Meet Kathy

Experience, Courage, Results

Kathy Jennings has dedicated her life to making the justice system work better for the people of Delaware. Kathy is running for Attorney General because she wants to make Delaware a safer place to live, work, and to raise a family all while making Delaware a place where justice is fair and equal for all.

Delaware Born and Raised

Born and raised in Wilmington by a single mother and loving grandparents. Kathy's mother became the first college graduate of the family by earning her nursing degree when Kathy was a young child. Her grandfather was a Marine who fought on Okinawa during World War II and upon returning home became a proud member of the Carpenters Union. Kathy graduated from Mount Pleasant High School, University of Delaware, and Villanova University Law School before joining the Delaware Department of Justice. She was one of only two women in in the Criminal Division’s Wilmington office when she started.

Tested and Experienced

Over her career, Kathy prosecuted hundreds of cases: domestic violence, sexual assaults, and homicides. She worked with the FBI, New Castle County, and Delaware State Police in a year- long investigation to identify and arrest a serial killer who tortured and murdered five women. Kathy successfully prosecuted Steven Pennell for these crimes. This case was the first time that DNA analysis was admitted into evidence in a Delaware Court.

After years of service in the office, Kathy was named State Prosecutor, in charge of all criminal prosecutions in Delaware. Later, she served as Chief Deputy Attorney General, the #2 official in the entire Delaware Department of Justice. Kathy developed and implemented the Consumer Fraud Division, after successfully seeking legislation providing protections for consumers.

Following her tenure in the Department of Justice, Kathy and former Attorney General Charles Oberly started the law firm of Oberly and Jennings. In private practice, Kathy specialized in trial work, ranging from criminal defense to white collar and regulatory work. She also focused on civil litigation. Kathy's depth of experience gives her a balanced perspective on the criminal justice system.

Results for Delaware

As Attorney General, Kathy has brought to the office decades of experience as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and administrator. There is not a single thing Kathy would ask a member of the Department of Justice to do that she has e not personally herself.  In her first term as Attorney General she has numerous accomplishments.  Accomplishments that include putting violent criminals in jail by securing an 85% conviction rate for gun offenders.  She has helped protect children by holding child predators accountable. She has secured life sentences for pedophiles and for a daycare worker who suffocated a four month-old. She is fighting to strengthen laws against online predators to help keep children safe.  

She has fought to protect our right to vote by defeating a lawsuit that attempted to invalidate 80,000 lawfully-cast ballots in the state.  She held opioid manufacturers accountable for the devastation they have brought to our state, reaching a settlement against them that delivered 500 million dollars to taxpayers.  She has cracked down on corruption, including elected officials in my own party for using their office and taxpayer dollars for personal gain.  She has stood up for seniors by cracking down on elder abuse and efforts to defraud seniors by investigating over 100 cases of each since taking office.

In January of 2017, Kathy was appointed Chief Administrative Officer of New Castle County by newly elected County Executive Matthew Meyer. As the County’s second-in-command, Kathy managed more than 1500 employees and a budget of $284 million. From June 2017 through December 2017, Kathy concurrently served as the County’s Public Safety Director, overseeing the Police Department, Paramedics and 911 Communications.

Kathy has two adult children, a daughter who lives in Wilmington and a son who lives in Baltimore.