Senator Jay Rockefeller, great-grandson of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, sought a fifth term representing West Virginia. During the 60th Congress (19071909), 10 Republicans sat on the Democratic side, while during the 75th Congress (19371939), 13 Democrats sat on the Republican side. 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 Republicans, who openly conceded early on that they wouldn't be able to regain the majority in this election,[3][4] lost eight seats. 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. [18], An ex-oil company executive, Bill Allen, paid for part of the renovation costs on Stevens's personal residence. On Jan. 1, 2008, Gov. Kennedy took 20.47%. 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. 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. 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. O'Donnell received 140,584 votes (35% of the vote). A December 2007 poll showed Coleman's approval rating among Minnesota voters at 53%. Source: Election results from National Election Pool/Edison Research (Nov. 3, 2020: U.S. Senate) and The Associated Press (Jan. 5, 2021: U.S. Senate) Race calls from The . 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. The 2008 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, 2008, with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested. Two senators from each state are elected to represent their state. Merkley beat longtime Democratic activist Steve Novick and three other candidates in a hotly contested primary. Current Senate: 47* Democrats | 53 Republicans. [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. 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. . Haley Barbour (R) named Rep. Roger Wicker (R . It was also the first time two sitting senators ran against each other. On August 27, 2007, state Treasurer John Neely Kennedy announced he was switching parties from Democrat to Republican. [7] Figures has won elections in the Republican-leaning Mobile area. [137] 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. 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. Businessman and U.S. Army veteran Bruce Lunsford, who lost the 2007 Democratic gubernatorial primary to Governor Steve Beshear, was the Democratic nominee. 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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. [20] On July 30, 2007, the IRS and FBI raided Stevens's home in Alaska. Nebraska state Green Party Co-Chairman Steve Larrick was also a candidate,[101] as was Kelly Rosberg of the Nebraska Party. Haley Barbour (R) named Rep. Roger Wicker (R . 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). When a seat became open, the first senator to speak for it won the right to it. In Nebraska, incumbent Republican Chuck Hagel chose to retire rather than run for a third term. Former Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander was elected in 2002 to succeed retiring senator Fred Thompson. [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. He also disconnected himself from the Bush administration, which became unpopular due to the financial crisis and the ongoing conflict in Iraq. Obama campaigned on cutting low-income and middle-income taxes and raising upper-income tax rates, while McCain supported tax cuts at all income levels. Projected Senate: Dem 58 GOP 42 : Main page: Previous report: Next report: Senate polls Web.csv . Nevertheless, Stevens was narrowly ahead in the vote count after election day, with only about two-thirds of all votes counted. However, New Hampshire had not elected a Democratic United States senator since 1975. Alabama senator Jeff Sessions sought re-election to a third term. It only became clear Begich had prevailed when early votes, absentee ballots, and questioned ballots were counted. 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 South Carolina Working Families Party had also nominated Michael Cone. The assignment of these desks is governed by a series of Senate resolutions. On October 19, 2007, Johnson formally announced that he was seeking re-election. [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. To win the presidency, a candidate must win a majority of all electors. 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. For more information please visit. In this cycle the DSCC was more successful at fundraising. Obama won his party's presidential nomination after defeating Senator Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primaries. Palins selection initially bumped McCains popularity, though gaffes on the campaign trail offset this boost. Email the Senate Curator, curator@sec.senate.gov. All Rights Reserved. [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. ", Campbell, James E. "An exceptional election: Performance, values, and crisis in the 2008 presidential election. McCain and Obama differed on the presence of American troops in Iraq. This seat was the tipping point state in the 2008 senate elections. Sauerberg had 29%. Tom Udall, the popular Representative from New Mexico's 3rd District, was the Democratic nominee. [167] Wyoming law requires that the interim senator be affiliated with the same political party as the departed senator. States in the Senate. [153] In addition, the Green Party of Texas sought ballot access for its candidate David B. 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. All Rights Reserved. During the presidential election campaign, the major-party candidates ran on a platform of change and reform in Washington. 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. When the new senators were first sworn in, the balance was 5841 in favor of the Democrats, with the unresolved election in Minnesota causing that seat to remain vacant. Obama opposed the Iraq invasion and argued for a 16-month timetable for removing troops and reinforcing troops in Afghanistan. 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. The goal of having two senators per state is to have each state equally represented in the senate. In nine races the margin of victory was under 10%. Use the interactive map tool to predict the winners of the 2014 senate elections and share with your friends! 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. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. George LeMieux was appointed to replace Mel Martinez upon his resignation. Graham easily bested Witherspoon in the June 10 primary.[136]. 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. Politics Coronavirus Jan. 6 Riot International Entertainment Business Technology Lifestyle Health On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama won the presidential election, making Biden the next VP. Kaufman subsequently announced that he would not seek election to a full term in 2010, effectively making him a caretaker. 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. This map is shaded by how large the popular vote difference was between the two nominees. Two senators from each state are elected to represent their state. Is It Realistic to Abolish the Electoral College? 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.