Premier of Delaware
| Premier of Delaware | |
|---|---|
 Coat of Arms of Delaware | |
 Flag of Delaware | |
| Department of the Leadership | |
| Style |
|
| Status | Head of Government |
| Member of | Delaware House of Representatives |
| Reports to | Parliament |
| Appointer | Governor of Delaware by convention, based on appointee's ability to command confidence in the House of Representatives |
| Term length | At the Governor's pleasure contingent on the premier's ability to command confidence in the lower house of Parliament |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Delaware |
| Formation | May 21, 1778 |
| First holder | Thomas Collins |
| Deputy | Deputy Premier of Delaware |
| Salary | $73,000 |
The premier of Delaware is the Head of Government in the U.S. state of Delaware. The Government of Delaware follows the Westminster parliamentary system, with the Parliament of Delaware as the legislature. The premier is appointed by the Governor of Delaware based on the premier's ability to command confidence in the Delaware House of Representatives, the lower house of the state Parliament.
Delaware previously used the term "Speaker" for the role of Premier, however, the speaker evolved into a separate role in the early 19th century. Occasionally, the role has also been referred to as the First Minister of Delaware, but modern convention across most U.S. states, including Delaware, refer to the role as Premier. This prevents confusion with the federal Prime Minister of the United States.
The current premier of Delaware is Valerie Longhurst who has been premier since June 30, 2023 after winning the 2023 Delaware leadership election. Longhurst is a member of the Delaware Liberal Party which has a majority within both houses of the Delaware Parliament.