John Carney (Delaware politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Carney
Carney in 2021
57th Mayor of Wilmington
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2025
Preceded by	Mike Purzycki
74th Governor of Delaware
In office January 17, 2017 – January 7, 2025
Lieutenant	Bethany Hall-Long
Preceded by	Jack Markell
Succeeded by	Bethany Hall-Long
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Delaware's at-large district
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2017
Preceded by	Mike Castle
Succeeded by	Lisa Blunt Rochester
24th Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
In office January 16, 2001 – January 20, 2009
Governor	Ruth Ann Minner
Preceded by	Ruth Ann Minner
Succeeded by	Matthew Denn
Personal details
Born	John Charles Carney Jr. (1956-05-20) May 20, 1956 (age 69) Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Tracey Quillen
Children	2
Education	Dartmouth College (BA) University of Delaware (MPA)

John Charles Carney Jr. (born May 20, 1956) is an American politician. He will become the 57th Mayor of Wilmington, Delaware in 2025. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Before becoming mayor, Carney was the 74th Governor of Delaware from 2017 to 2025. He also served as a U.S. representative for Delaware from 2011 to 2017. From 2001 to 2009, he was the 24th lieutenant governor of Delaware. He also worked as Delaware's secretary of finance from 1996 to 2000.

Carney first tried to become governor in 2008 but did not win the primary election. He ran again in 2016 and won, becoming governor. He was reelected in 2020. In 2024, Carney won the election to become the mayor of Wilmington.

Early Life and Education

John Carney was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He grew up in Claymont. He was the second of nine children. His parents, Ann Marie and John Charles "Jack" Carney, were both teachers. His great-grandparents came from Ireland.

Carney was a talented athlete in high school. He was the quarterback for the 1973 state championship football team at St. Mark's High School. He also played football at Dartmouth College. He earned awards like All-Ivy League and Most Valuable Player. He graduated from Dartmouth in 1978.

Later, he coached freshman football at the University of Delaware. While coaching, he earned his master's degree in public administration.

Early Political Career

Carney giving a speech in 2005

John Carney started his political career working for New Castle County, Delaware. He also worked for Governor Tom Carper as Secretary of Finance.

In 2000, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Delaware. He served in this role from 2001 to 2009. As lieutenant governor, he led the Delaware State Senate. He also chaired several important groups. These included the Delaware Health Care Commission and the Criminal Justice Council.

He started an education program called "Models of Excellence in Education" in 2002. This program looked for ways to help students achieve more in school. Carney also led the National Lieutenant Governors Association for a year.

Carney cared a lot about health in Delaware. He supported programs like "BeHealthy Delaware." These programs encouraged people to be more active. He also worked to pass Delaware's public smoking ban. This was to improve health and lower cancer rates. It also aimed to stop teens from starting to smoke.

After being lieutenant governor, Carney worked for a company called Transformative Technologies. This company was involved in a project to build offshore wind turbines in Delaware.

U.S. House of Representatives

Carney during the 112th Congress

In 2010, John Carney ran for Delaware's seat in the United States House of Representatives. This seat represents the entire state. He won the election and started his term on January 3, 2011. His win was special because many Democrats lost seats that year.

He ran for reelection in 2012 and 2014 and won easily both times. In a debate, Carney said he would work with people from different political parties. He believed that working together was important to get things done.

In 2011, Carney worked with a Republican politician on a bill. This bill would use money from U.S. oil exploration to help pay for highway construction.

In 2014, Carney introduced a bill about health care for Americans living abroad. He argued that these people often had special health plans already. He wanted to make sure these plans were not hurt by new health care rules.

Carney served on important committees in the House of Representatives. These committees dealt with financial services and how the government works.

Governor of Delaware

Carney at a campaign event, June 23, 2008

John Carney tried to become governor in 2008 but lost the primary election. He ran again in 2016 and won. He became the 74th Governor of Delaware. He won a second term in 2020.

As governor, Carney signed Executive Order 11 in 2017. This order helped create a group to improve the juvenile justice system. He said this group would help all Delaware kids succeed.

In 2017, he also stopped a bill that would have negatively impacted students in Wilmington. He felt it would hurt some of the most vulnerable students.

In October 2017, Carney spoke out about changes to the American health care system. He said these changes could mean more people would not have health insurance. He promised to work to fix the issue.

In April 2019, Carney pardoned a resident named Barry Croft. Later, in October 2020, Croft was arrested for being involved in a plot against another governor. Carney confirmed the pardon and said the charges were "disturbing." He also said it was a warning about growing violence in politics.

On March 12, 2020, Carney declared a State of Emergency in Delaware. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Delaware. He issued several orders to help the state deal with the virus.

In June 2022, Governor Carney signed six new laws about gun safety. One of these laws banned certain types of assault weapons.

Mayor of Wilmington

John Carney could not run for governor again in 2024 because of term limits. He decided to run for mayor of Wilmington. He announced his plan in April.

He won the Democratic primary election in September. He then ran unopposed in the general election in November. Carney is the first sitting governor ever to be elected a mayor.

Personal Life

John Carney married Tracey Quillen on June 5, 1993. Tracey's father was William T. Quillen, who served as Delaware's Secretary of State.

John and Tracey have two children, Sam and Jimmy. Both of their sons attended Wilmington Friends School. Sam graduated from Clemson University. Jimmy is studying computer science at Tufts University.

Carney's nephew is Brian O'Neill, an offensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings.

John Carney is Roman Catholic.

Electoral history

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. The lieutenant governor takes office the third Tuesday of January with a four-year term. U.S. Representatives take office January 3 and have a two-year term.

See also

In Spanish: John C. Carney para niños