[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. 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. However, in the weeks leading up to the 2008 general election, polls showed the race tightening, reflecting a general nationwide trend. 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. In addition, this was the largest Democratic Senate gain since 1986, where they also won eight seats. 2008 Presidential Election 2008 interactive map << 2004 2012 >> The 56th quadrennial United States presidential election was held on November 4, 2008. [90][91] 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. The 2008 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, 2008, with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested. In Oklahoma, senator Jim Inhofe announced that he would seek a third full term. 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. O'Donnell received 140,584 votes (35% of the vote). The 2008 electoral map is above. Senators independent of either party have traditionally chosen for themselves which side of the aisle to sit on. Summary of the November 4, 2008, United States Senate election results. There were several unique aspects of the 2008 election. Udall won the election with 61% of the vote, with Pearce taking 39%. 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. [20] On July 30, 2007, the IRS and FBI raided Stevens's home in Alaska. Begich announced his candidacy for the Senate seat on April 22, 2008. 98%. He won 56% of women voters and 49% of male voters, the latter group important to Republican chances in the race. [119] There was early speculation that North Carolina Governor Mike Easley might be pressured into running against her but this did not come to pass. Tom Udall, the popular Representative from New Mexico's 3rd District, was the Democratic nominee. However, New Hampshire had not elected a Democratic United States senator since 1975. Michigan and Minnesota held elections for their lower, but not upper houses. In December 2007, Chambliss had an approval rating of 53% and a disapproval rating of 34% according to Strategic Vision, a Republican polling firm. Sen. Trent Lott's surprise resignation has opened up the other Mississippi Senate seat in 2008. [159] The prior record, about 62 million, was set in 2004 by George W. Bush. There are typically two reasons a senator might want to change desks: to gain a better location within the Chamber, or to occupy a desk previously used by a particular senator. What If All States Split Their Electoral Votes. 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. In November 2006, the senator had the lowest approval rating of any Democrat running for re-election in 2008 (with 39% approving and 45% disapproving),[108] with his approval standing only at 42% as of September 2007 with voters saying he does not deserve re-election 46%-36%. Incumbent President George W. Bush was ineligible for re-election per the 22nd Amendment, which limits a president to two terms, and incumbent Vice President Dick Cheney declined to run for the office. Franken announced his candidacy on February 14, 2007, more than 20 months before the election. The Republican nominee was Rep. Steve Pearce, who represented the more conservative southern part of the state. The 2008 presidential election focused on a national economic crisis that evolved throughout the race. Roger Wicker, formerly the representative of Mississippi's 1st congressional district, was appointed by Governor Haley Barbour on December 31, 2007, to fill the vacancy caused by the December 18 resignation of Trent Lott. Incumbent Democrat Frank Lautenberg sought re-election in 2008, though he was 84. Tex. This seat was the tipping point state in the 2008 senate elections. Libertarian Robert J. Underwood had 3%. 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. This seating plan is updated at the start of each Congress, and as needed if members change desks or seating locations or if a new senator is sworn in. 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. 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. The 2008 electoral map is above. Sauerberg had 29%. Craig found almost no support among Republicans in his home state or Washington. On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama won the presidential election, making Biden the next VP. The last time a Cherokee Strip existed in the Senate Chamber was during the 76th Congress (19391941). [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. State Representative Joel Dykstra announced his candidacy on July 5, 2007. During the 89th Congress (19651967), four senators were placed in an unusual fifth row behind the Democratic senators. [5] Seven territorial chambers in four territories and the District of Columbia were up. Senator Lindsey Graham, as a popular Republican incumbent in strongly conservative South Carolina, had been considered unlikely to be vulnerable to a Democratic challenge. [109] The Republican nominee was former Congressman and 1996 senatorial candidate Dick Zimmer. [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. 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. Midterm Election Map 2018: Live Results - ABC News Follow hourly state-by-state senate, governor and house results and see who is in the lead Democrats or Republicans. Collins was re-elected with 58% of the vote in 2002 over State Sen. Chellie Pingree. Congress. McCains victory in South Carolina, Florida, and in key states on Super Tuesday created an clear path to the nomination. [67] but failed to obtain the required candidacy signatures. 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. His Democratic opponent was Chris Rothfuss, a professor at the University of Wyoming and a chemical engineer, nanotechnologist, and diplomat. He has announced he will seek a second term in 2008. Kaufman subsequently announced that he would not seek election to a full term in 2010, effectively making him a caretaker. [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]. National security and foreign policy issues took a back seat to the economy due to an unraveling financial crisis. 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. When a seat became open, the first senator to speak for it won the right to it. 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. Popular vote totals generally gathered from state Certificates of Ascertainment and/or results posted directly by individual states. This was the first time the party nominated a candidate for statewide office. Projects. 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. In nine races the margin of victory was under 10%. [80] Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, a professor at the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota), joined the race in October 2007. In the Primary, Lautenberg soundly defeated Representative Rob Andrews (NJ-1) by a margin of 62% to 32%. Senate Big Board - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times State Results Alaska Ariz. Calif. Colo. Conn. D.C. Hawaii Idaho Md. Martin, current Georgia Commissioner of Human Resources, former member of the Georgia General Assembly, Vietnam War veteran, and 2006 candidate for lieutenant governor, secured the Democratic nomination after defeating DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones by a 59% to 41% margin in the August 5 run-off election. Obama won nearly all major demographic groups on his way to victory. Since 2003 (108th Congress, 1st Session), the Senate has provided interactive seating plans to identify where each of the 100 members sit in the Chamber and which historic desk they use. This map is shaded by how large the popular vote difference was between the two nominees. Republicans were unsuccessful in persuading Governor Mike Rounds and former Lieutenant Governor Steve Kirby to run. On November 24, 2008, Governor Minner appointed Biden's longtime Chief of Staff Ted Kaufman to fill the seat. 2023 Electoral Ventures LLC. There were also two special elections, the winners of those seats would finish the terms that ended January 3, 2013. Senator Obama won the number of electors necessary to be elected president and was inaugurated on January 20, 2009.[3]. In a state that had been trending to the Democratic party recently, senator Tom Harkin faced the Republican nominee, small business owner Christopher Reed, whom he defeated with 63% of the vote to Reed's 37%. Gordon Smith formally conceded soon afterward. [131], On November 6, 2008, Jeff Merkley was projected the winner of the contest, with 48.9% to Smith's 45.6%. He selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate to counter arguments that McCains age would be a detriment to presidential service. Five Republicans retired rather than seek re-election. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Map of the 2008 Senate races using the latest state polls. On May 8, 2007, Rep. Tom Allen (ME-1) announced his candidacy on his website. 51 of 100 Seats Needed for Majority Current Senate: 53 ( D ); 45 ( R ); 2 ( I ) Blue Democratic Win Red Republican Win Yellow Other Party Win Light Teal Partial Results Dark Gray No Results Light. On November 4, 2008, Chambliss received 49.8% of the vote,[42] with Martin about 3% behind and Buckley receiving 3% of the vote. Date. Is It Realistic to Abolish the Electoral College? iOS and Web Dev UCSB CS c/o 2024 Project List. It was rumored that Lt. The Electoral College is the process in which the United States elects its president. Graham easily bested Witherspoon in the June 10 primary.[136]. Justices Opened Door to Gerrymander Presidential Elections, How Trump Could Win Re-Election By One Electoral Vote, 3 Myths About Abolishing the Electoral College, 5 Reasons to Abolish the Electoral College, Another Look at the 2020 Battleground States, Imagining the 2024 Electoral Map After Redistricting, The Electoral College Penalizes Voters In High Turnout States, The Winner-Take-All Electoral College Isnt In the Constitution. Note: The % column reflects the change in total number of votes won by each party from the previous election. Voter turnout for the 2008 election was the highest in at least 40 years. [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]. 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. As of 2023, this is the latest round in which a newly-elected U.S. [154], In the end, John Cornyn won re-election, 55%-43%, John Warner announced on August 31, 2007, that he would not seek re-election for another term. Build your own road to 270 starting with a map of reliably red and blue states, as well as the battlegrounds CNN is tracking . Hagan's poll numbers continued to best Dole's, however, and Hagan defeated Dole by a wider than expected[123] margin of 53% to 44%. On August 27, 2007, state Treasurer John Neely Kennedy announced he was switching parties from Democrat to Republican. States shown here did not allocate all their available electoral votes to one candidate. The presence of a serious third party candidate further complicated matters. New Hampshire also saw major Democratic gains in the 2006 elections, when Democrats took both of the previously Republican-held House seats, the gubernatorial race with a record vote share of 74%, and majorities in the State House and Senate, giving them concurrent control of both bodies for the first time since 1874. Barkley, who had briefly been appointed Senator after the death of Paul Wellstone in 2002, ran under the banner of the Independence Party, the largest third party in Minnesota. [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. These elections marked the first time since 1964 in which a Democratic presidential candidate who won the White House had a Senate coattail effect. There was speculation as to whether the outgoing Governor, Ruth Ann Minner, or the incoming Governor-elect Jack Markell would make the appointment, and if Biden's son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden would receive the appointment. Roberts was re-elected with 60% to Slattery's 36%. The major theme during the campaign was the American public's general desire of change and reform from both Washington and the policies of President Bush. [110][111] Furthermore, in the wake of the financial crisis, Carl Peter Klapper entered the race as a write-in candidate.[112]. Two senators from each state are elected to represent their state. On the Senate side, the committees are the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). Republican. 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. [160] Polling showed him as a strong favorite to win the seat. Pryor is the son of longtime U.S. senator and former Arkansas Governor David Pryor. [citation needed] Franken was sworn in as Minnesota's junior senator on July 7. Outgoing Republican President George W. Bush's policies and actions and the American public's desire for change were key issues throughout the campaign. . McCain suggested that government-aided bodies like the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) failed to offset these risks. A Brief History of Electoral College Reform Efforts, The New Electoral Map After the 2020 Census, How the 2020 Election Could End In an Electoral Tie, The Electoral College Is Not About The Little Guy, Faithless Electors are a Ticking Time Bomb Waiting to Explode. The 2008 United States elections were held on November 4. Obama opposed the Iraq invasion and argued for a 16-month timetable for removing troops and reinforcing troops in Afghanistan. www.senate.gov. The states are not interactive on the map unless the split is . to easily win re-election. However, Georgia proceeded to a runoff election where the Republican candidate won by over 10%. During the presidential election campaign, the major-party candidates ran on a platform of change and reform in Washington. Senator to ever lose re-election, defeating Warren Magnuson's 1980 record. Today, Democrats traditionally sit on the presiding officer's right, and Republicans on the left. All Rights Reserved. Incumbent Republican John E. Sununu represented the swing state of New Hampshire. Barkley received 437,404 votes, about 15% of total votes cast.[84]. [91] Controversy arose when Barbour called for the special election to be held on the same day as the general election. Haley Barbour (R) named Rep. Roger Wicker (R . 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. As of 2023, Stevens still holds this record. Utah. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The 2008 presidential election was the first since 1952 in which neither an incumbent president nor an incumbent vice president was a candidate. Obama became the nations first African American president with his victory. In 1988 and 2000, the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominees Lloyd Bentsen and Joe Lieberman, ran similarly for their seat in Texas and Connecticut, respectively. The 2008 election was the first in 56 years in which neither an incumbent president nor a vice president ran Bush was constitutionally limited from seeking a third term by the Twenty-second Amendment; Vice President Dick Cheney chose not to seek the presidency. Democrats held at least 57 seats as a result of the election. 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. Physician Steve Sauerberg of La Grange won the February 5 Republican primary. R+46. Going into these elections, the Senate consisted of 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and two Independents who caucused with the Democrats, giving the Democratic caucus the slightest 5149 majority. "The enduring allure of charisma: How Barack Obama won the historic 2008 presidential election. Oct. 05: Senate Races. . The same Rasmussen poll showed Cornyn leading Noriega by a narrow four percentage points - 47% to 43%. Wolfe had 36%. 2008 Election Map: Senate By MATTHEW BLOCH, FARHANA HOSSAIN, CARL HULSE, JOHN MCGRATH AND DEREK WILLIS [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. The goal of having two senators per state is to have each state equally represented in the senate. 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. CQpolitics.com rated the contest as "safe Democrat.". The South Carolina Working Families Party had also nominated Michael Cone. After that, senators have the opportunity to relocate. 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. This marked the first time that Nebraska has split its electoral vote since it moved away from the winner-take-all method in 1992. Democrats made Senate Minority Leader, four-term senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky 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%.[61].