Terry R. Spence

Spence was born in Wilmington, Delaware and grew up in New Castle. His father, Ernest Spence Jr., was a state trooper who had run for the 6th district seat on the New Castle County Council in 1972.

Spence received an associate degree in business from Goldey-Beacom College and later a bachelor's degree from Wilmington College. He served in the Delaware Air National Guard and later became a state trooper with the Delaware State Police like his father.

Upon the retirement of four-term Democratic state representative John P. Ferguson in 1980, Spence ran as a Republican for Ferguson's seat in the 20th representative district. Despite the district's Democratic leaning, the nationwide Republican tide led by presidential candidate Ronald Reagan helped propel Spence to a six-point victory over Democrat John Zimath. In 1982, redistricting caused by the United States Census changed his district number from 20 to 18. He was reelected to the House over Democrat Ronald Queen with 63 percent of the vote. He was unopposed in seven of his thirteen reelection campaigns and often won reelection with large margins.

In 2006, Spence faced a tough reelection due to the increasing percentage of Democrats in his district, with 49 percent of voters registered as Democrats and only 26% registered as Republicans, and with the unpopularity of Republican president George W. Bush. Spence was viewed as vulnerable by the Democratic Party of Delaware, who recruited Michael Barbieri to run against him. It was his closest race since he initially won election 1980, but he still defeated Barbieri by over 12 points.[2] Barbieri challenged him again in the 2008 election, and the vote switched, with Barbieri winning the election by 12 points.[3] Spence lost an attempt to regain his seat in the 2010 general election.[4]

Spence and his wife, Nancy, have four children—Terry, Greg, Mark, and Laura. His sons Greg and Mark also became Delaware State Troopers.