Colin Bonini

Colin Bonini
Member of the Delaware Senate
from the 16th district
Assumed office
January 10, 1995
Preceded by Carl Danberg
Personal details
Born Colin Rafferty Marie Jude
Bonini
(1965-04-14) April 14, 1965
Stanford, California, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Melissa Harrington
Alma mater Wesley College, Delaware (BA)

Colin Rafferty Marie Jude Bonini (born April 14, 1965) is an American politician from Kent County, near Dover, Delaware. He is a member of the Republican Party and serves in the Delaware General Assembly as State Senator for the 16th State Senate District.

Early life and family

Born April 14, 1965, Bonini is the son of Stanford University Emeritus Professor of Business Charles Bonini and Dr. Cissie Bonini Rafferty, a Professor of History. His identical twin brother Griffin Bonini is a Superior Court Judge in Santa Clara County, California.

Bonini received his B.A. from Wesley College in 1991. He has been married to Dr. Melissa A. Harrington, a full professor of biology at Delaware State University, since 2001 and they live at Moores Lake just south of Dover.

Political career

State senate

Bonini with Wilmington Blue Rocks' mascot Rocky Bluewinkle

The 16th State Senate District is a sprawling suburban, rural and small town section of southern and eastern Kent County along with a small portion of adjacent Sussex County. It includes the southern portions of Dover around the Dover Air Force Base, the towns of Frederica and Harrington, but carefully excludes the incorporated portions of the town of Milford. Bonini has represented the 16th Senate District in the Delaware State Senate since 1995.

In the 147th General Assembly, Bonini served on the following committees:

2010 state treasurer campaign

In 2010, he unsuccessfully ran for state Treasurer losing to Democrat Chipman L. Flowers, Jr. in a tight race.

Flowers, an attorney, received 51 percent of the vote on Nov. 2 and defeated Bonini by 6,121 votes. Besides R. Thomas Wagner, the incumbent state auditor since 1989, Bonini received the most votes of any Republican in the 2010 elections in Delaware.

Public offices

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. Members of the Delaware General Assembly take office the second Tuesday of January. The State Senate has a term of four years.

Office Type Location Elected Took Office Left Office notes
State Senator Legislature Dover 1994 January 10, 1995 January 12, 1999
State Senator Legislature Dover 1998 January 12, 1999 January 14, 2003
State Senator Legislature Dover 2002 January 14, 2003 January 11, 2005 Two year term because of census and redistricting
State Senator Legislature Dover 2004 January 11, 2005 January 13, 2009

Election results

Year Office Election Subject Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %
1994 State Senator, District 16 General Colin R.J. Bonini Republican 4,444 55.1% W. Charles Paradee Democratic 3,626 44.9%
1998 State Senator, District 16 General Colin R.M.J. Bonini Republican 4,155 52.6% Terry L. Pepper Democratic 3,745 47.4%
2002 State Senator, District 16 General Colin R.J. Bonini Republican 7,324 66.5% Paul Davis Democratic 3,686 33.5%
2004 State Senator, District 16 General Colin R.J. Bonini Republican 11,570 69.3% James B. Testerman Democratic 5,131 30.7%

Results provided by the Delaware Department of Elections

Awards and achievements

Senator Bonini was presented with the “Guardian of Small Business Award” by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and was named “Legislator of the Year” by the Republican Party of Kent County. In 2014, he earned a “Legislator of the Year” award from the Food Bank of Delaware for his work to alleviate hunger in Delaware.

Party political offices
Preceded by
Jeff Cragg		 Republican nominee for Governor of Delaware
2016 		Current holder
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