Democrats, Republicans remember Pete du Pont as a 'true icon' in Delaware politics -- Obituaries, She Wrote

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Date Posted: 18:51:25 05/09/21 Sun
Author: Delaware News Journal
Subject: Democrats, Republicans remember Pete du Pont as a 'true icon' in Delaware politics

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper called him one of his most important mentors. So did former Gov. Jack Markell. Gov. John Carney described him as a “real leader.”

Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock said he is a “true icon of Delaware politics.”

Pete du Pont, the former governor, presidential candidate and congressman, died Saturday in his Wilmington home after a “long illness,” according to a family spokesman. He was 86.

To many in Delaware, du Pont, a Republican, represented a brand of politics that is hard to find these days — the kind that has Democrats and Republicans collectively praising his contributions to the state.

Du Pont, many current and former governors say, was a once-in-generation leader who birthed a new era for the bipartisan mantra known as “The Delaware Way.” The governor formed personal relationships with Democrats and Republicans, which helped him pass legislation that fundamentally changed the state.

Du Pont was known to have quick wit and a good sense of humor. He regularly dressed up as Dracula for Halloween.

“He was one of a kind,” said former Gov. Mike Castle, who served as du Pont’s lieutenant governor.

“At that point, your politics weren’t as important as getting the job done,” Castle added. “And that's really what he was all about. That was his strength.”

He was seen as a transformational governor. During his tenure from 1977 to 1985, he led efforts to limit spending and dramatically cut income taxes. He also courted major banks to relocate to Delaware, a development credited with creating tens of thousands of jobs in the state.

He also created a number of government agencies and implemented school desegregation.

Du Pont's legacy is rooted in his fiscal policies, which changed the way Delaware budgets and spends its money. He also created the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council, an independent commission that aims to provide the state an accurate prediction of how much money will be available in the fiscal year.

“As governor, he found ways to work across the aisle to address an immediate fiscal crisis and make Delaware more competitive economically," Carney said in a statement.

Markell, who served as Delaware governor from 2009 to 2017, first met du Pont when the governor spoke at his Newark High School graduation. Decades later, du Pont often had dinner with Markell and his wife Carla. They also went to Flyers games.

"Although we were of different political parties and didn't see many political issues the same way,” Markell wrote in an email, “we shared a love for Delaware and that was enough for Pete to go out of his way to take me under his wing.”

“He made me a better governor," Markell said, "and he made Delaware a better state.”

Carper, who was governor from 1993 to 2001, said in a statement that he considered du Pont to be “one of my very best mentors.” He noted that du Pont taught him how to run a campaign and connect with people.

The two first met as political adversaries. Carper worked as the treasurer in the 1970s for the rival campaign in the U.S. House race. In 1976, Carper became the state’s treasurer when du Pont was elected governor. At the time, Delaware’s finances were in disarray.

“Pete knew that one of the best things you can do to help someone is help them get a job, so he was very focused on creating a nurturing environment for job growth and job preservation as governor,” Carper said.

“I worked hard to continue that model he created during the eight years I served in that role.”

Du Pont was a “natural born leader” who had a magnetic energy, said Castle, former congressman and governor. As lieutenant governor, Castle recalled du Pont surrounding himself with smart people to give him advice.

He never had political favorites, Castle said. He said he tried to replicate this when he succeeded du Pont as governor.

“I think actually it’s a shame that he never became president of the United States,” Castle said. “He would have been, in my judgement, an excellent president."

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2021/05/09/pete-du-pont-remembered-delaware-carper-markell-carney-castle/4958253001/

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