Since Democrat Jim Webb had defeated incumbent Republican 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. The site was created by Taegan Goddard, who runs a network of political websites including Political Wire, Political Job Hunt and the Political Dictionary. [96][97] Wicker beat Musgrove 55% to 45%. Two more freshmen were appointed to the Senate as a consequence of the appointment of Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State and Ken Salazar to be Secretary of the Interior. Sauerberg had 29%. During the presidential election campaign, the major-party candidates ran on a platform of change and reform in Washington. Map of the 2008 Senate races using the latest state polls. Today, at the beginning of each Congress, senators are given the option to change their seats based on seniority. [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. [19] Two former Veco executives have plead guilty to paying the younger Stevens $242,000 in bribes. Alexander won the election with 65% of the vote. 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. In 1988 and 2000, the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominees Lloyd Bentsen and Joe Lieberman, ran similarly for their seat in Texas and Connecticut, respectively. There were several unique aspects of the 2008 election. Daniel Lewis ran as a Libertarian candidate for the United States Senate. The 2008 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, 2008, with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested. Those votes were tallied before a joint session of Congress on January 8, 2009. Summary of the November 4, 2008, United States Senate election results. Voter turnout for the 2008 election was the highest in at least 40 years. The resignation of Mississippi Senator Trent Lott, and the death of Wyoming Senator Craig L. Thomas, both Class 1 senators, meant that both of those states' senate seats were up for election. Is It Realistic to Abolish the Electoral College? 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. He selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate to counter arguments that McCains age would be a detriment to presidential service. 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.[30]. On April 1, 2009, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, citing serious prosecutorial misconduct during the trial, decided to drop all charges against Stevensan action that vacated his conviction. simplemaps_election.selected.R = ['AK', 'AL', 'AR', 'AZ', 'GA', 'ID', 'KS', 'KY', 'LA', 'MO', 'MS', 'MT', 'ND', 'NE', 'NE1', 'NE3', 'OK', 'TN', 'TX', 'UT', 'SC', 'SD', 'WY', 'WV']; Johnson underwent surgery in December 2006 for a cerebral arteriovenous malformation and was discharged from the hospital on April 30, 2007. Risch won the election with approximately 58% of the vote. 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 . Please enter a name, party, and color for each candidate. Incumbent Republican John E. Sununu represented the swing state of New Hampshire. simplemaps_election.votes_by_state = {"AL":9,"AK":3,"AZ":10,"AR":6,"CA":55,"CO":9,"CT":7,"DE":3,"FL":27,"GA":15,"HI":4,"ID":4,"IL":21,"IN":11,"IA":7,"KS":6,"KY":8,"LA":9,"ME":2,"ME1":1,"ME2":1,"MD":10,"MA":12,"MI":17,"MN":9,"MS":6,"MO":11,"MT":3,"NE":2,"NE1":1,"NE2":1,"NE3":1,"NV":5,"NH":4,"NJ":15,"NM":5,"NY":31,"NC":15,"ND":3,"OH":20,"OK":7,"OR":7,"PA":21,"RI":4,"SC":8,"SD":3,"TN":11,"TX":34,"UT":5,"VT":3,"VA":13,"WA":11,"WV":5,"WI":10,"WY":3,"DC":3}; Electoral Vote Map is an interactive map to help you follow the 2024 presidential election. McCain still won the white vote, though Obamas share of the vote was large enough to win in some Republican areas. The 2008 presidential election focused on a national economic crisis that evolved throughout the race. Nebraska state Green Party Co-Chairman Steve Larrick was also a candidate,[101] as was Kelly Rosberg of the Nebraska Party. 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. Republican. Collins was re-elected with 58% of the vote in 2002 over State Sen. Chellie Pingree. Popular vote totals generally gathered from state Certificates of Ascertainment and/or results posted directly by individual states. 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. Democrat Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain. 2008 United States House of Representatives elections, 2008 United States gubernatorial elections, 2008 United States state legislative elections, "Democrats Poised For Landslide Wins In House", "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 2008", https://ballotpedia.org/State_legislative_elections,_2008, "New York - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times", "Tennessee Republicans win slim majority in State House", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2008_United_States_elections&oldid=1138541683, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with dead external links from August 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Barreto, Matt A., et al. States in the Senate. 2007 year-end reports filed with the Federal Election Commission showed that Al Franken had raised $7.04 million through December 31, 2007, while Norm Coleman had raised $6.24 million. When the Senate moved to its current Chamber in 1859, the practice of dividing the desks equally continued for several years even though the new Chamber was large enough to permit a flexible seating arrangement. On November 4, 2008, Chambliss received 49.8% of the vote,[42] with Martin about 3% behind and Buckley receiving 3% of the vote. States shown here did not allocate all their available electoral votes to one candidate. Merkley beat longtime Democratic activist Steve Novick and three other candidates in a hotly contested primary. Which States Split Their Electoral Votes? In addition, this was the largest Democratic Senate gain since 1986, where they also won eight seats. Obama and U.S. Governor Bill Halter would challenge Pryor in the primary, but Halter declined to file as a candidate. After Shaheen's entry, however, all three withdrew and endorsed the former governor. [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]. Oct. 14: Senate Races. There were also two special elections, the winners of those seats would finish the terms that ended January 3, 2013. The 33 seats in the United States Senate Class 2 were up for election, plus special Senate elections in Mississippi and Wyoming. 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. The Obama campaign also realized its commitment to younger voters by winning all age groups except those aged 65 years and older. The Democratic nominee was 2nd district Congressman Mark Udall of Boulder who announced on January 15, 2007, that he would seek the seat and did not draw significant primary opposition. When asked whether the Republicans were abandoning their hopes of holding onto Domenici's seat, senator John Ensign, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, responded that "You dont waste money on races that dont need it or you cant win."[116]. Select Source. The Senate seat in Connecticut is counted as a . Sections Sections Top Stories Video Live U.S. In Oklahoma, senator Jim Inhofe announced that he would seek a third full term. The prior record, about 62 million, was set in 2004 by George W. Bush. However, in the weeks leading up to the 2008 general election, polls showed the race tightening, reflecting a general nationwide trend. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Today, Democrats traditionally sit on the presiding officer's right, and Republicans on the left. Obama won 52.9% of the popular vote, while McCain gathered 45.7% of the popular vote. When one party elected more than half the senators, some majority party members had to find space on the minority party side of the aisle. There were 20 freshman Senators in the 111th United States Congress. Use the interactive map tool to predict the winners of the 2014 senate elections and share with your friends! Projected Senate: Dem 58 GOP 42 : Main page: Previous report: Next report: Senate polls Web.csv . Baucus easily won re-election, taking 73% of the vote, with Kelleher taking 27%. The presence of a serious third party candidate further complicated matters. [167] Wyoming law requires that the interim senator be affiliated with the same political party as the departed senator. [134] National Journal has declared that "Reed is probably the safest incumbent of the 2008 cycle". The 2008 electoral map is above. [151] Texas House of Representatives member and Afghanistan War veteran Rick Noriega secured his place as Cornyn's Democratic challenger in the March 4 primary, beating out opponents Gene Kelly, Ray McMurrey, and Rhett Smith. Dykstra won the Republican primary on June 3. Begich announced his candidacy for the Senate seat on April 22, 2008. [53] Kathy Cummings, a retired special education teacher was nominated via convention by the Green Party. senate.gov - Origins wikipedia.org - United States Senate Democrats held at least 57 seats as a result of the election. As of June 30, 2008, data from the Federal Election Commission showed the NRSC with $24.6 million on hand, as compared with the DSCC's $43 million. All Rights Reserved. In the 2008 election, first-term incumbent Republican senator Saxby Chambliss was opposed primarily by Democrat Jim Martin, as well as third party candidates, including Libertarian Allen Buckley and Eleanor Garcia of the Socialist Workers Party. [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. The goal of having two senators per state is to have each state equally represented in the senate. All Rights Reserved. The United States Senate is the upper legislature of the bicameral legislative branch. A December 2007 poll showed Coleman's approval rating among Minnesota voters at 53%. Two senators from each state are elected to represent their state. [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]. Libertarian Robert J. Underwood had 3%. Ten were elected on November 4, 2008. Each desk was custom made for a particular location within the Chamber. [1][2] This would be the last election until 2020 in which the Democrats won the Presidency and unified control of Congress. 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. Obama won early votes in Iowa, Nevada, and South Carolina, while Clinton secured primary wins in Florida and Michigan. judge cancels special election to replace Lott", "Barbour's Attorney Appeals Special-Elex Ruling", "Mississippi Supreme Court sets election for November", "Former Rep. Shows running for Lott's seat", "Shows drops out of race to replace Lott", "US Senate Special Election Official Certification", "16th time a charm for veteran candidate", "Green Party's Larrick to enter Senate race", "Official Results of Nebraska Primary Election, May 13, 2008", "Anthony B. Fisher for U.S. Senate in 2008 official website", "Politics1 - Online Guide to New Jersey Politics", "Write In Carl Peter Klapper for United States Senator", "Republican Senator From New Mexico Is Said to Be Retiring", "SurveyUSA Approval Ratings for New Mexico Senators", "Sen. Ensign Says GOP Majority Would Be 'Fairly Miraculous', "Mary Easley has active public life, but she's no Hillary Clinton", Beating a Popular Incumbent | SKDKnickerbocker, "Oklahoma State Election Board - Primary Election 2008", "Oregon Senate: Merkley tops Smith for first time 43% to 41%", "Merkley ready for Senate race victory lap", "Oregon Secretary of State: Official Results May 2008 Primary Election", "Graham beats GOP challenger in SC Senate primary", "US Senate primary recount: Conley to face Graham", "South Carolina Working Families Party Nominates - Ballot Access News", "The Associated Press: Johnson to Run for Senate After Illness", "South Dakota Secretary of State, Shantel Krebs", "Alexander Running Again, Sets Fundraiser". Senator, Kay Hagan, has since died. ", Jacobson, Gary C. "The 2008 Presidential and Congressional Elections: AntiBush Referendum and Prospects for the Democratic Majority. 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. On November 18, the race was called for Begich, who won with 47.8% to Stevens's 46.5%. It takes 270 electoral votes to win the 2020 presidential election. [67] but failed to obtain the required candidacy signatures. Lautenberg won re-election, winning 56%-42%. 2023 Electoral Ventures LLC. Obama also offered the chance for voters to elect the nations first African American president and a relatively young president at 47 years old. Incumbent Republican Thad Cochran announced that he would seek re-election for a sixth term. The split can be edited in this table. [5] The NRSC chair, senator John Ensign, 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.[5]. When a seat became open, the first senator to speak for it won the right to it. McCain sought to connect his campaign to the maverick image he received during his unsuccessful 2000 bid. What If All States Split Their Electoral Votes. Incumbent Republican Mike Enzi was considered likely to be re-elected without significant opposition for a third term in strongly Republican Wyoming. 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. Mich. Minn. Miss. There are 33 seats up for reelection in 2012, but only seven are . The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 set off an economic panic that spread globally. Six of the 69 Democratic senators sat with the 23 Republican and 4 Independent senators. Year-end cash on hand was $6.04 million for Coleman and $3.10 million for Franken.[71]. Five Republicans retired rather than seek re-election. Johnson was re-elected, with 62.5% to Dykstra's 37.5%. 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. The state traditionally leaned Republican, but John Kerry from neighboring Massachusetts narrowly won the state in the 2004 Presidential election. Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois won the presidential election, by defeating his challenger, Senator John McCain, and the Democrats bolstered their majority in both Houses of Congress. [115] The potential scandal may have also contributed to his decision to leave the Senate. 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. ""Should They Dance with the One Who Brung'Em?" Democratic former Governor Ronnie Musgrove challenged Wicker. On August 27, 2007, state Treasurer John Neely Kennedy announced he was switching parties from Democrat to Republican. [27] Rebekah Kennedy of the Green Party was Pryor's only opposition. 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%. Sununu's 2002 opponent, former Governor Jeanne Shaheen, decided to run and was generally considered to be a very formidable challenger. With Republican President George W. Bush term-limited, Senator John McCain of Arizona won the Republican nomination in the 2008 Republican primaries. In December 2007, Chambliss had an approval rating of 53% and a disapproval rating of 34% according to Strategic Vision, a Republican polling firm. simplemaps_election.order = ['T', 'D', 'R']; //which color is shown first on click In the Democratic primary, Figures won the nomination and face Sessions in November. As of 2023, Stevens still holds this record. [62] Nevertheless, McConnell was re-elected by a margin of 53% to 47%. This map is shaded by how large the popular vote difference was between the two nominees. By December 2007, a credit crisis related to overextension of subprime mortgage-backed securities led to a significant recession. On September 14, 2007, former Veco CEO Bill Allen testified at the trial of former State House Speaker Pete Kott that Veco paid people working to double the size of Stevens's home. [168], On the Democratic side, Casper City Councilman Keith Goodenough announced his candidacy. 2006 Green Party Senate nominee Chris Lugo originally announced as a Democrat but dropped out of the Democratic race before the filing deadline. On May 8, 2007, Rep. Tom Allen (ME-1) announced his candidacy on his website. Eight incumbent state governors were running for re-election, while the retirements of Ruth Ann Minner of Delaware, Matt Blunt of Missouri, and Mike Easley of North Carolina left those gubernatorial positions open. 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. ", This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 06:45. Date. Each had voted for the Republican nominee in 2004 and contributed to Obama's sizable Electoral College victory. 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. They increased their total number of seats to 257, the largest number of seats held by either party in the House since Democrats lost control of Congress in the 1994 elections. 2008 Nomination Battle. Select a state to learn about its history in the United States Senate Craig found almost no support among Republicans in his home state or Washington. The site also features a series of explainers about how presidents are actually elected in the United States.