The 1823 Delaware gubernatorial special election was held on October 7, 1823. A few months into his three-year term, Democratic-Republican Governor Joseph Haslet died in office, elevating State Senate Speaker Charles Thomas to the governorship and triggering a special election in 1823. Justice of the Peace David Hazzard ran as the Democratic-Republican nominee to succeed Thomas and faced State Senator Samuel Paynter, the Federalist nominee. Paynter narrowly defeated Hazzard, regaining the office for the Federalists.[1]
