Ken Simpler
Kenneth A. Simpler is an American politician. He was Delaware State Treasurer from 2015 to 2019. He is the last Republican to win a statewide race in Delaware.
Ken Simpler | |
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Treasurer of Delaware | |
In office January 6, 2015 – January 1, 2019 | |
Governor | Jack Markell John Carney |
Preceded by | Chip Flowers |
Succeeded by | Colleen Davis |
Personal details | |
Born | Kenneth Alvin Simpler, Jr.[1] July 15, 1967 Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Elizabeth Russell[2] |
Children | 3 |
Education | Princeton University (BA) University of Delaware (MPA) University of Chicago (JD, MBA) |
Education
Simpler attended high school at St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political economy at Princeton University.[3] While in college, he was charged in an incident where 45 students were sent to the Princeton infirmary or local hospital for alcohol-induced medical problems, including one student who was in a coma for 24 hours. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail for his role in hosting parties where alcohol was served to minors.[4]
Simpler earned a Master of Business Administration and a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago. He was owner and chief financial officer of Seaboard Hotels and managing director at Citadel LLC. He worked as a corporate attorney at Kirkland & Ellis and has served on the board of directors of Draper Holdings, the parent company of WBOC and Fox 21.[3]
While serving as Delaware State Treasurer, Simpler enrolled at the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration at the University of Delaware to pursue a Master of Public Administration. After leaving office, he completed the degree in February 2020.[5]
Political career
Simpler was elected Delaware State Treasurer on November 4, 2014, and took office on January 6, 2015.[6] In the 2018 elections, he was defeated in his reelection campaign by Democrat Colleen Davis.[7] His defeat was one of several losses for prominent Republicans in Delaware in 2018[8][7] and as of 2023 establishes him as the most recent Republican to serve statewide.
Electoral history
Delaware Treasurer Republican Primary Election, 2014 | |||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
Republican | Ken Simpler | 13,491 | 53.9 |
Republican | Cheryl Valenzuela | 11,549 | 46.1 |
Delaware Treasurer Election, 2014 | |||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
Republican | Ken Simpler | 123,105 | 53.6 |
Democratic | Sean Barney | 100,218 | 43.6 |
Green | David Chandler | 6,373 | 2.8 |
Delaware Treasurer Election, 2018 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
Republican | Ken Simpler | 164,001 | 45.9 |
Democratic | Colleen Davis | 187,240 | 52.4 |
Green | David Chandler | 6,301 | 1.8 |
References
- https://publicunionfacts.com/state-candidate/16250038/simpler-jr-kenneth-alvin
- https://leadershipdelaware.org/teams/ken-simpler/
- "Ken's Background". Official campaign website. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- Hevesi, Dennis (May 26, 1988). "2 at Princeton Get Jail Terms For Roles in Pledge Drinking". New York Times.
- "Home". kensimpler.com.
- "About Kenneth Simpler". State of Delaware. Archived from the original on August 10, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- Smith, Jerry (November 6, 2018). "Democrat Colleen Davis takes state treasurer race over Ken Simpler". The News Journal.
- Schmidt, Sophia (November 7, 2018). "State House and Senate Minority Whips ousted by Democratic challengers". Delaware Public Media.