Mike Castle, former Delaware governor and congressman, dies at 86

Mike Castle, a former Republican governor and congressman for Delaware, has died at 86.

Castle passed away on Thursday, Philadelphia public radio station WHYY reported. He served on the WHYY board of directors from 2012 to 2022.

He served as a Delaware state House representative from 1967 to 1969, before becoming a state senator the same year he left the House, serving in the upper chamber until 1977. Castle was Delaware's lieutenant governor from 1981 to 1985, before serving as governor from 1985 to 1992. He was then elected to Congress, serving in the House of Representatives from 1993 until 2011, becoming the longest-serving congressman in the state's history.

“There’s one word that comes to mind when I think of Mike Castle: dignity,” former President Joe Biden posted on X on Thursday. “Riding the train back and forth together to Washington for nearly two decades, I got to know Mike as a thoughtful and kind man — a colleague who became a true friend.”

“Mike was defined by his integrity, and for that reason, you couldn’t find another member of Congress who would say a bad word about him. He was respected in Washington, and beloved by his constituents,” he continued.

“He was kind, genuine, civically minded, responsible – an old-fashioned Republican,” Delaware U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D) said in a statement.

“He embodied what it means to lead with principle, decency and dedication,” Democratic Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said. “During his time as governor, Mike Castle visited every single school in our state, including mine, where he spoke to my high school class with the same warmth, humility and commitment to public service that defined his career. That moment, among others, demonstrated what a good man he was and how deeply he cared about Delaware’s future.”

While in Congress, Castle authored the bill that created the state quarters program. Printing quarters with images of various states on the backs was a big collectors' hit, raking in billions of dollars for the U.S. Treasury.

Members of Delaware’s state Senate Republican Caucus said in a statement Thursday that Castle was a “tireless advocate for the people he represented.”

“His leadership, civility, and commitment to Delaware will not be forgotten,” the statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and all who were fortunate to know him.”