Attorney General of Delaware · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in the Delaware attorney general race?
Kathy Jennings has the strongest record in the Delaware attorney general race. Kathy Jennings scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Dave Graham at 53, as of October 6, 2026. Kathy Jennings's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Dave Graham's highest marks are roots in the constituency. Phil Dyer Jr. (0 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Write-in
Phil Dyer Jr.
On the ballot as Phil Dyer, Jr.
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 0 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- NR
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Dave Graham
On the ballot as David C. "Dave" Graham
53 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 56
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Kathy Jennings
63 / 100
Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 63
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Phil Dyer Jr.
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Dave Graham
- On the record2026-08-24
The Delaware GOP placed him on the ballot for attorney general after no Republican filed by the July 14 deadline; he is not a lawyer, which the state constitution does not require.
Kathy Jennings
- On the record2026-09
Rejected WDEL's offer to debate Republican nominee David Graham, per WDEL on Sept. 28, 2026.
Source: WDEL, Sept. 28, 2026
- On the record2025-04-11
WHYY reported she took five corporate-sponsored Attorney General Alliance trips, including South Africa in 2023, and did not report them; the Public Integrity Commission chair said disclosure was not required.
Source: WHYY, April 11, 2025
- On the record2023-08 to 2025-02
Former auditor Kathy McGuiness sued her in federal court in 2023; on Feb. 6, 2025 the court dismissed the slander claim against Jennings with prejudice on statutory immunity grounds.
Sources: Delaware Public Media, Aug. 16, 2023, U.S. District Court for Delaware, Feb. 6, 2025
- Credit2025
Took constituent questions with the congressional delegation at a February 2025 virtual town hall and an April 2025 in-person town hall in Wilmington.
Sources: Delaware Public Media, Feb. 24, 2025, WDEL, April 27, 2025
- Credit2021 to 2024
Her office indicted the sitting Democratic state auditor in 2021; the Delaware Supreme Court upheld the conflict-of-interest conviction in February 2024 and reversed an official misconduct conviction.
Sources: WHYY, Feb. 14, 2024, WRDE, Feb. 2024
- Credit2019 to 2024
Spotlight Delaware credits her litigation with helping win about $250 million in opioid settlements for Delaware; WGMD reported Delaware's $27 million share of the Purdue and Sackler settlement she pursued from 2019.
Sources: Spotlight Delaware, Oct. 22, 2024, WGMD
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. Not on the Delaware Department of Elections list of candidates assessed campaign finance penalties for tardy or missing reports. No official ethics finding found.
Source: Delaware Department of Elections, campaign finance penalty list
Kathy Jennings. Not on the Delaware Department of Elections list of candidates assessed campaign finance penalties for tardy or missing reports. No official ethics finding found. Corporate-paid conference travel she did not report is in the Record.
Source: Delaware Department of Elections, campaign finance penalty list
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. No public record found.
Kathy Jennings. Her office investigated and prosecuted the sitting state auditor, a fellow Democrat, from 2021; the Delaware Supreme Court upheld the conflict-of-interest conviction in 2024.
Source: WHYY, Feb. 14, 2024
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. Appeared at the September 2026 JCC candidate forum and discussed his candidacy on WDEL's Rick Jensen Show.
Kathy Jennings. Appeared at the September 2026 JCC candidate forum and at 2025 virtual and in-person town halls. Rejected WDEL's offer to debate Republican David Graham.
Sources: WDEL, Sept. 28, 2026, WDEL, April 27, 2025
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. Army and Delaware National Guard veteran and state Department of Finance employee since 2003, with no formal conduct finding found.
Source: Delaware LIVE, Aug. 26, 2026
Kathy Jennings. Attorney general since 2019 after a career as a state prosecutor and chief deputy, with no formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Kathy Jennings
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. Served in the U.S. Army and Delaware National Guard. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Source: Delaware LIVE, Aug. 26, 2026
Kathy Jennings. Took the attorney general's oath in 2019 and 2023. No official finding of misuse of office found; a federal court dismissed a former auditor's slander claim against her with prejudice in 2025.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Kathy Jennings, U.S. District Court for Delaware, McGuiness v. Jennings, Feb. 6, 2025
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. State finance official since 2003 and a retired CPA with about 25 years in practice, plus military service. He is not a lawyer; the Delaware Constitution does not require one.
Source: Delaware LIVE, Aug. 26, 2026
Kathy Jennings. Attorney general of Delaware since January 2019, now completing a second four-year term; earlier a career state prosecutor, state prosecutor under Beau Biden and New Castle County chief administrative officer.
Source: Ballotpedia, Kathy Jennings
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. No public record found.
Kathy Jennings. Sitting attorney general with decades as a prosecutor. Runs on stated priorities (violent crime, recidivism, corporate accountability); no detailed new plan was found.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. Discussed his candidacy on WDEL radio and appeared at the 2026 JCC forum.
Source: WDEL
Kathy Jennings. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey, took part in 2025 virtual and in-person town halls and appeared at the 2026 JCC forum.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Kathy Jennings, Delaware Public Media, Feb. 24, 2025
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. Lives in Smyrna and has worked for the state Department of Finance since 2003.
Sources: Delaware Business Now, Aug. 25, 2026, Delaware LIVE, Aug. 26, 2026
Kathy Jennings. Born in Wilmington and a Mt. Pleasant High School and University of Delaware graduate. In-state share of contributions not available from the state system.
Source: Ballotpedia, Kathy Jennings
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. Not on the state campaign finance penalty list; long career in state finance and as a CPA.
Source: Delaware Department of Elections, campaign finance penalty list
Kathy Jennings. Heads the Delaware Department of Justice, which prosecutes all felonies and almost all misdemeanors statewide and counsels every state agency. Staff size not confirmed from an opened source. Not on the state campaign finance penalty list.
Sources: WHYY, Sept. 15, 2026, Delaware Department of Elections, campaign finance penalty list
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. No public record found.
Kathy Jennings. Spotlight Delaware credits her with helping win about $250 million in opioid settlements for Delaware; her office's prosecution of the state auditor produced a conflict-of-interest conviction upheld in 2024.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. No public record found.
Kathy Jennings. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. No public record found.
Kathy Jennings. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. No public record found.
Kathy Jennings. Joined national multistate opioid settlements negotiated by attorneys general of both parties, including the 2022 CVS and Walgreens agreements.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Phil Dyer Jr.. No public record found.
Dave Graham. No public record found.
Kathy Jennings. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the Delaware attorney general race?
Kathy Jennings has the strongest record in the Delaware attorney general race. Kathy Jennings scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Dave Graham at 53, as of October 6, 2026. Kathy Jennings's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Dave Graham's highest marks are roots in the constituency. Phil Dyer Jr. (0 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the Delaware attorney general race in 2026?
Phil Dyer, Jr. (Write-in), David C. "Dave" Graham (Republican), Kathy Jennings (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Phil Dyer Jr. a good candidate for Attorney General?
Phil Dyer Jr. has public evidence on 0 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Dave Graham a good candidate for Attorney General?
Dave Graham scores 53 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 56 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Kathy Jennings a good candidate for Attorney General?
Kathy Jennings scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Delaware race scored, and the Delaware 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.