John Viola, an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the Delaware House of Representatives for District 26, died on February 15, 2026.
Elected in 1998 after defeating incumbent Republican Richard F. Davis, he later served as majority whip in the House before leaving that role in 2019 and being replaced by John “Larry” Mitchell.
His daughter, Andria Bennett, joined him in the House in 2012 after being elected to replace her husband, Brad Bennett. Viola was defeated in 2020 by progressive primary challenger Madinah Wilson-Anton.
John J. Viola (June 1, 1950 – February 15, 2026) was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the Delaware House of Representatives for District 26. He was elected in 1998 after defeating incumbent Republican Richard F. Davis. He served as the majority whip in the House before he left the position and was replaced by John “Larry” Mitchell in 2019. His daughter, Andria Bennett, joined him in the House in 2012 after she was elected to replace her husband and Viola’s son-in-law, Brad Bennett. In 2020, he was defeated by progressive primary challenger Madinah Wilson-Anton.