Delaware Live55%
Veteran Dave Graham seeks Republican nomination for Delaware attorney general 12%
By Staff Writer24%
7/31/2026, 9:59:57 AM
Topics: Delaware Politics, Attorney General Election, Republican Party, Military Veterans In Politics, State Government Operations, Election Law, Political History
Keywords: Dave Graham, Delaware Attorney General, Republican Nomination, Veteran, State Government, Public Finance, Delaware Republican Party, Gene Truono, Military Service, Accountability, Rule Of Law, Delaware Department Of Elections, Election Law, Tom Carper, State Treasurer, Delaware Constitution, Lawyer, Department Of Justice, Kathy Jennings, Dwayne Bensing, Patty Rickman, Certified Public Accountant, Government Integrity, Matt Denn
BS Summary: This article contains 16 faulty reasoning types, including Framing Effect, Hindsight Bias, and Appeal to Authority, with Halo Effect as the most egregious example at 11.9% saturation with 99 hits. Analysis detected 642 faulty-reasoning hits from 834 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 22.1% and a BS Rank of 12% (25,146 of 28,321 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 88.80% of the article peer group.
Former Army and Delaware National Guard member asks state GOP leaders to place him on November ballot
David Graham, a U.S.
Army and Delaware National Guard veteran with decades of experience in state government and public finance, announced Thursday that he is seeking the Republican nomination for Delaware attorney general.
Graham made the announcement July 30 during an appearance on “The Rick Jensen Show” on WDEL.
He said he has asked Delaware Republican Party Chairman Gene Truono to nominate him as the party’s candidate for the statewide office.
Graham’s military service is expected to be a central part of his appeal to Republican leaders and voters.
He has served in both the U.S.
Army and the Delaware National Guard and has presented his candidacy as one rooted in service, accountability and respect for the rule of law.
The announcement does not yet make Graham the official Republican nominee.
As of Friday, the Delaware Department of Elections did not list a Republican candidate for attorney general.
The regular candidate filing deadline was July 14.
Republican leaders could still have a path to nominate a candidate for the general election, subject to Delaware election law, applicable deadlines and the filing of required documents.
Graham’s effort has a precedent in Delaware political history, although the election rules and circumstances are not identical.
In 1976, Democrats concluded their state convention without nominating a candidate for state treasurer.
Tom Carper, then a 29-year-old employee of the Delaware Office of Economic Development, subsequently entered the race, secured the Democratic nomination and won the general election.
The victory began a nearly five-decade career in elected office that included service as state treasurer, congressman, governor and U.S. senator.
Graham is similarly asking party leaders to consider him after Republicans did not produce a candidate for attorney general through the regular filing process.
His supporters could cite Carper’s experience as evidence that a candidate who emerges after the regular process can still mount a serious statewide campaign.
There is also no requirement in the Delaware Constitution that the attorney general be a licensed lawyer.
The state constitution establishes the attorney general as an elected statewide officer serving a four-year term, but it does not list a law degree, bar membership or prior legal practice among the qualifications for the office.
Although Delaware’s attorney general leads the Department of Justice and serves as the state’s chief law enforcement officer, voters are not legally limited to choosing candidates who are practicing attorneys.
Graham is expected to point instead to his military service, government experience and background in financial oversight as qualifications for managing the department and promoting accountability within state government.
Truono, who became state Republican chairman in August 2025, has not publicly confirmed that the party will nominate Graham.
The Delaware GOP had not announced a decision following Graham’s radio appearance.
Graham would give Republicans a candidate in a race currently centered on a three-way Democratic primary.
Incumbent Attorney General Kathy Jennings is seeking another term and faces challenges from Dwayne Bensing and Patty Rickman in the Sept.
15 Democratic primary.
No Republican filed for the office before the regular deadline.
In addition to his military service, Graham has worked for the Delaware Department of Finance since 2003.
Before joining state government, he spent approximately 25 years as a certified public accountant, giving him experience in public finance, financial oversight and government operations.
Graham has sought statewide office several times and has frequently presented himself as an outsider focused on accountability, government integrity and responsible management.
He ran as a write-in candidate for governor in 2012 and as the Independent Party candidate for attorney general in 2014.
Graham received about 2.1% of the vote in the 2014 general election, which was won by Democrat Matt Denn.
In 2020, Graham sought the Republican nomination for governor but lost in the party’s primary.
His entry would offer Delaware voters a contrast between a veteran with experience inside state government and candidates with more traditional legal backgrounds.
It would also prevent Republicans from leaving the attorney general’s race uncontested in November.
Delaware’s attorney general leads the Department of Justice, which oversees criminal prosecutions, consumer protection, civil litigation involving the state and other legal matters.
The general election is Nov.
3.
What: 2026 election for Delaware attorney general
Candidate: David Graham, a veteran of the U.S.
Army and Delaware National Guard
Democratic primary: Tuesday, Sept.
15
General election: Tuesday, Nov.
3
Republican status: Graham has asked the Delaware Republican Party to nominate him, but he was not listed Friday as an official candidate by the Department of Elections.
Candidate qualifications: The Delaware Constitution does not require the attorney general to be a lawyer or member of the Delaware Bar.
Historical precedent: Tom Carper entered the 1976 state treasurer’s race after Democrats initially left the nomination open and went on to win the general election.
Learn more: Candidate and ballot information is available through the Delaware Department of Elections.
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