Governor Matt Meyer ordered flags flown at half-mast in memory of former Senator Pro Tempore Patricia “Patti” Belvins who died on October 7, 2026. Blevins served on the Elsmere Town Council, Mayor of Elsmere and in the Delaware Senate. Blevins was 72.
“Delaware lost a true public servant with the passing of Patti Blevins, From serving on the Elsmere Town Council and as Mayor of Elsmere to nearly three decades in the Delaware Senate, where she rose to become President Pro Tempore, Patti devoted her life to our state,” Meyer said. “Patti led with compassion, convictions and deep love for Delaware. Her decades of service helped shape our state, and her legacy lives on in the communities she served, the people she mentored and the countless Delawareans whose lives she touched.”
Blevins represented the 7th Senate District from 1990 until 2016 when she lost her re-election campaign by 282 votes. Blevins served as Majority Leader of the Delaware Senate from 2009 to 2012 and Majority Whip from 2007 to 2009. She served on the Elsmere Town Council and as Mayor from 1985 to 1990.
“Whether fighting domestic violence or advocating for animal welfare, Patti dedicated her life to standing up for those whose voices too often go unheard,” Meyer said. “On behalf of the State of Delaware, I extend my deepest condolences to Patti’s family, friends, former colleagues and all those who loved her. May her memory be a blessing and may her lifetime of service continue to inspire all of us who have the privilege of serving the people of this state.”
In response to the news fo Blevin’s death, Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, House Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn Harris and House Majority Whip Ed Osienski issued a statement.
“Today, we mourn the passing of former Delaware Senate President Pro Tempore Patricia “Patti” Blevins,” the statement read. “Senator Blevins was a trailblazer. She began her tenure with the General Assembly in 1990, and served for 26 years, including four years as Senate President Pro Tempore. She was the second woman in our state to hol that position.”
The statement continued.
“But that wasn’t the only way she helped shape our state’s history. In 1993, she helped to create the Delaware Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, which closed significant gaps in the state’s response to domestic violence,” it read. “In 1994, she sponsored the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, which was the first legislation in Delaware to require all children to have a blood lead test at or around the age of 12 months. In the same decade, she aided in the creation of the Office of the Child Advocate.”
According to the statement, by the time Blevins left office, her tireless efforts in building upon an improving her legislative work created such a strong foundation to support Delaware’s continued efforts in protecting victims of domestic violence and abuse, honoring marriage and gender equality, fighting cancer and more.
“In 2026, we are living in a much more progressive world, yet it is still a battle to pass legislation supporting the same causes that Senator Blevins fought for in her tenure,” the statement read. “To have made such significant legislative advancements, nearly 40 years ago as a woman operating in a male-dominated space, is remarkable.”
Blevins attended Mount Pleasant High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Temple University in 1975. As the statement reads, she was a staunch supporter of reproductive rights, animal rights and domestic violence reforms.
“We in House leadership have the utmost respect, admiration and gratitude for her and her work,” the joint statement concluded. “Delaware is a safer, healthier and happier state because of Senator Patti Blevins. We are holding her family and loved ones in our thoughts during this difficult time.”
No information was available about services for Senator Blevins.
