2008 United States Senate election in Georgia
 | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
 County Results (Run off) | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Elections in Georgia |
|---|
 |
The 2008 United States Senate election in Georgia took place on November 4, 2008. The run off election took place on December 2, 2008. Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss, first elected in 2002, sought re-election to his position as a United States Senator from Georgia. He was challenged by Democratic nominee Jim Martin and Libertarian nominee Allen Buckley. After a runoff election on December 2, Chambliss was elected.[1][2][3]
The runoff was necessary as neither Chambliss nor Martin, the two major party candidates, had won a majority of the vote in the first round. Early voting hours are set by county, and starts November 17 or November 18. The Georgia Board of Elections maintains a list of times and locations on Georgia Early Voting and Advanced Voting by county. Prior to the runoff, advanced polls were open from November 24 to the 26th.[4] Since the election is a run-off, only those voters who registered in time for the general election could cast ballots.
Election dates
The state party primaries were on July 15, 2008 with primary runoff elections on August 5, 2008. The general election was held on 4 November 2008 and the general election runoff will be held on December 2, 2008 because no candidate received the necessary fifty percent of the vote.[5]
Republican primary
Candidates
- Saxby Chambliss, incumbent U.S. Senator
Results
 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Saxby Chambliss | 392,902 | 100.0 | ||
| Turnout | 392,928 | 100.0 | |||
Democratic primary
The general primary was held July 15, 2008.[6] A run-off between the top two Democratic contenders was held on August 5, in which Jim Martin defeated Vernon Jones.[7]
Candidates
- Jim Martin, former State Representative
- Vernon Jones, businessman, DeKalb County chief executive officer and former State Representative
- Dale Cardwell, TV journalist[8]
- Rand Knight, businessman
- Josh Lanier, Vietnam War veteran and former aide to U.S. Senator Herman Talmadge
Polling
| Source | Date | Cardwell | Jones | Knight | Lanier | Martin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insider Advantage | July 8–9, 2008 | 11% | 20% | 4% | 1% | 31% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | June 27–29, 2008 | 22% | 25% | 14% | 6% | 17% |
| Mellman Group (D) | May 29, 2008 | 7% | 16% | 2% | 3% | 21% |
| Insider Advantage | May 12, 2008 | 14% | 21% | 1% | 5% | 3% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | May 9–11, 2008 | 20% | 28% | 11% | 5% | 15% |
Initial results
Results[9] for the first round showed that since Vernon Jones did not win a majority of the vote, a runoff was held between him and Martin. Martin subsequently won the runoff.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Vernon Jones | 199,026 | 40.4 | |
| Democratic | Jim Martin | 169,635 | 34.4 | |
| Democratic | Dale Cardwell | 79,181 | 16.1 | |
| Democratic | Rand Knight | 25,667 | 5.2 | |
| Democratic | Josh Lanier | 19,717 | 4.0 | |
| Total votes | 493,226 | 100.0 | ||
Run off results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Martin | 191,061 | 59.9 | +25.5 | |
| Democratic | Vernon Jones | 127,993 | 40.1 | −0.3 | |
| Total votes | 319,054 | 100.00 | |||
Initial general election
Candidates
Democratic
Jim Martin, a former State Representative, former State Human Resources Commissioner, Vietnam War veteran, and 2006 nominee for lieutenant governor, is challenging Chambliss for his seat. He has made his support for PeachCare and other social services a signature issue in the campaign[citation needed]. He has made his opposition to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 an issue in the run off[citation needed].
Libertarian
Allen Buckley - Attorney, Accountant, 2004 senate nominee, and 2006 nominee for lieutenant governor. He was eliminated in the general election, but his endorsement was sought by both the Martin and Chambliss campaigns[citation needed].
Republican
Sen. Saxby Chambliss running for re-election for the first time, is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994 and had only one serious election challenge while in the House[citation needed]. He maintains high ratings from conservative interest groups such as the National Rifle Association, and the National Right to Life Committee[citation needed], and correspondingly low marks from liberal interest groups such as the NAACP and ACLU[citation needed]. He has sponsored legislation while in the Senate to replace the income tax with a national sales tax[citation needed].
Predictions
CQ Politics rated this race as 'Tossup'.[10] The Cook Political Report considered it 'Lean Republican'.[11] The Rothenberg Political Report considered it a 'Narrow Advantage for Incumbent Party'.[12]
Polling
Chambliss vs. Martin
| Source | Date | Chambliss (R) | Martin (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | November 2, 2008 | 48% | 46% |
| Survey USA | November 2, 2008 | 48% | 44% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 30, 2008 | 48% | 43% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 22, 2008 | 47% | 45% |
| Survey USA | October 12, 2008 | 46% | 43% |
| Insider Advantage | October 9, 2008 | 45% | 45% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 7, 2008 | 50% | 44% |
| Research 2000[13] | September 29 - October 1, 2008 | 45% | 44% |
| Survey USA | September 29, 2008 | 46% | 44% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 16, 2008 | 50% | 43% |
| Survey USA | September 14–16, 2008 | 53% | 36% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 14, 2008 | 50% | 44% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 21, 2008 | 51% | 40% |
| Strategic Vision | June 29, 2008 | 57% | 28% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 26, 2008 | 52% | 39% |
Chambliss vs. Jones (Hypothetical)
| Source | Date | Chambliss (R) | Jones (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports | July 21, 2008 | 59% | 29% |
| Strategic Vision | June 29, 2008 | 57% | 27% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 26, 2008 | 57% | 30% |
| Strategic Vision | December 12, 2007 | 57% | 27% |
| Rasmussen Report | November 13, 2007 | 55% | 32% |
| Rasmussen Report | September 23, 2007 | 53% | 28% |
| Strategic Vision | June 24, 2007 | 55% | 31% |
| Rasmussen Report | September 23, 2007 | 53% | 28% |
| Strategic Vision | June 24, 2007 | 55% | 31% |
| Insider Advantage | May 23, 2007 | 48% | 31% |
| Strategic Vision | April 7, 2007 | 57% | 29% |
Results
As no candidate reached a majority on November 4, a runoff election was held on December 2, which Chambliss won.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Saxby Chambliss (incumbent) | 1,867,097 | 49.8 | −3.0 | |
| Democratic | Jim Martin | 1,757,393 | 46.8 | +0.9 | |
| Libertarian | Allen Buckley | 127,923 | 3.4 | +2.1 | |
| Socialist Workers | Eleanor Garcia (write-in) | 43 | 0.0 | n/a | |
| Independent | William Salomone, Jr. (write-in) | 29 | 0.0 | n/a | |
| Majority | 109,704 | 2.92 | |||
| Turnout | 3,752,577 | ||||
Run off general election
Candidates
- Chambliss (R)
- Martin (D)
Campaign
Both qualifying candidates' runoff campaigns began in earnest on November 10, when election returns made it clear that a runoff would be required. With an election date of December 2, candidates were given only 3 weeks for additional campaigning.
The Libertarian nominee did not endorse either candidate in the run-off, though both campaigns reportedly inquired about getting Buckley's endorsement[citation needed]. Major political figures such as former President Bill Clinton, Republican Senator and 2008 presidential nominee John McCain and his former running mate Sarah Palin campaigned in Georgia[citation needed], because of the election's potential to determine whether the Democratic Party could block filibusters in the United States Senate. Historically, run-off elections in Georgia have had significantly lower turnout than have general elections[citation needed].
Chambliss's campaign verified that former Republican presidential candidates John McCain and Mike Huckabee would be campaigning in Georgia on the Senator's behalf, and former Democratic Governor and former U.S. Senator Zell Miller endorsed Chambliss. Former President Bill Clinton campaigned on Martin's behalf. Sarah Palin campaigned for the Chambliss campaign on December 1, the eve of the run-off election.[16] President-elect Barack Obama had also been invited by the Democratic campaign but decided against making a stop.[17]
The results of the runoff election were of particular interest to both parties.[citation needed] Subsequent to the November 4 general elections, Democrats had captured 58 seats in the Senate, two shy of a filibuster-proof supermajority. The result of Georgia's runoff election, as well as the results of an extremely close race and recount in Minnesota, would determine whether or not the required majority of 60 seats would be met.[18]
Polling
| Source | Date | Chambliss (R) | Martin (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | November 30, 2008 | 53% | 46% |
| Public Policy Polling | November 23, 2008 | 52% | 46% |
| Rasmussen Reports | November 18, 2008 | 50% | 46% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Saxby Chambliss (incumbent) | 1,228,033 | 57.4 | +7.6 | |
| Democratic | Jim Martin | 909,923 | 42.6 | −4.2 | |
| Majority | 318,110 | 14.8 | |||
| Turnout | 2,137,956 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
References
- ^ [1] CNN News projection
- ^ [2] NBC News projection
- ^ [3] FNC projection
- ^ Elections Division Georgia Secretary of State
- ^ Georgia Elections and Elected Officials
- ^ Unofficial And Incomplete Results of the Tuesday, July 15, 2008 General Primary Election Georgia Secretary of State
- ^ Martin Wins Georgia Dem Runoff, Will Challenge Sen. Chambliss : Roll Call
- ^ "Says Cardwell: Chambliss is 'a borrow-and-spend pawn of the special interests'".
- ^ 7/15/2008 - Federal and Statewide
- ^ Senate CQ Politics
- ^ 2008 Senate Race Ratings Archived November 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine The Cook Political Report, October 9, 2008
- ^ 2008 Senate Ratings The Rothenberg Political Report, October 15, 2008
- ^ Daily Kos: GA-Sen: Holy crap, it *is* tied!
- ^ "Georgia Election Results: United States Senator". Georgia Secretary of State. 2008-11-10. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ "Georgia 2008 General Election". The Green Papers. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ [4]
- ^ Tharpe, Jim (2008-11-11). "Senate runoff fast and furious". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
- ^ Britt, Russ (2008-11-06). "Democrats still have shot at filibuster-proof Senate". Market Watch. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
- ^ "Georgia Election Results". State of Georgia Secretary of State. December 2, 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2008.
External links
- Elections Division from the Georgia Secretary of State
- U.S. Congress candidates for Georgia at Project Vote Smart
- Georgia, U.S. Senate from CQ Politics
- Georgia U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com
- Georgia U.S. Senate race from 2008 Race Tracker
- Campaign contributions for Georgia congressional races from OpenSecrets.org
- Official campaign websites
- Saxby Chambliss, Republican incumbent nominee
- Dale Cardwell, Democratic candidate
- Vernon Jones, Democratic candidate
- Rand Knight, Democratic candidate
- Josh Lanier, Democratic candidate
- Jim Martin, Democratic nominee
- Allen Buckley, Libertarian nominee