Eleven of the fifty United States governors were up for re-election, as were the governorships of two U.S. territories. Each had voted for the Republican nominee in 2004 and contributed to Obama's sizable Electoral College victory. [6] In New York, the Democrats obtained a trifecta for the first time since 1935.[7]. Sen. Trent Lott's surprise resignation has opened up the other Mississippi Senate seat in 2008. [91] Controversy arose when Barbour called for the special election to be held on the same day as the general election. "The enduring allure of charisma: How Barack Obama won the historic 2008 presidential election. Neb. Va. Wash. W.Va. Wis. Wyo. [50] The last Democratic senator from Idaho was Frank Church, who was defeated in the Republican landslide of 1980 after serving four terms. Controls. 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. Incumbent Mary Landrieu was elected in 1996 following a recount and was narrowly re-elected in 2002 in a runoff election. to easily win re-election. Popular vote totals generally gathered from state Certificates of Ascertainment and/or results posted directly by individual states. [citation needed]. The United States Senate is the upper legislature of the bicameral legislative branch. [103] Three consecutive monthly Rasmussen Reports poll showed Shaheen defeating Sununu by 49% to 41%. A map of key Senate races to watch. 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. Barrasso ran in the November 4, 2008, special election, held on the day of the 2008 presidential election, to serve out the remainder of Thomas's term, which expires in January 2013. On November 29, after being personally recruited by Vitter and former Bush administration official Karl Rove, Kennedy announced plans to challenge Landrieu in 2008.[63][64]. The assignment of these desks is governed by a series of Senate resolutions. Sections Sections Top Stories Video Live U.S. 2006 Green Party Senate nominee Chris Lugo originally announced as a Democrat but dropped out of the Democratic race before the filing deadline. This was the first time the party nominated a candidate for statewide office. Incumbent Republican Mike Enzi was considered likely to be re-elected without significant opposition for a third term in strongly Republican Wyoming. Today, at the beginning of each Congress, senators are given the option to change their seats based on seniority. The same Rasmussen poll showed Cornyn leading Noriega by a narrow four percentage points - 47% to 43%. [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]. These factors, coupled with a national political climate favorable to Democrats, made the Minnesota Senate race one of the most competitive and closely watched of the cycle. wikipedia.org - United States Senate. 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 . The candidates sparred through the June 3 primaries despite Obama securing enough delegates to win the nomination earlier in the race. 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. Two senators from each state are elected to represent their state. On August 23, 2008, the Democratic nominee for President, Barack Obama, announced that Biden would be joining him on the ticket as the vice presidential nominee. In one of the first senate races called on election day, Warner won, taking 65% of the vote, with Gilmore winning 34%. On May 8, 2007, Rep. Tom Allen (ME-1) announced his candidacy on his website. Durbin won with 68% of the vote. Those votes were tallied before a joint session of Congress on January 8, 2009. ", Jacobson, Gary C. "The 2008 Presidential and Congressional Elections: AntiBush Referendum and Prospects for the Democratic Majority. [153] In addition, the Green Party of Texas sought ballot access for its candidate David B. [96][97] Wicker beat Musgrove 55% to 45%. The 2008 electoral map is above. [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]. [167] Wyoming law requires that the interim senator be affiliated with the same political party as the departed senator. McCain, who supported the initial Iraq invasion, opposed establishing a removal date for all troops. Senator Pat Roberts sought re-election to a third term. [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. Lieutenant Governor Jim Risch was the Republican candidate; U.S. Army veteran and former congressman Larry LaRocco was the Democratic candidate. He filed as an independent and was subsequently named as the Green Party nominee[146] Edward Buck was also in the race. [20] On July 30, 2007, the IRS and FBI raided Stevens's home in Alaska. 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. Obama won nearly all major demographic groups on his way to victory. 2008 Election Map: Senate By MATTHEW BLOCH, FARHANA HOSSAIN, CARL HULSE, JOHN MCGRATH AND DEREK WILLIS [7] Figures has won elections in the Republican-leaning Mobile area. The Obama campaign used social media and data gathering to promote the candidates argument for change. Today the desks are no longer arranged in their original order, but are moved within the Chamber to suit the needs of the Senate. Latinos and the 2008 Presidential Election. 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. Johnny Swanson announced his candidacy in March 2006 for the Democratic nomination.[6]. In addition, this was the largest Democratic Senate gain since 1986, where they also won eight seats. 2012 Election Map: The race for Senate control. Popular vote totals generally gathered from state Certificates of Ascertainment and/or results posted directly by individual states. 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. [87] On June 30, 2009, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Al Franken received the most votes, and Norm Coleman conceded defeat after the ruling, allowing Al Franken to be Senator-elect of Minnesota. A September 2007 poll put Inhofe's approval rating at 47%, with 41% disapproving of his performance. Reed's opponent was Robert Tingle, a pit manager at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, whom Reed defeated in his re-election campaign in 2002.[135]. He won 56% of women voters and 49% of male voters, the latter group important to Republican chances in the race. Levin won re-election with 63% of the vote, to Hoogendyk's 34%. Senator Jay Rockefeller, great-grandson of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, sought a fifth term representing West Virginia. Nebraska state Green Party Co-Chairman Steve Larrick was also a candidate,[101] as was Kelly Rosberg of the Nebraska Party. In Oklahoma, senator Jim Inhofe announced that he would seek a third full term. This seat was the tipping point state in the 2008 senate elections. On Jan. 1, 2008, Gov. Senator, Kay Hagan, has since died. [138] However, because he lost the Democratic primary, Cone was not listed on the ballot under the state's sore loser law.[139]. [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. Senator Hillary Clinton were the leading candidates for the Democratic nomination. Udall won the election with 61% of the vote, with Pearce taking 39%. Incumbent Democrat Frank Lautenberg sought re-election in 2008, though he was 84. In North Carolina, there had been rumors that senator Elizabeth Dole would retire from the Senate and run for governor, but she said in 2006 that she intended to run for re-election. Senator Obama won the number of electors necessary to be elected president and was inaugurated on January 20, 2009.[3]. 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. [21], On July 29, 2008, a federal grand jury indicted Stevens on seven felony counts for making false statements,[22] and on October 26, a jury found Stevens guilty on all charges. McCain still won the white vote, though Obamas share of the vote was large enough to win in some Republican areas. The Electoral College is the process in which the United States elects its president. . Source: Election results from National Election Pool/Edison Research (Nov. 3, 2020: U.S. Senate) and The Associated Press (Jan. 5, 2021: U.S. Senate) Race calls from The . In the end, Landrieu was re-elected with 52% of the vote, Kennedy having 46%. Collins was re-elected with 58% of the vote in 2002 over State Sen. Chellie Pingree. Governor Bill Halter would challenge Pryor in the primary, but Halter declined to file as a candidate. 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. [145] He was unopposed in the Republican primary. Six of the 69 Democratic senators sat with the 23 Republican and 4 Independent senators. On Election Day, Udall defeated Schaffer 53% to 43%. The economy and other domestic policies were also dominant issues, especially during the last months of the campaign after the onset of the 2008 economic crisis. 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. [104] Prior to Shaheen's entry, Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand,[105] Katrina Swett, wife of former Democratic congressman Richard Swett,[106] and former astronaut Jay Buckey[107] had announced that they were running for the Democratic nomination. As a result, Mississippi's Attorney General Jim Hood challenged Barbour in court, claiming that the special election needed to be held within 100 days of Lott's resignation, as per state law. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois was the Democratic nominee, and Senator John McCain of Arizona was the Republican nominee. Another Democrat, former Congressman Ronnie Shows, also filed to run, but he withdrew in February 2008 and endorsed Musgrove. Former Governor Mike Johanns, who recently resigned as Agriculture Secretary, was the Republican nominee, having defeated opponent Pat Flynn 87-13 in the primary. Elections to state legislatures were held on November 4, 2008, alongside other elections, in which Democrats scored significant gains in a blue wave election. He had already expressed interest in running and had been building the apparatus necessary to wage a Senate campaign.[65]. [160] Polling showed him as a strong favorite to win the seat. "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. It was also the first time the Republican Party nominated a woman for Vice President (Sarah Palin, then-Governor of Alaska). On January 3, 2009, with the recount apparently completed, Franken had an unofficial lead of 225 votes, but former senator Coleman's attorneys contested the official results in the courts. 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. State Representative Joel Dykstra announced his candidacy on July 5, 2007. Nine states changed allegiance from the 2004 election. Overview and Live Results: Chicago Mayoral Election, Legislative Special Elections, Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin Running for U.S. Senate, Initial 2024 House Ratings from Sabato's Crystal Ball. For more information please visit. In addition, two freshmen were appointed to fill vacancies created by Barack Obama's and Joe Biden's resignations to become president and vice president. . There were 20 freshman Senators in the 111th United States Congress. Obama opposed the Iraq invasion and argued for a 16-month timetable for removing troops and reinforcing troops in Afghanistan. Smith faced Democratic Oregon House of Representatives Speaker Jeff Merkley in the November general election. On October 4, 2007, senator Craig announced he will not seek re-election, but would remain in office until the end of his term.[48]. [51], Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin remained favored in Illinois. The 2008 United States elections were held on November 4. It is a way to view the relative competitiveness of each state. [163] Democrats Sheirl Fletcher and Billy Hendricks challenged Rockefeller in the primary but were defeated. [43] However, Georgia law stated that if no candidate receives a simple majority of the popular vote, then the election will be decided in a run-off. [8][9] Perry was endorsed by Alabama Statesmen,[10] Boston Tea Party,[11] and Christians for Life and Liberty. Stevens's conviction on seven felony counts of corruption put his re-election bid in serious jeopardy, coming just over a week before the election, though Stevens appealed the conviction. simplemaps_election.order = ['T', 'D', 'R']; //which color is shown first on click R+46. This election was the second cycle in a row in which no seats switched from Democratic to Republican, and the first since 1990 in which the Democrats retained all their seats. Contact | She has maintained a high approval rating, and also in her favor is the landslide re-election of Maine's senior Senator, Olympia Snowe, who had the largest margin of victory of any GOP Senate candidate - besides the largely unopposed Richard Lugar (R-IN) - in the 2006 election cycle. It was also the first time two sitting senators ran against each other. Sauerberg had 29%. Republicans gained a seat in a January 2010 special election in Massachusetts, thereby making the balance 5941 before the start of the next election cycle. First-time candidate Bob Conley, an airline pilot, was the Democratic nominee. Inhofe was re-elected, 57% to 39%. In this cycle the DSCC was more successful at fundraising. Democratic former Governor Ronnie Musgrove challenged Wicker. [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]. [126] Inhofe's opponent was State senator Andrew Rice. As of 2023, Stevens still holds this record. Thirty-three seats were up for regular elections; the winners were eligible to serve six-year terms from January 3, 2009, to January 3, 2015, as members of Class 2.There were also two special elections, the winners of those seats would finish the terms that ended . The April 2009 party switch of Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter from Republican to Democrat and the July 2009 resolution of the Minnesota election in favor of Democrat Al Franken increased the Democratic majority to 6040 (providing the Democrats, including the two Independent senators who caucus with them, a supermajority and thus able to hypothetically over-ride any filibusters). 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. Former Representative Bob Schaffer of Fort Collins was the Republican nominee. The last time a Cherokee Strip existed in the Senate Chamber was during the 76th Congress (19391941). Today, Democrats traditionally sit on the presiding officer's right, and Republicans on the left. The campaign engaged targeted groups through networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. 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. The United States Senate is the upper legislature of the bicameral legislative branch. He sought to be re-elected in a state that has steadily become more Democratic since 1992. The Senate seat in Connecticut is counted as a . Craig found almost no support among Republicans in his home state or Washington. 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. Additionally, votes cast for Paul Wellstone in the 2002 election are not factored into the DFL's total from that year. Dykstra won the Republican primary on June 3. * Democratic total includes Bernard Sanders, an independent from Vermont, who caucuses with the Democrats. Elections were held for 85 legislative chambers, with all states but Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Alabama, Maryland, and Virginia holding elections in at least one house. Barrasso won on Election Day, taking 73% of the vote and winning every county in the state. [37] Delaware law allowed Biden to run for Vice President and senator at the same time, so he would have kept the Senate seat if the presidential ticket had lost. Fellow senator Joe Lieberman, citing his status as an independent, endorsed Collins in her 2008 re-election bid. On November 4, 2008, Chambliss received 49.8% of the vote,[42] with Martin about 3% behind and Buckley receiving 3% of the vote. It only became clear Begich had prevailed when early votes, absentee ballots, and questioned ballots were counted. ""Should They Dance with the One Who Brung'Em?" This is the first time this has occurred in any chamber of any state legislature in United States history. Nevertheless, Stevens was narrowly ahead in the vote count after election day, with only about two-thirds of all votes counted. On Jan. 1, 2008, Gov. [53] Kathy Cummings, a retired special education teacher was nominated via convention by the Green Party. The states are not interactive on the map unless the split is . Interactive USA election map for past results and future projections. In December 2007, Chambliss had an approval rating of 53% and a disapproval rating of 34% according to Strategic Vision, a Republican polling firm. [131], On November 6, 2008, Jeff Merkley was projected the winner of the contest, with 48.9% to Smith's 45.6%. [49] Risch and LaRocco ran against each other in the 2006 Lieutenant Governor race, which Risch won by a wide margin. Republican. Lautenberg won re-election, winning 56%-42%. During the 89th Congress (19651967), four senators were placed in an unusual fifth row behind the Democratic senators. His Democratic opponent was Chris Rothfuss, a professor at the University of Wyoming and a chemical engineer, nanotechnologist, and diplomat. Former Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander was elected in 2002 to succeed retiring senator Fred Thompson. Incumbent Republican John E. Sununu represented the swing state of New Hampshire. He selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate to counter arguments that McCains age would be a detriment to presidential service. 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]. [66] Republican author and conservative activist Jerome Corsi, known for his public criticism of Kerry, had stated that he would run for the seat in 2008 but later changed his mind. The prior record, about 62 million, was set in 2004 by George W. Bush. These voting patterns translated into an Obama victory with inroads into the South and West. Each major party has Hill committees that work to support its candidates for the House and Senate, chiefly by providing funds. 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. [82][83] He was included in most of the debates and ultimately received 15% of the vote in the general election, a strong showing for a third party candidate. The 2006 elections and 2008 elections represented the first time since 1936 that Democrats or any party made substantial gains in Congress in two consecutive elections. He was expected[by whom?] President Map - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times Election Results 2008 President Map Big Board Map Electoral Explorer Obama: Victory Speech McCain: Concession Speech Exit Polls. ", This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 06:45. Risch won the election with approximately 58% of the vote. 98%. It is not clear whether Barkley detracted more votes from Coleman or Franken. [168], On the Democratic side, Casper City Councilman Keith Goodenough announced his candidacy. Begich announced his candidacy for the Senate seat on April 22, 2008. [19] Two former Veco executives have plead guilty to paying the younger Stevens $242,000 in bribes. Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act (11/04/2021 legislative day) House Floor: H.R.3992. [130], In a July 16, 2008, poll, Merkley overtook Smith for the first time 43% to 41%. What If All States Split Their Electoral Votes. 18, 2008: Official minutes", "Signing Off On A 225 Vote Franken Lead (webcast of Canvassing Board Meeting)", "Finding of Facts, Conclusion of Law, and Order for Judgment", Jesse the Diva Gives Way To Bravado Lite Barkely, Senate race certification set for Monday with Franken up 225 votes, "Coleman: 'I think the law is on our side', "Senator Thad Cochran Announces Intent To Seek Re-Election", "US Senate Election Official Certification", "Lott Officially Resigns, All Eyes Now on Barbour", "Hood Files Suit to Have Special Election Earlier", "Miss. Collins. Two senators from each state are elected to represent their state. McCain sought to connect his campaign to the maverick image he received during his unsuccessful 2000 bid. Libertarian Robert J. Underwood had 3%. senate.gov - Origins wikipedia.org - United States Senate Table of Contents 1 2008 Election Results 2 Primaries 3 Economic Issues 4 National Security 5 Strategy 6 2008 Election Results Toss Up. Have questions about Senate art? Domestic policy and the economy eventually emerged as the main themes in the last few months of the election campaign after the onset of the 2008 economic crisis. Outgoing Republican President George W. Bush's policies and actions and the American public's desire for change were key issues throughout the campaign. Once thought to be secure in his re-election, McConnell's lead had shrunk dramatically thanks to the financial crisis and polling showed the race tightening between him and Lunsford. Pre-election polling indicated that Enzi led Rothfuss by 24%. McCains victory in South Carolina, Florida, and in key states on Super Tuesday created an clear path to the nomination. For the Georgia senate race, votes from the runoff election are counted. Collins won on election day with 61% of the vote, compared to 39% for Allen. Please enter a name, party, and color for each candidate. [132], In Rhode Island, Democratic senator Jack Reed had an approval rating of 66% in November 2006. Oct. 05: Senate Races. This marked the first time that Nebraska has split its electoral vote since it moved away from the winner-take-all method in 1992. [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.
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