Former Representative Bob Schaffer of Fort Collins was the Republican nominee. With Republican President George W. Bush term-limited, Senator John McCain of Arizona won the Republican nomination in the 2008 Republican primaries. In 1988 and 2000, the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominees Lloyd Bentsen and Joe Lieberman, ran similarly for their seat in Texas and Connecticut, respectively. They increased their total number of seats to 257, the largest number of seats held by either party in the House since Democrats lost control of Congress in the 1994 elections. Additionally, they won Republican-held open seats in Colorado, New Mexico, and Virginia. Wolfe had 36%. In Maine, Susan Collins sought a third term in the Senate. Obama became the nations first African American president with his victory. Democrats held at least 57 seats as a result of the election. [85] During the recount process, Minnesota was represented by only one senator, Amy Klobuchar. Two senators from each state are elected to represent their state. [163] Democrats Sheirl Fletcher and Billy Hendricks challenged Rockefeller in the primary but were defeated. Domenici's role in the developing scandal had reduced the probability he would have been re-elected, and a SurveyUSA poll showed his approval ratings at 41%, with 54% disapproving. During the 60th Congress (19071909), 10 Republicans sat on the Democratic side, while during the 75th Congress (19371939), 13 Democrats sat on the Republican side. Additionally, votes cast for Paul Wellstone in the 2002 election are not factored into the DFL's total from that year. Obama received more votes than any candidate in history. Republican John Barrasso was appointed by Governor Dave Freudenthal (D) on June 22, 2007, to fill the senate seat of Republican Craig L. Thomas, who died on June 4. On December 2, 2008, Chambliss won the run-off with 57% of vote to Martin's 43%. A Rasmussen poll released May 11, 2008, showed Hagan leading Dole by a statistically insignificant margin, 48% - 47%,[122] suggesting a competitive race. The United States Senate is the upper legislature of the bicameral legislative branch. Each state (Including the District of Columbia) is allocated a number of electors equal to its number of representatives plus two for each of its senators. simplemaps_election.selected.D = ['CA', 'CT', 'CO', 'DC', 'DE', 'FL', 'HI', 'IA', 'IN', 'NY', 'CO', 'IL', 'MA', 'MD', 'ME', 'ME1', 'ME2', 'MI', 'MN', 'NC', 'NE2', 'NJ', 'NM', 'NY', 'NH', 'NV', 'OH', 'OR', 'PA', 'RI', 'VT', 'VA', 'WA', 'WI']; On November 18, the race was called for Begich, who won with 47.8% to Stevens's 46.5%. McCain still won the white vote, though Obamas share of the vote was large enough to win in some Republican areas. [79] The seat was heavily targeted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee because of Minnesota's Democratic leanings and recent Democratic gains in national and statewide elections. Incumbent Democrat Frank Lautenberg sought re-election in 2008, though he was 84. Obama argued that deregulation of the financial industry led to risky trading mechanisms contributing to the crisis. Democrat. The 2008 electoral map is above. The goal of having two senators per state is to have each state equally represented in the senate. While senator Pete Domenici had declared that he would seek re-election in New Mexico, he changed his mind and announced on October 4, 2007, that he was retiring at the end of his current term due to a degenerative brain disorder. Independent. Tex. The Republican nominee was Rep. Steve Pearce, who represented the more conservative southern part of the state. "Daniel Lewis Is Libertarian Candidate For U.S. Senate", "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives", Noriega avoids runoff in Senate bid; Cornyn wins easily, "Our Campaigns - TX US Senate - D Primary Race - Mar 04, 2008", "Our Campaigns - TX US Senate - R Primary Race - Mar 04, 2008", "Democrat Warner Holds Large Lead Over Davis and Gilmore", "Senate Mourns Death of Wyoming Republican Craig Thomas", "Goodenough announces Senate bid against Barrasso | KULR-8 TELEVISION - Billings, Montana | Wyoming State News", Political newcomer Carter will face Barrasso, Cook Political Report 2008 Senate Race Ratings, Intrade Composite Poll - Supermajority Predictions, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2008_United_States_Senate_elections&oldid=1142360887, November 2008 events in the United States, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Articles with dead external links from July 2016, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from June 2016, Articles with dead external links from September 2017, Articles with dead external links from July 2017, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2013, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from March 2013, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 00:07. [2] Of the seats up for election in 2008, 23 were held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats. Is It Realistic to Abolish the Electoral College? [51], Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin remained favored in Illinois. The presence of a serious third party candidate further complicated matters. His Democratic opponent was Chris Rothfuss, a professor at the University of Wyoming and a chemical engineer, nanotechnologist, and diplomat. The last time a Cherokee Strip existed in the Senate Chamber was during the 76th Congress (19391941). Former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway was rumored to be considering a run, but declined to do so. Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Ron Sparks appeared to be preparing for a run, but on June 12, 2007, Sparks announced that he would not seek the Senate seat, in order to avoid a primary battle with state senator Vivian Davis Figures. Johnson underwent surgery in December 2006 for a cerebral arteriovenous malformation and was discharged from the hospital on April 30, 2007. [24], On October 19, 2007, the AP reported that despite the allegations and FBI probe, several veteran GOP Senatorsincluding Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), and Kit Bond (R-MO)donated enough money to Stevens's re-election campaign to make it one of Stevens's most successful fund raising quarters ever.[25]. Obama won Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia, with Florida and North Carolina representing early evening signs of Democratic success. [110][111] Furthermore, in the wake of the financial crisis, Carl Peter Klapper entered the race as a write-in candidate.[112]. The campaign engaged targeted groups through networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. It only became clear Begich had prevailed when early votes, absentee ballots, and questioned ballots were counted. In Nebraska, incumbent Republican Chuck Hagel chose to retire rather than run for a third term. McCain won Nebraska but Obama earned an electoral vote by winning the popular vote in the 2nd Congressional District. New Hampshire also saw major Democratic gains in the 2006 elections, when Democrats took both of the previously Republican-held House seats, the gubernatorial race with a record vote share of 74%, and majorities in the State House and Senate, giving them concurrent control of both bodies for the first time since 1874. [12], Sessions defeated Figures, taking 63% of the vote to Figures's 37%, Dispelling rumors that he would retire due to advanced age (he was 84 years old on election day) and ongoing federal investigations into his conduct, senator Ted Stevens filed papers for re-election for an eighth term. [114] Domenici normally would have been expected to win re-election easily, having won his current term with the support of two out of three New Mexico voters; however, he was to be investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee for his role in firing U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. A September 2007 poll put Inhofe's approval rating at 47%, with 41% disapproving of his performance. Nine states changed allegiance from the 2004 election. Date. He selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate to counter arguments that McCains age would be a detriment to presidential service. Republican. [93] However, Barbour filed an appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which overturned the earlier ruling and set the special election for November 4, 2008.[94][95]. Current Senate: 47* Democrats | 53 Republicans. All Rights Reserved. He was replaced by Scott Brown in the 2010 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts. [citation needed]. On November 24, 2008, Governor Minner appointed Biden's longtime Chief of Staff Ted Kaufman to fill the seat. Two senators from each state are elected to represent their state. Collins won on election day with 61% of the vote, compared to 39% for Allen. Map of the 2008 Senate races using the latest state polls. [151] Texas House of Representatives member and Afghanistan War veteran Rick Noriega secured his place as Cornyn's Democratic challenger in the March 4 primary, beating out opponents Gene Kelly, Ray McMurrey, and Rhett Smith. Haley Barbour (R) named Rep. Roger Wicker (R . Barkley, who had briefly been appointed Senator after the death of Paul Wellstone in 2002, ran under the banner of the Independence Party, the largest third party in Minnesota. [137] Conley, whose victory in the Democratic primary over Michael Cone was a surprise, is a former Republican who supported Ron Paul in 2008 and campaigned as the more conservative candidate on some issues, notably illegal immigration and the bailout of Wall Street. In November 2006, the senator had the lowest approval rating of any Democrat running for re-election in 2008 (with 39% approving and 45% disapproving),[108] with his approval standing only at 42% as of September 2007 with voters saying he does not deserve re-election 46%-36%. [96][97] Wicker beat Musgrove 55% to 45%. Obama and U.S. The goal of having two senators per state is to have each state equally represented in the senate. judge cancels special election to replace Lott", "Barbour's Attorney Appeals Special-Elex Ruling", "Mississippi Supreme Court sets election for November", "Former Rep. Shows running for Lott's seat", "Shows drops out of race to replace Lott", "US Senate Special Election Official Certification", "16th time a charm for veteran candidate", "Green Party's Larrick to enter Senate race", "Official Results of Nebraska Primary Election, May 13, 2008", "Anthony B. Fisher for U.S. Senate in 2008 official website", "Politics1 - Online Guide to New Jersey Politics", "Write In Carl Peter Klapper for United States Senator", "Republican Senator From New Mexico Is Said to Be Retiring", "SurveyUSA Approval Ratings for New Mexico Senators", "Sen. Ensign Says GOP Majority Would Be 'Fairly Miraculous', "Mary Easley has active public life, but she's no Hillary Clinton", Beating a Popular Incumbent | SKDKnickerbocker, "Oklahoma State Election Board - Primary Election 2008", "Oregon Senate: Merkley tops Smith for first time 43% to 41%", "Merkley ready for Senate race victory lap", "Oregon Secretary of State: Official Results May 2008 Primary Election", "Graham beats GOP challenger in SC Senate primary", "US Senate primary recount: Conley to face Graham", "South Carolina Working Families Party Nominates - Ballot Access News", "The Associated Press: Johnson to Run for Senate After Illness", "South Dakota Secretary of State, Shantel Krebs", "Alexander Running Again, Sets Fundraiser". McCain and Obama differed on the presence of American troops in Iraq. Kaufman subsequently announced that he would not seek election to a full term in 2010, effectively making him a caretaker. This was the first presidential election year since 1964 when the Democratic Party won the White House and had coattails in the Senate and House of Representatives. In this cycle the DSCC was more successful at fundraising. Libertarian Kent Marmon also ran. The 2008 presidential election was the first since 1952 in which neither an incumbent president nor an incumbent vice president was a candidate. [130], In a July 16, 2008, poll, Merkley overtook Smith for the first time 43% to 41%. In one of the first senate races called on election day, Warner won, taking 65% of the vote, with Gilmore winning 34%. The 2008 presidential election focused on a national economic crisis that evolved throughout the race. Incumbent Republican Mike Enzi was considered likely to be re-elected without significant opposition for a third term in strongly Republican Wyoming. Senator Obama won the number of electors necessary to be elected president and was inaugurated on January 20, 2009.[3]. Kerry won with 66% of the vote to Beatty's 31%. Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act (11/04/2021 legislative day) House Floor: H.R.3992. Republicans need a net gain of four seats in November to win control of the Senate. This map is shaded by how large the popular vote difference was between the two nominees. As of June 30, 2008, data from the Federal Election Commission showed the NRSC with $24.6 million on hand, as compared with the DSCC's $43 million. Polls over the course of the campaign indicated that the race was very competitive, with many polls showing Franken and Coleman virtually tied or within the margin of error, as well as several polls showing each candidate with a significant lead at one point or another. Senator Jay Rockefeller, great-grandson of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, sought a fifth term representing West Virginia. Outgoing Republican President George W. Bush's policies and actions and the American public's desire for change were key issues throughout the campaign. Obama also offered the chance for voters to elect the nations first African American president and a relatively young president at 47 years old. President Bush won Montana by more than 20 points in both 2000 and 2004, but Montana also had a popular Democratic governor, Brian Schweitzer, and a newly elected Democratic junior senator, Jon Tester. 2008 Actual Election Results 2008 Election Facts McCain won Nebraska but Obama earned an electoral vote by winning the popular vote in the 2nd Congressional District. Physician Steve Sauerberg of La Grange won the February 5 Republican primary. In the end, Landrieu was re-elected with 52% of the vote, Kennedy having 46%. Roberts was re-elected with 60% to Slattery's 36%. Senate Big Board - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times State Results Alaska Ariz. Calif. Colo. Conn. D.C. Hawaii Idaho Md. During the 89th Congress (19651967), four senators were placed in an unusual fifth row behind the Democratic senators. McCains victory in South Carolina, Florida, and in key states on Super Tuesday created an clear path to the nomination. To win the presidency, a candidate must win a majority of all electors. Today, Democrats traditionally sit on the presiding officer's right, and Republicans on the left. [44], On September 1, 2007, senator Larry Craig announced his intent to resign from the Senate effective September 30, 2007. Table of Contents 1 2008 Election Results 2 Primaries 3 Economic Issues 4 National Security 5 Strategy 6 2008 Election Results The Electoral College is the process in which the United States elects its president. Obama won nearly all major demographic groups on his way to victory. He sought to be re-elected in a state that has steadily become more Democratic since 1992. The 2008 presidential election focused on a national economic crisis that evolved throughout the race. Senate Catalogue of Fine Art Johnson was re-elected, with 62.5% to Dykstra's 37.5%. Incumbent President George W. Bush was ineligible for re-election per the 22nd Amendment, which limits a president to two terms, and incumbent Vice President Dick Cheney declined to run for the office. Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon ran for a third term. Select Source. The only desks that are not assigned in the traditional manner are the Daniel Webster Desk, which is always occupied by the senior senator from New Hampshire; the Jefferson Davis Desk, which is given to the senior senator from Mississippi; and the Henry Clay Desk, which is given to the senior senator from Kentucky. Louisiana's electoral votes easily went to George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. [49] Risch and LaRocco ran against each other in the 2006 Lieutenant Governor race, which Risch won by a wide margin. States in the Senate. Map of the 2008 Senate races using the latest state polls. The split can be edited in this table. [53] Kathy Cummings, a retired special education teacher was nominated via convention by the Green Party. Senate Catalogue of Graphic Art Pryor won on election day, with 79.53% of the vote. He also disconnected himself from the Bush administration, which became unpopular due to the financial crisis and the ongoing conflict in Iraq. There are typically two reasons a senator might want to change desks: to gain a better location within the Chamber, or to occupy a desk previously used by a particular senator. RCP Senate Map Race Changes; Senate No Toss Ups Race Changes; RCP House Map; 49: Democrats * Incumbent John Kerry sought another Senate term in Massachusetts. On September 14, 2007, former Veco CEO Bill Allen testified at the trial of former State House Speaker Pete Kott that Veco paid people working to double the size of Stevens's home. Senator, Kay Hagan, has since died. The Democratic nominee was 2nd district Congressman Mark Udall of Boulder who announced on January 15, 2007, that he would seek the seat and did not draw significant primary opposition. iOS and Web Dev UCSB CS c/o 2024 Project List. Note: The % column reflects the change in total number of votes won by each party from the previous election. 2008 United States House of Representatives elections, 2008 United States gubernatorial elections, 2008 United States state legislative elections, "Democrats Poised For Landslide Wins In House", "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 2008", https://ballotpedia.org/State_legislative_elections,_2008, "New York - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times", "Tennessee Republicans win slim majority in State House", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2008_United_States_elections&oldid=1138541683, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with dead external links from August 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Barreto, Matt A., et al. Palins selection initially bumped McCains popularity, though gaffes on the campaign trail offset this boost. Pryor is the son of longtime U.S. senator and former Arkansas Governor David Pryor. In these special elections, the winner was seated during 2008 or before January 3, 2009, sorted by election date, then state, then class. Going into these elections, the Senate consisted of 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and two Independents who caucused with the Democrats, giving the Democratic caucus the slightest 5149 majority. [67] but failed to obtain the required candidacy signatures. senate.gov - Origins He was expected[by whom?] N.M. Governors House Senate Mixx Buzz. Louisiana elected David Vitter in 2004, the state's first Republican senator since Reconstruction, as well as Republican Bobby Jindal as the first Indian-American Governor in the country's history in 2007. R+46. Democratic former Governor Ronnie Musgrove challenged Wicker. To win the presidency, a candidate must win a majority of all electors. McCain won Nebraska but Obama earned an electoral vote by winning the popular vote in the 2nd Congressional District. Governors No Toss Ups 45 Democrats * Toss Ups 7 Republicans 48 38 Safe or Not Up 6 1 7 2 4 42 Safe or Not Up 51 Seats Needed. Occasionally one party maintains such an overwhelming majority that it becomes necessary for majority party members to sit on the minority party side in the Senate Chamber. [8][9] Perry was endorsed by Alabama Statesmen,[10] Boston Tea Party,[11] and Christians for Life and Liberty. The goal of having two senators per state is to have each state equally represented in the senate. All seats in the House were up for election, including seats of the 435 voting representatives from the states and the 6 non-voting delegates from the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. In South Dakota, senator Tim Johnson's seat was considered a top GOP target in 2008, considering Johnson's narrow 524-vote victory in 2002 over then-Representative and current U.S. senator John Thune, as well as his recent health problems. Interactive USA election map for past results and future projections. Elections to state legislatures were held on November 4, 2008, alongside other elections, in which Democrats scored significant gains in a blue wave election. [54] Chad Koppie, a retired airline pilot and vice-chairman of the Illinois Center Right Coalition, was the nominee of the Constitution Party. [86] Coleman appealed this decision. He was certified March 3, 2008, by the Tennessee Division of Elections as having achieved ballot access for the November 4, 2008, election as a candidate for United States Senate. The FBI investigated the remodeling of Stevens home by Veco Corp., which is part of a broader corruption investigation involving Stevens's son, former State Senate President Ben Stevens. [119] There was early speculation that North Carolina Governor Mike Easley might be pressured into running against her but this did not come to pass. The Republican nominee was Jay Wolfe of Salem, a former State Senator. Alabama senator Jeff Sessions sought re-election to a third term. Winner. [131], On November 6, 2008, Jeff Merkley was projected the winner of the contest, with 48.9% to Smith's 45.6%. Obama received 365 electoral votes, and McCain 173. It was also the first time two sitting senators ran against each other. McCain and Obama both voted for a 2008 Senate bill to authorize the Treasury Department to purchase up to $700 billion in securities to prevent additional bankruptcies. 98%. McCain sought to connect his campaign to the maverick image he received during his unsuccessful 2000 bid. It was also the first time the Republican Party nominated a woman for Vice President (Sarah Palin, then-Governor of Alaska). ""Should They Dance with the One Who Brung'Em?" Latinos and the 2008 Presidential Election. Biden was re-elected with 65% of the vote, or 257,484 votes. The site also features a series of explainers about how presidents are actually elected in the United States. The prior record, about 62 million, was set in 2004 by George W. Bush. On November 4, 2008, Coleman received 1,211,590 votes to Franken's 1,211,375 votes, a margin of 215 votes, far less than 0.1%, thereby triggering an automatic recount. When a seat became open, the first senator to speak for it won the right to it. Outgoing Republican President George W. Bush's policies and actions and the American public's desire for change were key issues throughout the campaign. [132], In Rhode Island, Democratic senator Jack Reed had an approval rating of 66% in November 2006. Sara Lobman of the Socialist Workers Party and Independent Anthony Fisher were also declared candidates. The Republican challenger turned out to be Jeff Beatty, an ex-Army Delta Force officer who garnered 30% of the vote in a challenge to Democratic Congressman Bill Delahunt in 2006. What Is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact? On May 8, 2007, Rep. Tom Allen (ME-1) announced his candidacy on his website. 2023 Electoral Ventures LLC. However, in the weeks leading up to the 2008 general election, polls showed the race tightening, reflecting a general nationwide trend. The Obama campaign also realized its commitment to younger voters by winning all age groups except those aged 65 years and older. [169] In the primary on August 19, Goodenough was defeated by a political newcomer, Gillette defense attorney Nick Carter, who became Barrasso's opponent in the general election.[170]. [92] Initially, a Mississippi Circuit Court judge sided with Hood, ruling that the election take place on or before March 19, 2008. Scott Kleeb, 2006 candidate for Nebraska's 3rd congressional district, defeated businessman Tony Raimondo, a former Republican, by a wide margin in the Democratic primary. Daniel Lewis ran as a Libertarian candidate for the United States Senate. Gordon Smith formally conceded soon afterward. Congress. The 2008 United States elections were held on November 4. In the 2008 election, first-term incumbent Republican senator Saxby Chambliss was opposed primarily by Democrat Jim Martin, as well as third party candidates, including Libertarian Allen Buckley and Eleanor Garcia of the Socialist Workers Party. The 2008 election was the first in 56 years in which neither an incumbent president nor a vice president ran Bush was constitutionally limited from seeking a third term by the Twenty-second Amendment; Vice President Dick Cheney chose not to seek the presidency. First-time candidate Bob Conley, an airline pilot, was the Democratic nominee. For the Georgia senate race, votes from the runoff election are counted. O'Donnell received 140,584 votes (35% of the vote). In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 2009; ordered by state. Obama campaigned on cutting low-income and middle-income taxes and raising upper-income tax rates, while McCain supported tax cuts at all income levels. Barkley received 437,404 votes, about 15% of total votes cast.[84]. The Upshot's Senate forecasting model uses a combination of polling data and a fundamentals model that includes among other things candidate political experience, money raised, and state . He filed as an independent and was subsequently named as the Green Party nominee[146] Edward Buck was also in the race. ", Bligh, Michelle C., and Jeffrey C. Kohles. Localized groups supporting Obama and Biden were able to sign up through the main campaign site, which gathered contact info for mobilization purposes. Baucus was not expected to face a significant challenge from the 85-year-old Republican nominee, Bob Kelleher, who surprised observers by winning the June 3 Republican primary despite supporting a number of positions that put him to the political left of Baucus, such as nationalization of the American oil and gas industry.[99]. Biden's Republican opponent in the Senate race, conservative political commentator Christine O'Donnell, tried to make an issue of Biden's dual campaigns, claiming that serving his constituents is not important to him. CQpolitics.com rated the contest as "safe Democrat.". Projected Senate: Dem 59 GOP 41 : Main page: Previous report: Next report: Senate polls Web.csv . Jim Ogonowski, a retired Air Force pilot who was closely defeated by now-Representative Niki Tsongas in a 2007 special election, was running against Kerry. States shown here did not allocate all their available electoral votes to one candidate. For more information please visit The first month of the Republican primaries was competitive with Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee securing a victory in the Iowa caucus and McCain winning New Hampshire. The presidential election, which was won by Democrat Barack Obama, elections for all House of Representatives seats; elections for several gubernatorial elections; and many state and local elections occurred on the same date. Stevens was the most senior U.S. Congress. [153] In addition, the Green Party of Texas sought ballot access for its candidate David B.
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