
2018 Attorney General Primary Timothy P. Mulaney Sr. Democratic 5,513 6.77%
2018 Attorney General General Kathy Jennings Democratic 218,351 61.31% Bernard Pepukayi Republican 137,730 38.68%
2022 Attorney General General Kathy Jennings Democratic 171,837 53.83% Julianne Murray Republican 147,369 46.17%

References

  1. ^ a b "The Prosecutor Never Rests". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. December 1, 1989. p. D1,D12. Archived from the original on July 30, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Meet Kathy". Meet Kathy - Kathy Jennings. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  3. ^ "Meet Kathy - Kathy Jennings". www.kathyfordelaware.com. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  4. ^ "Biden names Jennings as State Prosecutor | News". newarkpostonline.com. November 7, 2011. Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  5. ^ "Meet Kathy - Kathy Jennings". www.kathyfordelaware.com. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  6. ^ "Candidate Conversations: State Attorney General candidate Kathy Jennings | Delaware First Media". Delawarepublic.org. August 24, 2018. Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  7. ^ "Former state prosecutor to run for attorney general". Delaware State News. January 9, 2018. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  8. ^ "Biden Names Seasoned Prosecutor as State Prosecutor". State of Delaware News. November 7, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  9. ^ "Meet Kathy - Kathy Jennings". www.kathyfordelaware.com. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  10. ^ "Jennings resigns county post, expected to run for Delaware attorney general". Delawareonline.com. January 8, 2018. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  11. ^ "Kathy Jennings running for attorney general". Cape Gazette. February 14, 2018. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  12. ^ "Kathy Jennings wins Democratic nod for Delaware attorney general". Delawareonline.com. September 6, 2018. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  13. ^ "1928 Attorney General General Election Results - Delaware". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  14. ^ "Delaware's next attorney general: Kathy Jennings". Delawareonline.com. November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  15. ^ Gerace, Frank (January 1, 2019). "Jennings, McGuiness, Davis sworn in to new elected positions". wdel.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  16. ^ "3 new state officials sworn in on New Year's Day". Delaware State News. January 2, 2019. Archived from the original on January 2, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  17. ^ "(D) Kathy Jennings wins Delaware Attorney General Race".
  18. ^ "Delaware AG Jennings took corporate-paid trips to South Africa and luxury resorts". WHYY. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  19. ^ "Delaware AG Jennings took corporate-paid trips to South Africa and luxury resorts". WHYY. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  20. ^ carolinedejose (April 22, 2025). "AG Jennings leads bipartisan coalition of 40 attorneys general seeking stronger efforts against human trafficking". State of Delaware News. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  21. ^ Staff. "Election Day 2022 in Delaware: What midterms looked like across the state". The News Journal. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  22. ^ "Executive Committee". Delaware State Bar Association. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  23. ^ "2018 Primary Election - Department of Elections - State of Delaware". elections.delaware.gov. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
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