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{{About|the Delaware lawyer and politician|the Governor of Tennessee|Bill Lee (Tennessee politician)|other people named Bill Lee|William Lee (disambiguation){{!}}William Lee}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox officeholder
⚫
|name = William Swain Lee
|image =
|name = Bill Lee
⚫
|birth_name = William Swain Lee
|caption =
|birth_date = December 18, 1935
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1935|12|18}}
|birth_place = [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]],<br />[[United States|U.S]]
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|death_place =
⚫
|party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|spouse =
|education = [[Duke University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br />[[University of Pennsylvania]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
|father =
|children =
|parents =
|known_for = Judge in the [[Thomas Capano]] trial
|occupation = Judge
|nationality = {{flagicon|US}}American
|alma_mater = Duke and University of Pennsylvania
}}
}}
⚫
'''William Swain Lee''' (born December 18, 1935) is an American [[lawyer]] and Republican [[politician]] from [[Georgetown, Delaware|Georgetown]], in [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]], [[Delaware]]. He is a member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], who served as a judge of the [[Delaware Superior Court]]. He was the 2004 and 2008 [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for [[Governor of Delaware]].

⚫
'''William Swain Lee''' (born December 18, 1935) is an [[United States|American]] [[lawyer]] and [[politician]] from [[Georgetown, Delaware|Georgetown]], in [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]], [[Delaware]]. He is a member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], who served as a judge of the [[Delaware Superior Court]]. He was the 2004 and 2008 [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidate for [[Governor of Delaware]].


==Early life and family==
==Early life and family==
Lee was born December 18, 1935, son of Dr. Walter H. Lee and Virginia Swain Lee. He attended school in [[Middletown, Delaware]] and graduated from [[Wilmington Friends School]] in 1953. He later graduated from [[Duke University]] and the [[University of Pennsylvania Law School]], where he earned a law degree in 1960. He went on to serve in the [[United States Marine Corps]].<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/pre/DE/G/00/36839/frameset.exclude.html CNN.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Lee was born December 18, 1935, son of Dr. Walter H. Lee and Virginia Swain Lee. He attended school in [[Middletown, Delaware]] and graduated from [[Wilmington Friends School]] in 1953. He later graduated from [[Duke University]] and the [[University of Pennsylvania Law School]], where he earned a [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] degree in 1960. He went on to serve in the [[United States Marine Corps]].<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/pre/DE/G/00/36839/frameset.exclude.html CNN.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> father of two sons and two daughters.


==Judicial career==
==Judicial career==
All judges are appointed by the [[Governor of Delaware]]. In 1977, Governor [[Pierre S. du Pont IV]] appointed Lee as an Associate Judge in the Delaware Family Court. In 1986, Governor [[Michael N. Castle]] appointed Lee to the [[Delaware Superior Court]], and Resident Judge of [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]] three years later.
All judges are appointed by the [[Governor of Delaware]]. In 1977, Governor [[Pierre S. du Pont IV]] appointed Lee as an Associate Judge in the Delaware Family Court. In 1986, Governor [[Michael N. Castle]] appointed Lee to the [[Delaware Superior Court]], and Resident Judge of [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]] three years later.


Lee is best known as the presiding judge of the 1998 murder trial of influential lawyer and former gubernatorial chief-of-staff [[Thomas J. Capano]]. Capano had been charged with the 1996 murder of Governor [[Thomas R. Carper]]'s personal scheduler, Anne Marie Fahey. Capano was a wealthy, well-connected lawyer, known to nearly everyone in [[Delaware]]'s political community. Fahey, an attractive 30-year-old member of another well-known family, was attempting to end a romantic relationship with the married Capano, when he murdered her and dumped her body in the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. The highly publicized case was prosecuted by [[U.S. Attorney]] [[Colm F. Connelly]] and resulted in Capano being convicted, and then sentenced to death in 1999.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03E7DE1F3EF934A25750C0A96F958260 Death Penalty For Killing Of Mistress - New York Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Lee said Capano is a "ruthless murderer who feels compassion for no one and remorse only for the circumstances in which he finds himself. He is a malignant force from whom no one he deems disloyal or adversarial can be secure, even if he is incarcerated for the rest of his life."<ref>[http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/classics/capano/7.html The Rise and Fall of Thomas Capano The Crime Library - Crime Library on truTV.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> (Capano's sentence was eventually [[commutation of sentence|commuted]] to life in prison, and he died there in 2011.)
Lee is best known as the presiding judge of the 1998 murder trial of influential lawyer and former gubernatorial chief-of-staff [[Thomas J. Capano]]. Capano had been charged with the 1996 murder of Governor [[Thomas R. Carper]]'s personal scheduler, Anne Marie Fahey. Capano was a wealthy, well-connected lawyer, known to nearly everyone in [[Delaware]]'s political community. Fahey, an attractive 30-year-old member of another well-known family, was attempting to end a romantic relationship with the married Capano, when he murdered her and dumped her body in the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. The highly publicized case was prosecuted by [[U.S. Attorney]] [[Colm F. Connelly]] and resulted in Capano being convicted, and then sentenced to death in 1999.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03E7DE1F3EF934A25750C0A96F958260 Death Penalty For Killing Of Mistress – New York Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Lee said Capano is a "ruthless murderer who feels compassion for no one and remorse only for the circumstances in which he finds himself. He is a malignant force from whom no one he deems disloyal or adversarial can be secure, even if he is incarcerated for the rest of his life."<ref>[http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/classics/capano/7.html The Rise and Fall of Thomas Capano The Crime Library - Crime Library on truTV.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> (Capano's sentence was eventually [[commutation of sentence|commuted]] to life in prison, and he died there in 2011.)


{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}
| bgcolor=#cccccc | '''Office'''
| style="background:#ccc;"| '''Office'''
| bgcolor=#cccccc | '''Type'''
| style="background:#ccc;"| '''Type'''
| bgcolor=#cccccc | '''Location'''
| style="background:#ccc;"| '''Location'''
| bgcolor=#cccccc | '''Elected'''
| style="background:#ccc;"| '''Elected'''
| bgcolor=#cccccc | '''Took Office'''
| style="background:#ccc;"| '''Took office'''
| bgcolor=#cccccc | '''Left Office'''
| style="background:#ccc;"| '''Left office'''
| bgcolor=#cccccc | '''Notes'''
| style="background:#ccc;"| '''Notes'''
|-
|-
| bgcolor=#DDFFAA | Family Court
| style="background:#dfa;"| Family Court
| bgcolor=#DDFFAA | [[Judiciary]]
| style="background:#dfa;"| [[Judiciary]]
| bgcolor=#DDFFAA | [[Georgetown, Delaware|Georgetown]]
| style="background:#dfa;"| [[Georgetown, Delaware|Georgetown]]
| style="background:#dfa;"|
| bgcolor=#DDFFAA |
| bgcolor=#DDFFAA | 1977
| style="background:#dfa;"| 1977
| bgcolor=#DDFFAA | 1986
| style="background:#dfa;"| 1986
| bgcolor=#DDFFAA | [[Judge]]
| style="background:#dfa;"| [[Judge]]
|-
|-
| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | Superior Court
| style="background:#eea;"| Superior Court
| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Judiciary]]
| style="background:#eea;"| [[Judiciary]]
| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Georgetown, Delaware|Georgetown]]
| style="background:#eea;"| [[Georgetown, Delaware|Georgetown]]
| style="background:#eea;"|
| bgcolor=#EEEEAA |
| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | 1986
| style="background:#eea;"| 1986
| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | 1999
| style="background:#eea;"| 1999
| bgcolor=#DDFFAA | [[Judge]]
| style="background:#dfa;"| [[Judge]]
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}


==Political career==
==Political career==
Before he became a judge, Lee served as Counsel to the [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]] [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Committee from 1965 to 1972, when he became General Counsel to the [[Delaware]] [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] State Committee. From 1973 until 1977 he was the [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]] [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] Chairman. In [[U.S. presidential election, 1976|1976]], he was among the delegates who actively supported [[Ronald Reagan]] in his effort to win the Republican nomination for [[President of the United States|President]].
Before he became a judge, Lee served as counsel to the [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]] [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Committee from 1965 to 1972, when he became general counsel to the [[Delaware]] [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] State Committee. From 1973 until 1977 he was the [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]] [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] Chairman. In [[U.S. presidential election, 1976|1976]], he was among the delegates who actively supported [[Ronald Reagan]] in his effort to win the Republican nomination for [[President of the United States|president]].


In 1999, Lee resigned his judicial post, and sought the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nomination for [[Governor of Delaware|governor]]. He faced [[Delaware]] State Chamber of Commerce President John M. Burris and [[Delaware House of Representatives|State House]] [[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]] [[Terry Spence]]. Burris, after receiving the endorsement of the state [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], won the primary by less than fifty votes.
In 1999, Lee resigned his judicial post, and sought the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nomination for [[Governor of Delaware|governor]]. He faced [[Delaware]] State Chamber of Commerce President John M. Burris. Burris, after receiving the endorsement of the state [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], won the primary by 46 votes.


In 2004, Lee again sought the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nomination, this time winning the state party's endorsement, and easily winning the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] primary. Although he was able to run a very competitive campaign, Lee ultimately fell short of defeating the incumbent [[Governor of Delaware|Governor]], [[Ruth Ann Minner]], in the general election.
In 2004, Lee again sought the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nomination, this time winning the state party's endorsement, and easily winning the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] primary. Although he was able to run a very competitive campaign, Lee ultimately fell short of defeating the incumbent [[Governor of Delaware|governor]], [[Ruth Ann Minner]], in the general election.


In 2008, Lee was drafted by the Republican Party in Delaware to be their Gubernatorial candidate, over his announced opponent, [[Michael D. Protack]]. During the 2008 convention for the Delaware Republican Party, Lee received over 80% of the delegate votes in the draft, despite not being present. Lee filed his campaign paperwork on May 9 and announced he will make the run for governor. Along with [[Charlie Copeland]], the [[Lieutenant Governor]] nominee, Bill Lee campaigned across the state.<ref>http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080514/NEWS02/805140341</ref> He lost by a wide margin.
In 2008, Lee was drafted by the Republican Party in Delaware to be their Gubernatorial candidate, over his announced opponent, Michael D. Protack. During the 2008 convention for the Delaware Republican Party, Lee received over 80% of the delegate votes in the draft, despite not being present. Lee filed his campaign paperwork on May 9 and announced he will make the run for governor. Along with [[Charles L. Copeland|Charlie Copeland]], the [[Lieutenant Governor]] nominee, Bill Lee campaigned across the state.<ref>[http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080514/NEWS02/805140341 ]{{dead link|date=August 2022}}</ref> He lost in a landslide to Democratic state treasurer [[Jack Markell]].


==Electoral history==
==Electoral history==
{{see also|Delaware gubernatorial election, 2008}}
{{see also|2008 Delaware gubernatorial election}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}
!bgcolor=#cccccc |Year
! style="background:#ccc;"|Year
!bgcolor=#cccccc |Office
! style="background:#ccc;"|Office
!bgcolor=#cccccc |Election
! style="background:#ccc;"|Election
!
!
!bgcolor=#cccccc |Subject
! style="background:#ccc;"|Subject
!bgcolor=#cccccc |Party
! style="background:#ccc;"|Party
!bgcolor=#cccccc |Votes
! style="background:#ccc;"|Votes
!bgcolor=#cccccc |Pct
! style="background:#ccc;"|Pct
!
!
!bgcolor=#cccccc |Opponent
! style="background:#ccc;"|Opponent
!bgcolor=#cccccc |Party
! style="background:#ccc;"|Party
!bgcolor=#cccccc |Votes
! style="background:#ccc;"|Votes
!bgcolor=#cccccc |Pct
! style="background:#ccc;"|Pct
|-
|-
|2000
|2000
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|[[primary election|Primary]]
|[[primary election|Primary]]
|
|
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |William Swain Lee
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|William Swain Lee
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |13,847
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|13,847
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |50%
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|50%
|
|
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |John M. Burris
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|John M. Burris
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |13,893
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|13,893
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |50%
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|50%
|-
|-
|2004
|2004
Line 97: Line 90:
|[[primary election|Primary]]
|[[primary election|Primary]]
|
|
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |William Swain Lee
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|William Swain Lee
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |15,270
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|15,270
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |71%
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|71%
|
|
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Michael D. Protack
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|Michael D. Protack
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |5,108
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|5,108
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |24%
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|24%
|-
|-
|[[Delaware gubernatorial election, 2004|2004]]
|[[2004 Delaware gubernatorial election|2004]]
|[[Governor of Delaware|Governor]]
|[[Governor of Delaware|Governor]]
|General
|General
|
|
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |William Swain Lee
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|William Swain Lee
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |167,115
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|167,115
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |46%
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|46%
|
|
|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |[[Ruth Ann Minner]]
| style="background:#def;"|[[Ruth Ann Minner]]
|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| style="background:#def;"|[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |185,687
| style="background:#def;"|185,687
|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |51%
| style="background:#def;"|51%
|-
|-
|[[Delaware gubernatorial election, 2008|2008]]
|[[2008 Delaware gubernatorial election|2008]]
|[[Governor of Delaware|Governor]]
|[[Governor of Delaware|Governor]]
|General
|General
|
|
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |William Swain Lee
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|William Swain Lee
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |126,660
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|126,660
|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |32%
| style="background:#ffe8e8;"|32%
|
|
|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |[[Jack Markell]]
| style="background:#def;"|[[Jack Markell]]
|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| style="background:#def;"|[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |266,858
| style="background:#def;"|266,858
|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |67.5%
| style="background:#def;"|67.5%
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}


Line 139: Line 132:
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==Additional Resources==
==Additional resources==
*''And Never Let Her Go: Thomas Capano: The Deadly Seducer'' by Ann Rule
*''And Never Let Her Go: Thomas Capano: The Deadly Seducer'' by Ann Rule
*''Fatal Embrace: The Inside Story Of The Thomas Capano/Anne Marie Fahey Murder Case'' (St. Martin's True Crime Library.) by Cris Barrish
*''Fatal Embrace: The Inside Story Of The Thomas Capano/Anne Marie Fahey Murder Case'' (St. Martin's True Crime Library.) by Cris Barrish


==External links==
==External links==
*{{C-SPAN|1011993}}
⚫
*[http://www.leedelaware.com Bill Lee for Governor 2008]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20000816031145/http://www.leedelaware.com/ Bill Lee for Governor 2000]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041101063700/http://www.leedelaware.com/ Bill Lee for Governor 2004]
⚫
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081029214143/http://www.leedelaware.com/ Bill Lee for Governor 2008]
*[https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/53673/william-swain-lee Project Vote Smart – William Swain Lee (DE)] profile
*[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=23319 Our Campaigns – William Swain Lee (DE)] profile


{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-ppo}}
⚫
{{s-bef|before=[[John M. Burris|John Burris]]}}
{{succession box
{{s-ttl|title=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for [[List of Governors of Delaware|Governor of Delaware]]|years=[[2004 Delaware gubernatorial election|2004]], [[2008 Delaware gubernatorial election|2008]]}}
⚫
| before= [[John M. Burris]]
⚫
{{s-aft|after=Jeff Cragg}}
⚫
|title= [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for [[Governor of Delaware]]
⚫
{{s-end}}
|years=[[United States gubernatorial elections, 2004|2004]], [[Delaware gubernatorial election, 2008|2008]]
⚫
|after=[[Jeff Cragg]]}}
⚫
{{end}}


{{DEGeneral}}
{{DEGeneral}}
{{authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Lee, William Swain
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American judge
| DATE OF BIRTH = December 18, 1935
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, William Swain}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, William Swain}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:1935 births]]
⚫
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Associate Judges of Delaware]]
[[Category:Associate Judges of Delaware]]
[[Category:Delaware Republicans]]
[[Category:Delaware Republicans]]
[[Category:Duke University alumni]]
[[Category:Duke University alumni]]
[[Category:Lawyers from Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Philadelphia]]
⚫
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni]]
[[Category:University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Sussex County, Delaware politicians]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2004 United States elections]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2008 United States elections]]

Latest revision as of 16:27, 1 August 2023

This article is about the Delaware lawyer and politician. For the Governor of Tennessee, see Bill Lee (Tennessee politician). For other people named Bill Lee, see William Lee.
Bill Lee
Personal details
Born
William Swain Lee

(1935-12-18) December 18, 1935 (age 88)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
U.S
Political partyRepublican
EducationDuke University (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (JD)

William Swain Lee (born December 18, 1935) is an American lawyer and Republican politician from Georgetown, in Sussex County, Delaware. He is a member of the Republican Party, who served as a judge of the Delaware Superior Court. He was the 2004 and 2008 Republican nominee for Governor of Delaware.

Early life and family[edit]

Lee was born December 18, 1935, son of Dr. Walter H. Lee and Virginia Swain Lee. He attended school in Middletown, Delaware and graduated from Wilmington Friends School in 1953. He later graduated from Duke University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he earned a J.D. degree in 1960. He went on to serve in the United States Marine Corps.[1] father of two sons and two daughters.

Judicial career[edit]

All judges are appointed by the Governor of Delaware. In 1977, Governor Pierre S. du Pont IV appointed Lee as an Associate Judge in the Delaware Family Court. In 1986, Governor Michael N. Castle appointed Lee to the Delaware Superior Court, and Resident Judge of Sussex County three years later.

Lee is best known as the presiding judge of the 1998 murder trial of influential lawyer and former gubernatorial chief-of-staff Thomas J. Capano. Capano had been charged with the 1996 murder of Governor Thomas R. Carper's personal scheduler, Anne Marie Fahey. Capano was a wealthy, well-connected lawyer, known to nearly everyone in Delaware's political community. Fahey, an attractive 30-year-old member of another well-known family, was attempting to end a romantic relationship with the married Capano, when he murdered her and dumped her body in the Atlantic Ocean. The highly publicized case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Colm F. Connelly and resulted in Capano being convicted, and then sentenced to death in 1999.[2] Lee said Capano is a "ruthless murderer who feels compassion for no one and remorse only for the circumstances in which he finds himself. He is a malignant force from whom no one he deems disloyal or adversarial can be secure, even if he is incarcerated for the rest of his life."[3] (Capano's sentence was eventually commuted to life in prison, and he died there in 2011.)

Office Type Location Elected Took office Left office Notes
Family Court Judiciary Georgetown 1977 1986 Judge
Superior Court Judiciary Georgetown 1986 1999 Judge

Political career[edit]

Before he became a judge, Lee served as counsel to the Sussex County Republican Committee from 1965 to 1972, when he became general counsel to the Delaware Republican State Committee. From 1973 until 1977 he was the Sussex County Republican Party Chairman. In 1976, he was among the delegates who actively supported Ronald Reagan in his effort to win the Republican nomination for president.

In 1999, Lee resigned his judicial post, and sought the Republican nomination for governor. He faced Delaware State Chamber of Commerce President John M. Burris. Burris, after receiving the endorsement of the state Republican Party, won the primary by 46 votes.

In 2004, Lee again sought the Republican nomination, this time winning the state party's endorsement, and easily winning the Republican primary. Although he was able to run a very competitive campaign, Lee ultimately fell short of defeating the incumbent governor, Ruth Ann Minner, in the general election.

In 2008, Lee was drafted by the Republican Party in Delaware to be their Gubernatorial candidate, over his announced opponent, Michael D. Protack. During the 2008 convention for the Delaware Republican Party, Lee received over 80% of the delegate votes in the draft, despite not being present. Lee filed his campaign paperwork on May 9 and announced he will make the run for governor. Along with Charlie Copeland, the Lieutenant Governor nominee, Bill Lee campaigned across the state.[4] He lost in a landslide to Democratic state treasurer Jack Markell.

Electoral history[edit]

See also: 2008 Delaware gubernatorial election
Year Office Election Subject Party Votes Pct Opponent Party Votes Pct
2000 Governor Primary William Swain Lee Republican 13,847 50% John M. Burris Republican 13,893 50%
2004 Governor Primary William Swain Lee Republican 15,270 71% Michael D. Protack Republican 5,108 24%
2004 Governor General William Swain Lee Republican 167,115 46% Ruth Ann Minner Democratic 185,687 51%
2008 Governor General William Swain Lee Republican 126,660 32% Jack Markell Democratic 266,858 67.5%

References[edit]

  1. ^ CNN.com
  2. ^ Death Penalty For Killing Of Mistress – New York Times
  3. ^ The Rise and Fall of Thomas Capano The Crime Library - Crime Library on truTV.com
  4. ^ [1][dead link]

Additional resources[edit]

  • And Never Let Her Go: Thomas Capano: The Deadly Seducer by Ann Rule
  • Fatal Embrace: The Inside Story Of The Thomas Capano/Anne Marie Fahey Murder Case (St. Martin's True Crime Library.) by Cris Barrish

External links[edit]

Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Delaware
2004, 2008 		Succeeded by
Jeff Cragg
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