2008 U.S. Senate Election
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The 2008 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, 2008, with 35 of the 100 seats in the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
being contested. 33 seats were up for regular elections; the winners were eligible to serve 6-year terms from January 3, 2009, to January 3, 2015, as members of Class 2. There were also 2
special elections A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
, the winners of those seats would finish the terms that ended on January 3, 2013. The
presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The p ...
, which was won by Democrat
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
, elections for all House of Representatives seats; elections for several gubernatorial elections; and many state and local elections occurred on the same date. Going into these elections, the Senate consisted of 49 Democrats, 49
Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, and 2 Independents who caucused with the Democrats, giving the Democratic caucus the slightest 51–49 majority. Of the seats up for election in 2008, 23 were held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats. The Republicans, who openly conceded early on that they would not be able to regain the majority in this election, lost 8 seats. Democratic candidates defeated Republican incumbents in
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
,
New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
,
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
, and, after a lengthy recount process,
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
. Additionally, they won Republican-held open seats in
Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
,
New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
, and
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. Each major party has
Hill committee In the United States, a political party committee is an organization, officially affiliated with a political party and registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which raises and spends money for political campaigning. Political party c ...
s that work to support its candidates for the House and Senate, chiefly by providing funds. On the Senate side, the committees are the
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. Its purpose is to elect Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current Chair is Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of Ne ...
(DSCC) and the
National Republican Senatorial Committee The National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) is the Republican Hill committee for the United States Senate, working to elect Republicans to the Senate. The NRSC was founded in 1916 as the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. It was reor ...
(NRSC). In this cycle, the DSCC was more successful at fundraising. As of June 30, 2008, data from the
Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent agency of the United States government that enforces U.S. campaign finance laws and oversees U.S. federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Campaign ...
showed the NRSC with $24.6 million on hand, as compared with the DSCC's $43 million. The NRSC chair, senator
John Ensign John Eric Ensign (born March 25, 1958) is an American veterinarian and former politician who served as a United States Senator from Nevada from 2001 until his resignation in 2011 amid a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into his attempts to ...
, took the unusual step of chastising the Republican Senators who, like him, were not facing re-election, and who he thought should have done more to help raise money for their colleagues. This election cycle was the second cycle in a row in which no seats switched from Democratic to Republican, and the first since
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
in which the Democrats retained all their seats. In addition, this was the largest Democratic Senate gain since
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...
, where they also won 8 seats. These elections marked the first time since
1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...
in which a Democratic presidential candidate who won the White House had a Senate
coattail effect The coattail effect or down-ballot effect is the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election. For example, in the United States, the party of a victorious presidential cand ...
. As of 2024, this is the last time Democrats won U.S. Senate seats in Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Dakota. Along with 2 independents who caucus with them, Democrats held at least 58 seats as a result of the elections. The April 2009 party switch of Pennsylvania senator
Arlen Specter Arlen Specter (February 12, 1930 – October 14, 2012) was an American lawyer, author and politician who served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1981 to 2011. Specter was a Democrat from 1951 to 1965, then a Republican fr ...
from Republican to Democrat and the July 2009 resolution of the Minnesota election in favor of Democrat
Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American politician, comedian, and actor who served from 2009 to 2018 as a United States senator from Minnesota. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he worked as an ...
increased the Democratic majority to 60–40 (briefly providing the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority, and thus they were able to hypothetically override any filibusters). Republicans gained a seat in a January 2010 special election in Massachusetts, thereby making the balance 59–41 before the start of the next election cycle.


Results summary

''Summary of the
2008 United States Senate elections The 2008 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, 2008, with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested. 33 seats were up for regular elections; the winners were eligible to serve 6-year terms from January 3, 2009, to Januar ...
results'' ''Sources:'' * Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Senate Popular Vote and FEC Total Receipts by Party
via TheGreenPapers.com * *


Change in composition


Before the elections


After the elections


Beginning of the first session


Race summary


Special elections during the 110th Congress

In these special elections, the winner was seated during 2008 or before January 3, 2009, sorted by election date, then state, then class.


Elections leading to the next Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 2009; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.


Special elections during the next Congress

There were no special elections in 2009.


Closest races

In nine races the margin of victory was under 10%. However, Georgia proceeded to a runoff election where the Republican candidate won by over 10%. South Dakota was the tipping point state, decided by a margin of 25.0%.


Final pre-election predictions

Several sites and individuals published predictions of competitive seats. These predictions looked at factors such as the strength of the
incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position. In an election, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the position that is up for election, regardless of whether they are seeking re-election. There may or may not be ...
(if the incumbent was running for re-election) and the other candidates, and the state's partisan lean (reflected in part by the state's
Cook Partisan Voting Index The Cook Partisan Voting Index, abbreviated PVI or CPVI, is a measurement of how partisan a U.S. congressional district or U.S. state is. This partisanship is indicated as lean towards either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, com ...
rating). The predictions assigned ratings to each seat, indicating the predicted advantage that a party had in winning that seat. Most election predictors used: * "tossup": no advantage * "tilt" (used by some predictors): advantage that is not quite as strong as "lean" * "lean": slight advantage * "likely": significant, but surmountable, advantage * "safe" or "solid": near-certain chance of victory


Gains and losses


Retirements

Five Republicans retired rather than seek re-election.


Defeats

Five Republicans sought re-election but lost in the general election.


Post-election changes

Four Democrats resigned and were replaced by Democrats. One Republican was switched to Democrat on April 28, 2009. Two other Democrats died on August 25, 2009, and June 28, 2010, respectively, while another Republican resigned on September 9, 2009.


Alabama

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
senator
Jeff Sessions Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (born December 24, 1946) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 84th United States attorney general from 2017 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as United Stat ...
sought re-election to a third term. Johnny Swanson announced his candidacy in March 2006 for the Democratic nomination. Despite voting heavily for Bush in 2004, Alabama still had a strong Democratic presence; Democrats controlled majorities of both chambers in the
state legislature A state legislature is a Legislature, legislative branch or body of a State (country subdivision), political subdivision in a Federalism, federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of ...
. 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 Vivian Davis Figures (born January 24, 1957) is an American politician who is a Democratic member of the Alabama Senate, representing the 33rd District in Mobile County since she was elected on January 28, 1997, to serve the remaining term of ...
. Figures has won elections in the Republican-leaning Mobile area. In the Democratic primary, Figures won the nomination and face Sessions in November. Not on the ballot, but running a write-in campaign, was Darryl W. Perry, the 2004 Libertarian Party nominee for Pennsylvania State Treasurer and 2007 candidate for
Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama The office of mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, United States, was established with the incorporation of the city in 1871. Robert Henley was appointed by Governor Robert B. Lindsay to a two-year term. Until 1910, the Mayor presided over an ever-expa ...
. Perry was endorsed by Alabama Statesmen,
Boston Tea Party The Boston Tea Party was a seminal American protest, political and Mercantilism, mercantile protest on December 16, 1773, during the American Revolution. Initiated by Sons of Liberty activists in Boston in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colo ...
, and Christians for Life and Liberty. Sessions defeated Figures, taking 63% of the vote to Figures's 37%


Alaska

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 Theodore Fulton Stevens Sr. (November 18, 1923 – August 9, 2010) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Senate, U.S. Senator from Alaska from 1968 to 2009. He was the longest-serving Republican Party (United St ...
filed papers for re-election for an eighth term. An ex-oil company executive, Bill Allen, paid for part of the renovation costs on Stevens's personal residence. 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 Benjamin Aavan Stevens (March 18, 1959 – October 13, 2022) was an American politician and political advisor who served as the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Alaska, Mike Dunleavy. He previously served as the President of the Alaska State ...
. Two former Veco executives have pleaded guilty to paying the younger Stevens $242,000 in bribes. On July 30, 2007, the
IRS The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...
and
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
raided Stevens's home in Alaska. On September 14, 2007, former Veco CEO Bill Allen testified at the trial of former State House Speaker
Pete Kott Peter Kott (born 1949) is a former Republican state representative for District 17 serving Eagle River, Alaska, in the Alaska Legislature for seven terms, from 1993 until 2007. He was Speaker of the House during his sixth term in 2003–2004. O ...
that Veco paid people working to double the size of Stevens's home. On July 29, 2008, a federal grand jury indicted Stevens on seven felony counts for
making false statements Making false statements () is the common name for the United States federal process crime laid out in Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code, which generally prohibits knowingly and willfully making false or fraudulent statements, or ...
, and on October 26, a jury found Stevens guilty on all charges. The Democratic candidate was
Anchorage Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolita ...
Mayor
Mark Begich Mark Peter Begich ( ; born March 30, 1962) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Alaska from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he ...
, the son of popular former Democratic Representative Nick Begich. Begich announced his candidacy for the Senate seat on April 22, 2008. On October 19, 2007, the AP reported that despite the allegations and FBI probe, several veteran GOP Senators—including
Orrin Hatch Orrin Grant Hatch (March 22, 1934 – April 23, 2022) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Utah from 1977 to 2019. Hatch's 42-year Senate tenure made him the longest-serving Republican U.S. senat ...
(R-UT),
Kay Bailey Hutchison Kay Bailey Hutchison (born Kathryn Ann Bailey; July 22, 1943) is an American attorney, television correspondent, politician, diplomat, and was the 22nd United States Permanent Representative to NATO from 2017 until 2021. A member of the Republic ...
(R-TX), and
Kit Bond Christopher Samuel Bond (March 6, 1939 – May 13, 2025) was an American attorney and politician from Missouri. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as a United States Senate, U.S. Senator from 1987 to 20 ...
(R-MO)—donated enough money to Stevens's re-election campaign to make it one of Stevens's most successful fund raising quarters ever. Stevens's conviction on seven felony counts of corruption damaged his re-election bid, coming just over a week before the election, though Stevens appealed the conviction. Nevertheless, Stevens was narrowly ahead in the vote count after election day, with only about two-thirds of all votes counted. It only became clear Begich had prevailed when early votes, absentee ballots, and questioned ballots were counted. On November 18, the race was called for Begich, who won with 47.8% to Stevens's 46.5%. Stevens was the most senior U.S. Senator to ever lose re-election, defeating
Warren Magnuson Warren Grant Magnuson (April 12, 1905May 20, 1989) was an American lawyer and politician who represented the Washington (state), state of Washington in United States Congress, Congress for 44 years, first as a United States House of Representativ ...
's
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
record. As of 2023, Stevens still holds this record. On April 1, 2009, U.S. Attorney General
Eric Holder Eric Himpton Holder Jr. (born January 21, 1951) is an American lawyer who served as the 82nd United States attorney general from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Holder was the first African Ameri ...
, citing serious prosecutorial misconduct during the trial, decided to drop all charges against Stevens—an action that vacated his conviction.


Arkansas

Despite being a first-term senator in a state George W. Bush won twice, Democrat
Mark Pryor Mark Lunsford Pryor (born January 10, 1963) is an American attorney, politician and lobbyist who served as a United States Senate, United States Senator from Arkansas from 2003 to 2015. He previously served as Arkansas Attorney General, Attorney ...
faced no opposition from Republicans in his re-election bid. Although Bush carried the state twice, Arkansas Democrats swept the seven state races held in the 2006 general election. Pryor is the son of longtime U.S. senator and former Arkansas Governor
David Pryor David Hampton Pryor (August 29, 1934 – April 20, 2024) was an American politician who served as a representative for Arkansas's 4th congressional district from 1966 until 1973 and as a senator from Arkansas from 1979 until 1997. A member of t ...
. It was rumored that Lt. Governor Bill Halter would challenge Pryor in the primary, but Halter declined to file as a candidate. Rebekah Kennedy of the Green Party was Pryor's only opposition. Pryor won on election day, with 79.53% of the vote. Kennedy took 20.47%.


Colorado

On January 15, 2007, incumbent senator Wayne Allard (R) announced he would not seek re-election, honoring his pledge to serve no more than two terms. Former Representative Bob Schaffer of
Fort Collins A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...
was the Republican nominee. Former
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
John Elway John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 1 ...
was rumored to be considering a run, but declined to do so. Other possible Republican candidates included former Congressman Scott McInnis and Colorado Attorney General
John Suthers John William Suthers (born October 18, 1951) is an American attorney and politician who served as the mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Attorney General of Colorado, U.S. Attorney for Colorado, executive director of the Colorado Departmen ...
. The Democratic nominee was 2nd district Congressman
Mark Udall Mark Emery Udall ( ; born July 18, 1950) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, repres ...
of
Boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In ...
who announced on January 15, 2007, that he would seek the seat and did not draw significant primary opposition. Other candidates included Bob Kinsey of
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
as the
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice. Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...
nominee, Douglas "Dayhorse" Campbell as the American Constitution Party's nominee, and Independent candidate Buddy Moore, unaffiliated any party. On Election Day, Udall defeated Schaffer 53% to 43%.


Delaware

On August 23, 2008, the Democratic nominee for president,
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
, announced that Biden would be joining him on the ticket as the vice presidential nominee. 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. In 1988 and 2000, the Democratic vice presidential nominees
Lloyd Bentsen Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr. (February 11, 1921 – May 23, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 69th United States secretary of the treasury under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1994. He served as a United States senator from ...
and
Joe Lieberman Joseph Isadore Lieberman (; February 24, 1942 – March 27, 2024) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States senator from Connecticut from 1989 to 2013. Originally a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Dem ...
, ran similarly for their seat in Texas and Connecticut, respectively. On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama won the presidential election, making Biden the next VP. Biden vacated his senate seat shortly after the election, allowing for the
Governor of Delaware A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...
to appoint a successor. There was speculation as to whether the outgoing Governor,
Ruth Ann Minner Ruth Ann Minner ( Coverdale; January 17, 1935 – November 4, 2021) was an American politician and businesswoman who served as the 72nd List of governors of Delaware, governor of Delaware from 2001 to 2009. She previously served in the Delaware G ...
, or the incoming Governor-elect
Jack Markell Jack Alan Markell (born November 26, 1960) is an American politician and diplomat. He had served the United States ambassador both to Italy and to San Marino. He had served as the United States ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-oper ...
would make the appointment, and if Biden's son, Delaware Attorney General
Beau Biden Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III (February 3, 1969 – May 30, 2015) was an American politician, lawyer, and officer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Army, Army Judge Advocate General's Corps from Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmingt ...
would receive the appointment. On November 24, 2008, Governor Minner appointed Biden's longtime Chief of Staff
Ted Kaufman Edward Emmett Kaufman (born March 15, 1939) is a retired American politician and businessman who served as a United States senator from Delaware from 2009 to 2010. He chaired the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Oversight of the Troubled ...
to fill the seat. Kaufman subsequently announced that he would not seek election to a full term in 2010, effectively making him a caretaker. Biden's Republican opponent in the Senate race, conservative political commentator
Christine O'Donnell Christine Therese O'Donnell (born August 27, 1969) is an American conservative activist in the Tea Party movement best known for her 2010 campaign for the United States Senate seat from Delaware vacated by Joe Biden. O'Donnell was born in Phil ...
, tried to make an issue of Biden's dual campaigns, claiming that serving his constituents is not important to him. Biden was re-elected with 65% of the vote, or 257,484 votes. O'Donnell received 140,584 votes (35% of the vote).


Georgia

In the 2008 election, first-term incumbent Republican senator
Saxby Chambliss Clarence Saxby Chambliss (; born November 10, 1943) is an American lawyer and retired politician who was a United States Senate, United States Senator from Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia from 2003 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party (Unite ...
was opposed primarily by Democrat Jim Martin, as well as third-party candidates, including
Libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...
Allen Buckley and Eleanor Garcia of the Socialist Workers Party. Martin, current Georgia Commissioner of Human Resources, former member of the
Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directl ...
,
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
veteran, and 2006 candidate for
lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
, secured the Democratic nomination after defeating
DeKalb County DeKalb County may refer to one of several counties in the United States, all of which were named for Baron Johann de Kalb: * DeKalb County, Alabama DeKalb County is a County (United States), county in the Northeast Alabama, northeastern part ...
CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...
Vernon Jones by a 59% to 41% margin in the August 5
run-off election The two-round system (TRS or 2RS), sometimes called ballotage, top-two runoff, or two-round plurality, is a single-winner electoral system which aims to elect a member who has support of the majority of voters. The two-round system involves one ...
. In December 2007, Chambliss had an approval rating of 53% and a disapproval rating of 34% according to Strategic Vision, a Republican polling firm. For most of the campaign, Chambliss maintained a comfortable lead in most polls. However, in the weeks leading up to the 2008 general election, polls showed the race tightening, reflecting a general nationwide trend. On November 4, 2008, Chambliss received 49.8% of the vote, with Martin about 3% behind and Buckley receiving 3% of the vote. However, Georgia law stated that if no candidate receives a
simple majority Simple majority may refer to: * Majority, a voting requirement of more than half of all votes cast * Plurality (voting), a voting requirement of more votes cast for a proposition than for any other option * First-past-the-post voting, the single-win ...
of the popular vote, then the election will be decided in a run-off. On December 2, 2008, Chambliss won the run-off with 57% of vote to Martin's 43%.


Idaho

On September 1, 2007, senator
Larry Craig Lawrence Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is an American retired politician from the state of Idaho. A Republican, Craig represented Idaho in the United States Senate from 1991 to 2009 and represented Idaho's 1st District in the U.S. House of ...
announced his intent to resign from the Senate effective September 30, 2007. The announcement followed by just six days the disclosure that he had pleaded guilty on August 1, 2007, to a reduced misdemeanor charge arising out of his arrest on June 11 at the
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
airport for soliciting sex with a man in the restroom. Craig found almost no support among Republicans in his home state or Washington. On October 4, 2007, senator Craig announced he will not seek re-election, but would remain in office until the end of his term. Lieutenant Governor
Jim Risch James Elroy Risch ( ; born May 3, 1943) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Idaho since 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as lieutenant governor of Idaho under governors ...
was the Republican candidate;
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...
and former congressman Larry LaRocco was the Democratic candidate. Risch and LaRocco ran against each other in the 2006 Lieutenant Governor race, which Risch won by a wide margin. Libertarian Kent Marmon also ran. The last Democratic senator from Idaho was
Frank Church Frank Forrester Church III (July 25, 1924 – April 7, 1984) was an American politician and lawyer. A Democrat, from 1957 to 1981 he served as a U.S. Senator from Idaho, and is currently the last Democrat to do so. He was the longest serving De ...
, who was defeated in the Republican landslide of
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
after serving four terms. Risch won the election with approximately 58% of the vote.


Illinois

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin remained favored in
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
. He sought to be re-elected in a state that has steadily become more Democratic since 1992. CQpolitics.com rated the contest as "safe Democrat". Physician Steve Sauerberg of La Grange won the February 5 Republican primary. Kathy Cummings, a retired special education teacher was nominated via convention by the Green Party. Chad Koppie, a retired airline pilot and vice-chairman of the Illinois Center Right Coalition, was the nominee of the Constitution Party. Durbin won with 68% of the vote. Sauerberg had 29%.


Iowa

In a state that had been trending to the Democratic party recently, senator
Tom Harkin Thomas Richard Harkin (born November 19, 1939) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Iowa from 1985 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Pa ...
faced the Republican nominee, small business owner Christopher Reed, whom he defeated with 63% of the vote to Reed's 37%.


Kansas

Senator
Pat Roberts Charles Patrick Roberts (born April 20, 1936) is a retired American politician and journalist who served as a United States senator from Kansas from 1997 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Roberts served 8 terms in the U.S. House of R ...
sought re-election to a third term. Although
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932, former Democratic Congressman and army veteran
Jim Slattery James Charles Slattery (born August 4, 1948) is an American politician. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995 representing Kansas's 2nd congressional district as a Democrat, was the Democratic nominee for governor in ...
was nominated to run against Roberts. Pat Roberts currently has an approval rating of 56%. Roberts was re-elected with 60% to Slattery's 36%.


Kentucky

Democrats made Senate Minority Leader, four-term senator
Mitch McConnell Addison Mitchell McConnell III (; born February 20, 1942) is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States senator from Kentucky, a seat he has held since 1985. McConnell is in his seventh Senate term and is the long ...
of
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
a target due to his leadership of Senate Republicans and his ties to President Bush, as well as his mediocre approval rating in the state, which was below 50%. Businessman and U.S. Army veteran Bruce Lunsford, who lost the 2007 Democratic gubernatorial primary to Governor
Steve Beshear Steven Lynn Beshear ( ; born September 21, 1944) is an American attorney and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 61st governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 ...
, was the Democratic nominee. 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. Nevertheless, McConnell was re-elected by a margin of 53% to 47%.


Louisiana

Incumbent
Mary Landrieu Mary Loretta Landrieu ( ; born November 23, 1955) is an American entrepreneur and politician who served as a United States senator from Louisiana from 1997 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Landrieu served as the Louisiana State Treasu ...
was elected in 1996 following a recount and was narrowly re-elected in 2002 in a
runoff election The two-round system (TRS or 2RS), sometimes called ballotage, top-two runoff, or two-round plurality, is a single-winner electoral system which aims to elect a member who has support of the majority of voters. The two-round system involves one ...
. Since those elections, Democrats have had to endure the loss of some reliable voters because
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
dispersed many African-Americans from
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, although the vast majority still live within
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
. The state has become more Republican over the past 12 years.
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
elected
David Vitter David Bruce Vitter (born May 3, 1961) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Louisiana from 2005 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Vitter served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1992 to 1999 ...
in 2004, the state's first Republican senator since Reconstruction, as well as Republican
Bobby Jindal Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (born June 10, 1971) is an American politician who served as the 55th governor of Louisiana from 2008 to 2016. A member of the Republican Party, Jindal previously served as a U.S. representative from Louisiana from 2005 t ...
as the first Indian-American Governor in the country's history in 2007. Louisiana's electoral votes easily went to George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. On August 27, 2007, state Treasurer John Neely Kennedy announced he was switching parties from Democrat to Republican. On November 29, after being personally recruited by Vitter and former Bush administration official
Karl Rove Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) is an American Republican political consultant, policy advisor, and lobbyist. He was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff during the George W. Bush administration until his resignation on August ...
, Kennedy announced plans to challenge Landrieu in 2008. In the end, Landrieu was re-elected with 52% of the vote, Kennedy having 46%.


Maine

In Maine,
Susan Collins Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maine. A member of the Republican Party, she has held her seat since 1997 and is Maine's longest-serving member of ...
sought a third term in the Senate. She has maintained a high approval rating, and also in her favor is the landslide re-election of Maine's senior Senator,
Olympia Snowe Olympia Jean Snowe (; born February 21, 1947) is an American businesswoman and politician who was a United States Senate, United States Senator, representing Maine for three terms from 1995 to 2013. A lifelong member of the Republican Party (Unit ...
, who had the largest margin of victory of any GOP Senate candidate - besides the largely unopposed
Richard Lugar Richard Green Lugar ( ; April 4, 1932 – April 28, 2019) was an American politician who served as a United States Senate, United States Senator from Indiana from 1977 to 2013. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republ ...
(R-IN) - in the 2006 election cycle. Collins was re-elected with 58% of the vote in 2002 over State Sen.
Chellie Pingree Chellie Marie Pingree ( ; born Rochelle Marie Johnson; April 2, 1955) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2009. Her district includes most of the southern part of the state, centered around the Portland area ...
. Fellow senator
Joe Lieberman Joseph Isadore Lieberman (; February 24, 1942 – March 27, 2024) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States senator from Connecticut from 1989 to 2013. Originally a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Dem ...
, citing his status as an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
, endorsed Collins in her 2008 re-election bid. On May 8, 2007, Rep. Tom Allen ( ME-1) announced his candidacy o
his website
. He had already expressed interest in running and had been building the apparatus necessary to wage a Senate campaign. Collins won on election day with 61% of the vote, compared to 39% for Allen.


Massachusetts

Incumbent
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
sought another Senate term in Massachusetts. 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. Jim Ogonowski, a retired United States Air Force, Air Force pilot who was closely defeated by now-Representative Niki Tsongas in a 2007 Massachusetts's 5th congressional district special election, 2007 special election, was running against Kerry. but failed to obtain the required candidacy signatures. 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 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts, 2006. Kerry was challenged by defense attorney Edward O'Reilly (Massachusetts politician), Edward O'Reilly for the Democratic nomination, winning 69% of the vote to O'Reilly's 31%. Kerry won with 66% of the vote to Beatty's 31%. Libertarian Robert J. Underwood had 3%.


Michigan

With the Democratic Party takeover of Capitol Hill in the 2006 midterm elections, senator Carl Levin had become one of the most powerful people in Washington as chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, Senate Armed Services Committee. He was expected to easily win re-election. Challenging Levin were Republican State Representative Jack Hoogendyk, Green candidate Harley G. Mikkelson, candidat
Mike Nikitin
Libertarian professor Scott Boman, Scotty Boman, and Natural Law's candidate Doug Dern. Levin won re-election with 63% of the vote, to Hoogendyk's 34%.


Minnesota

2007 year-end reports filed with the
Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent agency of the United States government that enforces U.S. campaign finance laws and oversees U.S. federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Campaign ...
showed that Al Franken had raised $7.04 million through December 31, 2007, while Norm Coleman had raised $6.24 million. Year-end cash on hand was $6.04 million for Coleman and $3.10 million for Franken.Candidate Filings
Federal Election Commission, year-end 2007
Note: The ±% column reflects the change in total number of votes won by each party from the previous election. Additionally, votes cast for Paul Wellstone in the 2002 United States Senate election in Minnesota, 2002 election are not factored into the DFL's total from that year. The 2008 U.S. Senate election in Minnesota featured first-term Republican incumbent senator Norm Coleman, Democrat
Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American politician, comedian, and actor who served from 2009 to 2018 as a United States senator from Minnesota. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he worked as an ...
, a comedian and radio personality, and former U.S. senator Dean Barkley, a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota. A December 2007 poll showed Coleman's approval rating among Minnesota voters at 53%. The seat was heavily targeted by the
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. Its purpose is to elect Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current Chair is Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of Ne ...
because of Minnesota's Democratic leanings and recent Democratic gains in national and statewide elections. 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. Franken announced his candidacy on February 14, 2007, more than 20 months before the election. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, a professor at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota), University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota), joined the race in October 2007. Attorney Mike Ciresi, an unsuccessful candidate in the 2000 Democratic U.S. Senate primary, was considered a serious candidate, but withdrew from the race on March 10, 2008, clearing the path for Franken to secure the party's nomination. Barkley, who had briefly been appointed Senator after the death of Paul Wellstone in 2002, ran under the banner of the Independence Party (Minnesota), Independence Party, the largest third party in Minnesota. 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. It is not clear whether Barkley detracted more votes from Coleman or Franken. 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. The presence of a serious third-party candidate further complicated matters. 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. Barkley received 437,404 votes, about 15% of total votes cast. 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. During the recount process, Minnesota was represented by only one senator, Amy Klobuchar. On April 13, 2009, a three-judge panel ruled that Al Franken received the most votes in Minnesota's 2008 Senate race and ruled against Coleman's claims on all counts. Coleman appealed this decision. 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. Franken was sworn in as Minnesota's junior senator on July 7.


Mississippi


Mississippi (regular)

Incumbent Republican Thad Cochran announced that he would seek re-election for a sixth term. Cochran, who has not faced serious opposition since he was re-elected in 1984 United States Senate elections, 1984, faced Democratic state Representative Erik R. Fleming, whom he defeated with 61% of the vote.


Mississippi (special)

Roger Wicker, formerly the representative of Mississippi's 1st congressional district, was appointed by Governor of Mississippi, Governor Haley Barbour on December 31, 2007, to fill the vacancy caused by the December 18 resignation of Trent Lott. It had been speculated that Lott wished to resign before a new lobbying reform law, effective the first day of 2008, took effect; having resigned before the end of 2007, Lott may become a lobbyist in 2009 instead of 2010. Controversy arose when Barbour called for the special election to be held on the same day as the general election. 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. Initially, a Mississippi Circuit Court judge sided with Hood, ruling that the election take place on or before March 19, 2008. However, Barbour filed an appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which overturned the earlier ruling and set the special election for November 4, 2008. Democratic former Governor Ronnie Musgrove challenged Wicker. Another Democrat, former Congressman Ronnie Shows, also filed to run, but he withdrew in February 2008 and endorsed Musgrove. Wicker beat Musgrove 55% to 45%.


Montana

Senator Max Baucus was a popular Democratic Party (United States), Democrat in Montana, representing a state that has long been fairly Republican but also receptive to Democrats in state and local elections. 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. 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. Baucus easily won re-election, taking 73% of the vote, with Kelleher taking 27%.


Nebraska

In Nebraska, incumbent Republican Chuck Hagel chose to retire rather than run for a third term. Former Governor Mike Johanns, who recently resigned as United States Secretary of Agriculture, Agriculture Secretary, was the Republican nominee, having defeated opponent Pat Flynn 87–13 in the primary. 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. Nebraska state
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice. Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...
Co-Chairman Steve Larrick was also a candidate, as was Kelly Rosberg of the Nebraska Party. Johanns won, taking 58% of the vote, with Kleeb taking 40%.


New Hampshire

Incumbent Republican John E. Sununu represented the swing state of New Hampshire. The state traditionally leaned Republican, but
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
from neighboring Massachusetts narrowly won the state in the 2004 Presidential election. 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 New Hampshire House of Representatives, House and New Hampshire Senate, Senate, giving them concurrent control of both bodies for the first time since 1874. However, New Hampshire had not elected a Democratic United States senator since 1975. Sununu's 2002 opponent, former Governor Jeanne Shaheen, decided to run and was generally considered to be a very formidable challenger. Three consecutive monthly Rasmussen Reports poll showed Shaheen defeating Sununu by 49% to 41%. Prior to Shaheen's entry, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand, Katrina Swett, wife of former Democratic congressman Richard Swett, and former astronaut Jay Buckey had announced that they were running for the Democratic nomination. After Shaheen's entry, however, all three withdrew and endorsed the former governor. On election day, Shaheen defeated Sununu, 52% to 45%.


New Jersey

Incumbent Democrat Frank Lautenberg sought re-election in 2008, though he was 84. In the Primary, Lautenberg soundly defeated Representative Rob Andrews (New Jersey's 1st congressional district, NJ-1) by a margin of 62% to 32%. 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), with his approval standing only at 42% as of September 2007 with voters saying he does not deserve re-election 46%-36%. The Republican nominee was former Congressman and 1996 senatorial candidate Dick Zimmer (New Jersey politician), Dick Zimmer. Sara Lobman of the Socialist Workers Party and Independent Anthony Fisher (politician), Anthony Fisher were also declared candidates. Furthermore, in the wake of the financial crisis, Carl Peter Klapper entered the race as a write-in candidate. Lautenberg won re-election, winning 56%-42%.


New Mexico

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. 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 (attorney), David Iglesias. 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. The potential scandal may have also contributed to his decision to leave the Senate. Tom Udall, the popular Representative from New Mexico's New Mexico's 3rd congressional district, 3rd District, was the Democratic nominee. The Republican nominee was Rep. Steve Pearce (politician), Steve Pearce, who represented the more conservative New Mexico's 2nd congressional district, southern part of the state. When asked whether the Republicans were abandoning their hopes of holding onto Domenici's seat, senator
John Ensign John Eric Ensign (born March 25, 1958) is an American veterinarian and former politician who served as a United States Senator from Nevada from 2001 until his resignation in 2011 amid a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into his attempts to ...
, the chairman of the
National Republican Senatorial Committee The National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) is the Republican Hill committee for the United States Senate, working to elect Republicans to the Senate. The NRSC was founded in 1916 as the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. It was reor ...
, responded that "You don't waste money on races that don't need it or you can't win." Udall won the election with 61% of the vote, with Pearce taking 39%.


North Carolina

In North Carolina, there had been rumors that senator Elizabeth Dole would retire from the Senate and run for Governor of North Carolina, governor, but she said in 2006 that she intended to run for re-election. 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 Democratic nominee was state senator Kay Hagan, who defeated Jim Neal and Dustin Lassiter in the Democratic primary. A Rasmussen poll released May 11, 2008, showed Hagan leading Dole by a statistically insignificant margin, 48% - 47%, suggesting a competitive race. Hagan's poll numbers continued to best Dole's, however, and Hagan defeated Dole by a wider than expected margin of 53% to 44%.


Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, senator Jim Inhofe announced that he would seek a third full term. A September 2007 poll put Inhofe's approval rating at 47%, with 41% disapproving of his performance. Inhofe's opponent was State senator Andrew Monroe Rice, Andrew Rice. Inhofe was re-elected, 57% to 39%.


Oregon

Senator Gordon Smith (politician), Gordon Smith of Oregon ran for a third term. He defeated ophthalmologist Gordon Leitch in the May 20 Oregon Republican primary, 2008, Republican primary. Smith faced Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Oregon House of Representatives Speaker Jeff Merkley in the November general election. Merkley beat longtime Democratic activist Steve Novick and three other candidates in a Oregon Democratic primary, 2008, hotly contested primary. In a July 16, 2008, poll, Merkley overtook Smith for the first time 43% to 41%. On November 6, 2008, Jeff Merkley was projected the winner of the contest, with 48.9% to Smith's 45.6%. Gordon Smith formally conceded soon afterward.


Rhode Island

In Rhode Island, Democratic senator Jack Reed (Rhode Island politician), Jack Reed had an approval rating of 66% in November 2006. ''National Journal'' has declared that "Reed is probably the safest incumbent of the 2008 cycle". 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. Reed won the election, with 73% of the vote.


South Carolina

Senator Lindsey Graham, as a popular Republican incumbent in strongly conservative South Carolina, had been considered unlikely to be vulnerable to a Democratic challenge. Graham's support for a compromise immigration bill, however, drew an angry response from many South Carolina conservatives, who recruited Buddy Witherspoon, a former South Carolina Republican Party leader, to challenge Graham for the nomination. Graham easily bested Witherspoon in the June 10 primary. First-time candidate Bob Conley, an airline pilot, was the Democratic nominee. 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. The South Carolina Working Families Party had also nominated Michael Cone. South Carolina's election law allows for electoral fusion. This was the first time the party nominated a candidate for statewide office. However, because he lost the Democratic primary, Cone was not listed on the ballot under the state's sore loser law. Graham easily won re-election with 58% of the vote to Conley's 42%.


South Dakota

In South Dakota, senator Tim Johnson (South Dakota politician), 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. Johnson underwent surgery in December 2006 for a cerebral arteriovenous malformation and was discharged from the hospital on April 30, 2007. On October 19, 2007, Johnson formally announced that he was seeking re-election. According to a November 2006 SurveyUSA poll, Johnson had an approval rating of 70%, with just 26% disapproving of his performance, making him an early favorite despite the state's Republican lean. Republicans were unsuccessful in persuading Governor Mike Rounds and former Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota, Lieutenant Governor Steve T. Kirby, Steve Kirby to run. State Representative Joel Dykstra announced his candidacy on July 5, 2007. Other Republicans included Charles Lyonel Gonyo and Sam Kephart. Dykstra won the Republican primary on June 3. Johnson was re-elected, with 62.5% to Dykstra's 37.5%. This seat was the tipping point state in the 2008 senate elections.


Tennessee

Former Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander was elected in 2002 United States Senate elections, 2002 to succeed retiring senator Fred Thompson. He has announced he will seek a second term in 2008. He was unopposed in the Republican primary. Former Chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party Bob Tuke was the Democratic nominee, defeating Businessman Gary Davis 30% to 23%. Knox County Clerk Mike Padgett received 20% of the vote. 2006 Green Party Senate nominee Chris Lugo originally announced as a Democrat but dropped out of the Democratic race before the filing deadline. He filed as an independent and was subsequently named as the Green Party nominee Edward Buck was also in the race. Daniel Lewis ran as a Libertarian candidate for the United States Senate. 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 Libertarian Party of Tennessee officially selected Daniel Lewis as their candidate for United States Senate on Saturday March 8, 2008, at their annual convention held in Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Lewis was serving as the chairman of the Libertarian Party of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. He ran for the Tennessee House in 2004. Also reported to be in the race are David "None of the Above" Gatchell a ballot activist & frequent candidate and Emory "Bo" Heyward, a software company employee, conservative activist & 2006 candidate. Alexander won the election with 65% of the vote.


Texas

Texas has not elected a Democrat in a statewide election since 1994, but according to pre-election Rasmussen polling, senator John Cornyn had an approval rating of 50%. Texas House of Representatives member and War in Afghanistan (2001–present), Afghanistan War
veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...
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. The same Rasmussen poll showed Cornyn leading Noriega by a narrow four percentage points - 47% to 43%. Christian activist Larry Kilgore of Mansfield, Texas, was a Republican challenger for the March 2008 primary election, but Cornyn easily won the Republican primary. There were three Libertarians, including 2006 LP senate nominee Scott Jameson, running for their party's nomination. In addition, the Green Party of Texas sought ballot access for its candidate David B. Collins. In the end, John Cornyn won re-election, 55%-43%


Virginia

John Warner announced on August 31, 2007, that he would not seek re-election for another term. Former Governor Jim Gilmore, who dropped out of the 2008 United States presidential election, 2008 presidential election, was the Republican nominee for the seat. Popular Democratic former Governor Mark Warner (no relation) was the Democratic nominee for the race. Polling showed him as a strong favorite to win the seat. When asked whether the Republicans were abandoning their hopes of holding onto Warner's seat, senator
John Ensign John Eric Ensign (born March 25, 1958) is an American veterinarian and former politician who served as a United States Senator from Nevada from 2001 until his resignation in 2011 amid a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into his attempts to ...
, the chairman of the
National Republican Senatorial Committee The National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) is the Republican Hill committee for the United States Senate, working to elect Republicans to the Senate. The NRSC was founded in 1916 as the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. It was reor ...
, responded that "You don't waste money on races that don't need it or you can't win." In one of the first senate races called on election day, Warner won, taking 65% of the vote, with Gilmore winning 34%. Since Democrat Jim Webb had defeated incumbent Republican George Allen (U.S. politician), George Allen for Virginia's other Senate seat in 2006, Virginia's senate delegation flipped from entirely Republican to entirely Democratic in just two years.


West Virginia

Senator Jay Rockefeller, great-grandson of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, sought a fifth term representing West Virginia. Even though West Virginia is a historically Democratic state, in which the party had a 50-32% edge in party affiliation over the Republicans in the 2004 elections, the state party is more conservative than the national party, giving its votes to President George W. Bush in that election and in 2000. Democrats Sheirl Fletcher and Billy Hendricks challenged Rockefeller in the primary but were defeated. The Republican nominee was Jay Wolfe of Salem, West Virginia, Salem, a former State Senator. Rockefeller handily won on election day, being re-elected with 64% of the vote. Wolfe had 36%.


Wyoming


Wyoming (regular)

Incumbent Republican Mike Enzi was considered likely to be re-elected without significant opposition for a third term in strongly Republican Wyoming. His Democratic opponent was Chris Rothfuss, a professor at the University of Wyoming and a chemical engineer, nanotechnologist, and diplomat. Pre-election polling indicated that Enzi led Rothfuss by 24%. Enzi won another term, 76%-24%.


Wyoming (special)

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. Wyoming law requires that the interim senator be affiliated with the same political party as the departed senator. Barrasso ran in the November 4, 2008, special election, held on the day of the 2008 United States presidential election, 2008 presidential election, to serve out the remainder of Thomas's term, which expires in January 2013. On the Democratic side, Casper, Wyoming, Casper City Councilman Keith Goodenough announced his candidacy. In the primary on August 19, Goodenough was defeated by a political newcomer, Gillette, Wyoming, Gillette defense attorney Nick Carter, who became Barrasso's opponent in the general election.Political newcomer Carter will face Barrasso
The Associated Press. August 21, 2008. ''The Billings Gazette.''
Barrasso won on Election Day, taking 73% of the vote and winning every county in the state.


See also

* 2008 United States elections ** 2008 United States gubernatorial elections ** 2008 United States presidential election ** 2008 United States House of Representatives elections * 110th United States Congress * 111th United States Congress


Notes


References


External links


Cook Political Report 2008 Senate Race Ratings

CQ Politics Senate Analysis

Interactive Map of 2008 Senate Races
* * FiveThirtyEight]
Senate Projections

Intrade Composite Poll - Supermajority Predictions


from the U.S. Library of Congress * {{United States Senate elections 2008 United States Senate elections, November 2008 in the United States, Mitch McConnell Harry Reid