Michael N. Castle

Infobox Congressman
honorific-prefix =
name = Michael N. Castle
nickname = Mike
honorific-suffix =


imagesize = 150px
small

state = Delaware
district = At-large
term_start = January 3 1993
term_end =
predecessor = Thomas R. Carper
successor =
order2 = 69th
office2 = Governor of Delaware
term_start2 = January 15 1985
term_end2 = December 31 1992
lieutenant2 = Dale E. Wolf
predecessor2 = Pierre S. du Pont, IV
successor2 = Dale E. Wolf
order3 = 20th
office3 = Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
term_start3 = January 20 1981
term_end3 = January 15 1985
governor3 = Pierre S. du Pont, IV
predecessor3 = James D. McGinnis
successor3 = Shien Biau Woo
birth_date = birth date and age|1939|7|2
birth_place = Wilmington, Delaware
death_date =
death_place =
spouse = Jane DiSabatino
party = Republican
residence = Wilmington, Delaware
alma_mater = Hamilton College
occupation =
profession = Lawyer
religion = Roman Catholic

Michael Newbold "Mike" Castle (born July 2 1939) is an American lawyer and incumbent U.S. Representative from Delaware, currently serving his eighth term, from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He is a member of the Republican Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly, as Lieutenant Governor of Delaware, two terms as Governor of Delaware.

Early life and family

Castle was born July 2 1939 in Wilmington, Delaware. He is a graduate of Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and Georgetown University School of Law. He married Jane DiSabatino in 1992; they have no children. They are members of the Roman Catholic Church.

Early Delaware political career

[
Dick Thornburgh of Pennsylvania (center) and Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, July 1982.] Castle was Deputy Attorney General in Delaware from 1965 until 1966, and was elected to the Delaware House of Representatives in 1966. He served one term there during the 1967/68 session, and then was elected to the Delaware State Senate, serving two terms from the 1969/70 session through the 1975/76 session. Following this, he returned to the full time practice of law.

In 1980, Castle was recruited to run for Lieutenant Governor of Delaware by the incumbent Governor, Pierre S. du Pont, IV. With that endorsement, he was elected, defeating State Senator Thomas B. Sharp. He served one term from January 20 1981 to January 15 1985.

Governor of Delaware

As the hand-picked choice of the popular Governor du Pont, he easily won election as Governor of Delaware, defeating former Delaware Supreme Court Justice William T. Quillen. In the campaign, Castle was criticized for being a shadow of his mentor, and only promising an extension of du Pont’s program. Despite this criticism, Delaware voters elected him to another term in 1988, when he defeated Democrat Jacob Kreshtool. Castle served two terms from January 15 1985 to December 31 1992, when he resigned to begin his first term as U.S. Representative.

Castle’s terms marked the full establishment of what Delaware political commentator Celia Cohen has called “the Age of Incumbency.” Following du Pont’s very successful and popular terms as Governor, Delaware politics seemed to have reached a consensus, with leaders of both parties being regularly re-elected, while working closely and quietly together on a conservative fiscal low tax, pro business, and clean government agenda. Prior to du Pont only four men had served eight years as Governor, and one of those had two nonconsecutive terms. From 1977 until the present there have been four governors, two from each party, each emulating Castle in essentially carrying out the program initiated by Pierre S. du Pont, IV.