2008 United States Senate election in Iowa

United States Senate election in Iowa, 2008

November 4, 2008

File:Christopher Reed announcment1-300x226 (cropped) 2.jpg Nominee Tom Harkin Christopher Reed Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 941,665 560,006 Percentage 62.7% 37.3%

County results Harkin:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Reed:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Tom Harkin Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Tom Harkin Democratic

The 2008 United States Senate election in Iowa was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Democratic United States Senator Tom Harkin sought re-election to a fifth term in the United States Senate. Unlike all of Harkin's previous bids for re-election, he was not challenged by a sitting United States Congressman this year, instead facing small businessman Christopher Reed, who won the Republican primary by just a few hundred votes.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Tom Harkin, incumbent United States Senator

Results

Democratic primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Tom Harkin (incumbent)	90,785	98.83%
	Democratic	Write-ins	1,074	1.17%
Total votes			91,859	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

• George Eichhorn, former Iowa State Representative
• Steve Rathje, construction company executive
• Christopher Reed, small businessman

Results

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Christopher Reed	24,964	35.32%
	Republican	George Eichhorn	24,390	34.52%
	Republican	Steve Rathje	21,062	29.80%
	Republican	Write-ins	256	0.36%
Total votes			70,672	100.00%

General election

Polling

Governor Chet Culver campaigning for Senator Harkin

Poll Source	Christopher Reed (R)	Tom Harkin (D)	Dates administered
Survey USA	20%	59%	April 21–23, 2008
Research 2000	37%	53%	June 10, 2008
Rasmussen Reports	37%	55%	July 10, 2008
Rasmussen Reports	36%	60%	August 7, 2008
Rasmussen Reports	37%	60%	September 17–18, 2008
Survey USA	41%	57%	October 23, 2008
Rasmussen Reports	35%	61%	October 29, 2008

Results

United States Senate election in Iowa, 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Tom Harkin (Incumbent)	941,665	62.66%	+8.48%
	Republican	Christopher Reed	560,006	37.26%	−6.52%
	Write-ins		1,247	0.08%
Majority			381,659	25.39%	+15.00%
Turnout			1,502,918
	Democratic hold		Swing