On May 8, 2007, Rep. Tom Allen (ME-1) announced his candidacy on his website. Obama received more votes than any candidate in history. www.senate.gov. Voter turnout for the 2008 election was the highest in at least 40 years. 2008 Election Map: Senate By MATTHEW BLOCH, FARHANA HOSSAIN, CARL HULSE, JOHN MCGRATH AND DEREK WILLIS [32], Other candidates included Bob Kinsey of Denver as the Green Party nominee,[33] Douglas "Dayhorse" Campbell as the American Constitution Party's nominee,[34] and Independent candidate Buddy Moore, unaffiliated any party.[35]. Incumbent Republican Thad Cochran announced that he would seek re-election for a sixth term. 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. Republicans were unsuccessful in persuading Governor Mike Rounds and former Lieutenant Governor Steve Kirby to run. Former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway was rumored to be considering a run, but declined to do so. The Upshot's Senate forecasting model uses a combination of polling data and a fundamentals model that includes among other things candidate political experience, money raised, and state . Congress. Alabama senator Jeff Sessions sought re-election to a third term. [163] Democrats Sheirl Fletcher and Billy Hendricks challenged Rockefeller in the primary but were defeated. Biden's Republican opponent in the Senate race, conservative political commentator Christine O'Donnell, tried to make an issue of Biden's dual campaigns, claiming that serving his constituents is not important to him. By December 2007, a credit crisis related to overextension of subprime mortgage-backed securities led to a significant recession. [80] Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, a professor at the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota), joined the race in October 2007. [138] However, because he lost the Democratic primary, Cone was not listed on the ballot under the state's sore loser law.[139]. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Popular vote totals generally gathered from state Certificates of Ascertainment and/or results posted directly by individual states. 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 . Barkley received 437,404 votes, about 15% of total votes cast.[84]. . 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. Image Reproduction Requests. Today, at the beginning of each Congress, senators are given the option to change their seats based on seniority. Elections to state legislatures were held on November 4, 2008, alongside other elections, in which Democrats scored significant gains in a blue wave election. Two senators from each state are elected to represent their state. The candidates sparred through the June 3 primaries despite Obama securing enough delegates to win the nomination earlier in the race. [7] Figures has won elections in the Republican-leaning Mobile area. [158] Former Governor Jim Gilmore, who dropped out of the 2008 presidential election, was the Republican nominee for the seat. It is not clear whether Barkley detracted more votes from Coleman or Franken. The United States Senate is the upper legislature of the bicameral legislative branch. [47] 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 airport for soliciting sex with a man in the restroom. Popular vote totals generally gathered from state Certificates of Ascertainment and/or results posted directly by individual states. Historically, the Senate Chamber desks were assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. 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. Obama also offered the chance for voters to elect the nations first African American president and a relatively young president at 47 years old. 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 Republican nominee was Rep. Steve Pearce, who represented the more conservative southern part of the state. Wolfe had 36%. RCP Senate Map Race Changes; Senate No Toss Ups Race Changes; RCP House Map; 49: Democrats * Dykstra won the Republican primary on June 3. Obama argued that deregulation of the financial industry led to risky trading mechanisms contributing to the crisis. [20] On July 30, 2007, the IRS and FBI raided Stevens's home in Alaska. 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. PDF Help | Map of the 2008 Senate races using the latest state polls. 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. 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. In Oklahoma, senator Jim Inhofe announced that he would seek a third full term. Oct. 14: Senate Races. The Electoral College is the process in which the United States elects its president. [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. Democrats held at least 57 seats as a result of the election. McCain, who supported the initial Iraq invasion, opposed establishing a removal date for all troops. 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. First-time candidate Bob Conley, an airline pilot, was the Democratic nominee. 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. 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. [134] National Journal has declared that "Reed is probably the safest incumbent of the 2008 cycle". [161], When asked whether the Republicans were abandoning their hopes of holding onto Warner'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]. to easily win re-election. The site was created by Taegan Goddard, who runs a network of political websites including Political Wire, Political Job Hunt and the Political Dictionary. He sought to be re-elected in a state that has steadily become more Democratic since 1992. 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%. [citation needed] Franken was sworn in as Minnesota's junior senator on July 7. [66] Republican author and conservative activist Jerome Corsi, known for his public criticism of Kerry, had stated that he would run for the seat in 2008 but later changed his mind. 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. Merkley beat longtime Democratic activist Steve Novick and three other candidates in a hotly contested primary. [62] Nevertheless, McConnell was re-elected by a margin of 53% to 47%. Senate Catalogue of Graphic Art 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 split can be edited in this table. This was the first presidential election year since 1964 when the Democratic Party won the White House and had coattails in the Senate and House of Representatives. McCains victory in South Carolina, Florida, and in key states on Super Tuesday created an clear path to the nomination. iOS and Web Dev UCSB CS c/o 2024 Project List. [8][9] Perry was endorsed by Alabama Statesmen,[10] Boston Tea Party,[11] and Christians for Life and Liberty. George LeMieux was appointed to replace Mel Martinez upon his resignation. McCain won Nebraska but Obama earned an electoral vote by winning the popular vote in the 2nd Congressional District. This election was the second cycle in a row in which no seats switched from Democratic to Republican, and the first since 1990 in which the Democrats retained all their seats. This marked the first time that Nebraska has split its electoral vote since it moved away from the winner-take-all method in 1992. The Senate seat in Connecticut is counted as a . Green Party Senate Candidate Chris Lugo Urges Inclusion in Debates. Libertarian Kent Marmon also ran. Senator, Kay Hagan, has since died. Additionally, they won Republican-held open seats in Colorado, New Mexico, and Virginia. [54] Chad Koppie, a retired airline pilot and vice-chairman of the Illinois Center Right Coalition, was the nominee of the Constitution Party. 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. ", Bligh, Michelle C., and Jeffrey C. Kohles. [67] but failed to obtain the required candidacy signatures. Interactive USA election map for past results and future projections. Democrats picked up net gains of eight Senate seats and 21 seats in the House of Representatives on the back of Obama's coattail effect. Sections Sections Top Stories Video Live U.S. 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. [50] The last Democratic senator from Idaho was Frank Church, who was defeated in the Republican landslide of 1980 after serving four terms. [110][111] Furthermore, in the wake of the financial crisis, Carl Peter Klapper entered the race as a write-in candidate.[112]. Other Republicans included Charles Lyonel Gonyo and Sam Kephart. 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. Obama received more votes than any candidate in history. Oct. 05: Senate Races. Use the interactive map tool to predict the winners of the 2014 senate elections and share with your friends! [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. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (D) won the presidency by defeating Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) on November 4, 2008. After that, senators have the opportunity to relocate. Incumbent Republican Mike Enzi was considered likely to be re-elected without significant opposition for a third term in strongly Republican Wyoming. ", This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 06:45. 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. Michigan and Minnesota held elections for their lower, but not upper houses. Despite being a first-term senator in a state George W. Bush won twice, Democrat Mark Pryor faced no opposition from Republicans in his re-election bid. 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. When a seat became open, the first senator to speak for it won the right to it. Click on the states in the map to toggle them between Democrat, Republican and Tossup. Email the Senate Curator, curator@sec.senate.gov. Senate Map - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times Senate Map Big Board Map Democrat 7 seats gained Majority Party undecided Republican 7 Seats lost 51 needed for majority Includes 39. Such seating became known as the Cherokee Strip, a reference to the region in Oklahoma with land that at the time belonged neither to the Indian Territory nor the United States. 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. Durbin won with 68% of the vote. He won 56% of women voters and 49% of male voters, the latter group important to Republican chances in the race. On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama won the presidential election, making Biden the next VP. Latinos and the 2008 Presidential Election. Inhofe was re-elected, 57% to 39%. A September 2007 poll put Inhofe's approval rating at 47%, with 41% disapproving of his performance. This map is shaded by how large the popular vote difference was between the two nominees. 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. Each desk was custom made for a particular location within the Chamber. Republicans need a net gain of four seats in November to win control of the Senate. Controls. *Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) caucus with Democrats. It was also the first time the Republican Party nominated a woman for Vice President (Sarah Palin, then-Governor of Alaska). On November 29, after being personally recruited by Vitter and former Bush administration official Karl Rove, Kennedy announced plans to challenge Landrieu in 2008.[63][64]. He filed as an independent and was subsequently named as the Green Party nominee[146] Edward Buck was also in the race. He was expected[by whom?] This seat was the tipping point state in the 2008 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. President George W. Bush (R) was unable to seek re-election due to term limits, leaving open nominating processes for both major parties. [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. 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. [120] The Democratic nominee was state senator Kay Hagan,[121] who defeated Jim Neal and Dustin Lassiter in the Democratic primary. Obama won early votes in Iowa, Nevada, and South Carolina, while Clinton secured primary wins in Florida and Michigan. As of 2023, Stevens still holds this record. Sununu's 2002 opponent, former Governor Jeanne Shaheen, decided to run and was generally considered to be a very formidable challenger. Popular Democratic former Governor Mark Warner (no relation) was the Democratic nominee for the race. As of 2023, this is the latest round in which a newly-elected U.S. The 2008 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, 2008, with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested. Nevertheless, Stevens was narrowly ahead in the vote count after election day, with only about two-thirds of all votes counted. The Republicans, who openly conceded early on that they wouldn't be able to regain the majority in this election,[3][4] lost eight seats. The April 2009 party switch of Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter from Republican to Democrat and the July 2009 resolution of the Minnesota election in favor of Democrat Al Franken increased the Democratic majority to 6040 (providing the Democrats, including the two Independent senators who caucus with them, a supermajority and thus able to hypothetically over-ride any filibusters). At the start of each Congress, the desks are reapportioned between the two aisles of the Chamber based on the number of Democrats and Republicans. These elections marked the first time since 1964 in which a Democratic presidential candidate who won the White House had a Senate coattail effect. What If All States Split Their Electoral Votes. Franken announced his candidacy on February 14, 2007, more than 20 months before the election. [43] However, Georgia law stated that if no candidate receives a simple majority of the popular vote, then the election will be decided in a run-off. South Dakota was the tipping point state, decided by a margin of 25.0%. 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. The 2008 presidential election was the first since 1952 in which neither an incumbent president nor an incumbent vice president was a candidate. 2006 Green Party Senate nominee Chris Lugo originally announced as a Democrat but dropped out of the Democratic race before the filing deadline. Once, during the 1950s, when Senator Wayne Morse of Oregon had left the Republican Party but not yet joined the Democratic Party, he placed his chair temporarily in the middle of the center aisle in order to demonstrate his independence. [88] Cochran, who has not faced serious opposition since he was re-elected in 1984, faced Democratic state Representative Erik R. Fleming, whom he defeated with 61% of the vote. The 2008 presidential election focused on a national economic crisis that evolved throughout the race. [82][83] He was included in most of the debates and ultimately received 15% of the vote in the general election, a strong showing for a third party candidate. 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. Haley Barbour (R) named Rep. Roger Wicker (R . The 33 seats in the United States Senate Class 2 were up for election, plus special Senate elections in Mississippi and Wyoming. In the Primary, Lautenberg soundly defeated Representative Rob Andrews (NJ-1) by a margin of 62% to 32%. Collins. [53] Kathy Cummings, a retired special education teacher was nominated via convention by the Green Party. The 2008 electoral map is above. . Lieutenant Governor Jim Risch was the Republican candidate; U.S. Army veteran and former congressman Larry LaRocco was the Democratic candidate. Explore the current seating plan below, use the dropdown for access to past interactive seating plans, or browse PDFs of seating configurations from before 2003. 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. McCain still won the white vote, though Obamas share of the vote was large enough to win in some Republican areas. Each had voted for the Republican nominee in 2004 and contributed to Obama's sizable Electoral College victory. Which States Split Their Electoral Votes? Date. Palins selection initially bumped McCains popularity, though gaffes on the campaign trail offset this boost. Localized groups supporting Obama and Biden were able to sign up through the main campaign site, which gathered contact info for mobilization purposes. Mich. Minn. Miss. Obama and U.S. As of 2023, this is the last time Democrats won U.S. Senate seats in Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Dakota. 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. Current Senate: 47* Democrats | 53 Republicans. 2023 Electoral Ventures LLC. Please enter a name, party, and color for each candidate. Democrat. Is It Realistic to Abolish the Electoral College? 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 . Projected Senate: Dem 58 GOP 42 : Main page: Previous report: Next report: Senate polls Web.csv . President Map - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times Election Results 2008 President Map Big Board Map Electoral Explorer Obama: Victory Speech McCain: Concession Speech Exit Polls. 98%. Obama became the nations first African American president with his victory. Five Republicans sought re-election but lost in the general election. Louisiana's electoral votes easily went to George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. In these special elections, the winner was seated during 2008 or before January 3, 2009, sorted by election date, then state, then class. Contact | For the Georgia senate race, votes from the runoff election are counted. Obama won the general election with 52.9 percent of the popular vote and 365 of the 538 electoral votes. [92] Initially, a Mississippi Circuit Court judge sided with Hood, ruling that the election take place on or before March 19, 2008. 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. [115] The potential scandal may have also contributed to his decision to leave the Senate. After Shaheen's entry, however, all three withdrew and endorsed the former governor. The first month of the Republican primaries was competitive with Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee securing a victory in the Iowa caucus and McCain winning New Hampshire. The 2008 United States elections were held on November 4. With Republican President George W. Bush term-limited, Senator John McCain of Arizona won the Republican nomination in the 2008 Republican primaries. Additionally, votes cast for Paul Wellstone in the 2002 election are not factored into the DFL's total from that year. There were 20 freshman Senators in the 111th United States Congress. Special elections during the 110th Congress, Special elections during the next Congress, Official Ballot; General Election; Tuesday, November 4, 2008; Ottawa County, Michigan; Holland Chater Township, Absent Voter Counting Board, Precinct 13B, Official results for 2008 primary elections, New Jersey Division of Elections (, elections for all House of Representatives seats, January 2010 special election in Massachusetts, November 4, 2008, United States Senate election, U.S. Senate Popular Vote and FEC Total Receipts by Party, "The Green Papers 2008 U.S. Senate Popular Vote and FEC Total Receipts by Party", 2010 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, 2008 United States Senate election in Alabama, List of United States senators from Alabama, 2008 United States Senate election in Alaska, List of United States senators from Alaska, 2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas, List of United States senators from Arkansas, 2008 United States Senate election in Colorado, List of United States senators from Colorado, 2008 United States Senate election in Delaware, List of United States senators from Delaware, 2008 United States Senate election in Georgia, List of United States senators from Georgia, 2008 United States Senate election in Idaho, List of United States senators from Idaho, 2008 United States Senate election in Illinois, List of United States senators from Illinois, 2008 United States Senate election in Iowa, 2008 United States Senate election in Kansas, List of United States senators from Kansas, 2008 United States Senate election in Kentucky, List of United States senators from Kentucky, 2008 United States Senate election in Louisiana, List of United States senators from Louisiana, 2008 United States Senate election in Maine, List of United States senators from Maine, 2008 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, List of United States senators from Massachusetts, 2008 United States Senate election in Michigan, List of United States senators from Michigan, 2008 United States Senate election in Minnesota, List of United States senators from Minnesota, List of United States senators from Mississippi, 2008 United States Senate election in Mississippi, 2008 United States Senate special election in Mississippi, 2008 United States Senate election in Montana, List of United States senators from Montana, 2008 United States Senate election in Nebraska, List of United States senators from Nebraska, 2008 United States Senate election in New Hampshire, List of United States senators from New Hampshire, 2008 United States Senate election in New Jersey, List of United States senators from New Jersey, 2008 United States Senate election in New Mexico, List of United States senators from New Mexico, 2008 United States Senate election in North Carolina, List of United States senators from North Carolina, 2008 United States Senate election in Oklahoma, List of United States senators from Oklahoma, 2008 United States Senate election in Oregon, List of United States senators from Oregon, 2008 United States Senate election in Rhode Island, List of United States senators from Rhode Island, 2008 United States Senate election in South Carolina, List of United States senators from South Carolina, 2008 United States Senate election in South Dakota, List of United States senators from South Dakota, 2008 United States Senate election in Tennessee, List of United States senators from Tennessee, 2008 United States Senate election in Texas, List of United States senators from Texas, 2008 United States Senate election in Virginia, List of United States senators from Virginia, 2008 United States Senate election in West Virginia, List of United States senators from West Virginia, List of United States senators from Wyoming, 2008 United States Senate election in Wyoming, 2008 United States Senate special election in Wyoming, 2008 United States gubernatorial elections, 2008 United States House of Representatives elections, Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 2008", "Ensign Fumes Over Failed GOP Fundraising Effort", "Sparks says he won't seek U.S. Senate seat", "Certified Primary Election Results: Republican Party", "Certified Primary Election Results: Democratic Party", "Certified General Election Results without write-in appendix", "STATISTICS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL AND CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 4, 2008", "Feds eye Stevens's home remodeling project", "Oil exec: Workers remodeled Stevens home", "Jury finds Stevens guilty on corruption charges", "Begich to officially enter race vs. Stevens", "Senators back Stevens despite FBI probe", "Arkansas Sen. Pryor Now Safe, as GOP Fails to Field Challenger", http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/ElectionArchives/2008/2008_Abstract.pdf, "Shift puts key state issues in question", "American Constitution Party Colorado Candidates", "Georgia Election Results: United States Senator", "Local and National Election Results - Election Center 2008 - Elections & Politics from CNN.com", "As Craig's Problems Continue, Focus Turns to Possible 2008 Idaho Senate Race Without Him", "Illinois Green Party chooses retired teacher as senate candidate", "Sen. McConnell In A Tough Race In Kentucky", "Treasurer bolts to GOP - Breaking News Updates New Orleans", "Ogonowski set to battle Kerry for Senate seat", "Canvassing Report of Votes Cast at the State General Election, November 4, 2008", "Canvassing Board MeetingNov.