Attorney General Kathy Jennings

Kathleen Jennings was born on April 4, 1953, in Wilmington, Delaware, where she was raised. She is the 46th Attorney General of the State of Delaware and a member of the Democratic Party. Jennings was sworn into office on January 1, 2019, and won re-election in 2022.

In her 2018 campaign, Jennings won the Democratic primary with over 56% of the vote, winning every county in a four-way race. She defeated Republican nominee Bernard Pepukayi in the general election by over 23 percentage points with approximately 60% of the vote—the largest margin of victory for a Delaware Attorney General in a contested election between both major parties since 1928. In her 2022 re-election bid, after running unopposed in the Democratic primary, she defeated Republican Julianne Murray by approximately 8 points, receiving roughly 54% of the vote.

Education

Jennings graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in Wilmington. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware and a Juris Doctor from Villanova University Law School.

Political Experience

Jennings began her career with the Delaware Department of Justice, where she served for approximately twenty years as a state prosecutor. During her tenure, she prosecuted numerous domestic violence, sexual assault, and homicide cases. She was named Delaware State Prosecutor and later served as Chief Deputy Attorney General under Attorney General Charles Oberly.

While serving as Chief Deputy Attorney General, Jennings worked with others to create the Consumer Fraud Division, establishing strong protections for consumers against fraud and abuse.

In 1995, Jennings left public service and opened a private law firm with Charles Oberly, representing individuals and companies in criminal, regulatory, and civil matters.

Jennings returned to the Delaware Department of Justice in 2011 to serve as State Prosecutor under Attorneys General Beau Biden and Matt Denn. During this period, she successfully advocated for legislation to end mandatory life sentences for individuals convicted of drug crimes and to restore driving privileges for people with drug convictions to enable employment. She also helped establish the Crime Strategies Unit, which engages with communities affected by violent crime and blight.

Before running for Attorney General, Jennings served as Chief Administrative Officer of New Castle County, a position she held for one year before resigning in January 2018 to run for her current office.

As Attorney General, Jennings focuses on criminal justice reform, making the justice system fair and equitable for all Delawareans regardless of race, economic status, or zip code, and combating the opioid epidemic.