2008 United States Senate election in Alabama

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2008 United States Senate election in Alabama
Flag of Alabama.svg
←  2002 November 4, 2008 2014  →
  Jeff Sessions official portrait.jpg Vivian Figures.jpg
Nominee Jeff Sessions Vivian Davis Figures
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote1,305,383752,391
Percentage63.36%36.52%
2008 United States Senate election in Alabama results map by county.svg
2008 Alabama Senate by congressional district.svg
2008 AL Senate.svg
Sessions:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     90%
Figures:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     90%
Tie:      50%
U.S. senator before election

Jeff Sessions
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Jeff Sessions
Republican

The 2008 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 4, 2008, to elect one of Alabama's members to the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions won re-election to a third term.

Contents

Background

Since 1980, Alabama voters have increasingly voted for Republican candidates at the Federal level, especially in Presidential elections. By contrast, Democratic candidates have been elected to many state-level offices and, until 2010, comprised a longstanding majority in the Alabama Legislature; see Dixiecrat.

In the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush won Alabama's nine electoral votes by a margin of 25 percentage points with 62.5% of the vote. The eleven counties that voted Democratic are part of the Black Belt counties, where African Americans are the majority racial group.

On January 10, 2007, Rep. Artur Davis announced that he would not run for the seat. [1] Despite voting heavily for George W. Bush in 2004, Alabama still had a strong Democratic presence in 2008, and Democrats controlled majorities in both chambers in the Alabama Legislature. Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Ron Sparks appeared to be preparing for a run, but on June 12, 2007, he announced that he would not seek the Senate seat, in order to avoid a primary battle with State Senator Vivian Davis Figures. [2]

Primary elections were held on June 3. [3]

Republican primary

Sessions' approval rating was 56% in December 2007. [4]

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Jeff Sessions (incumbent) 199,690 92.27%
Republican Earl Mack Gavin16,7187.73%
Total votes216,408 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

County results Alabama Senate D Primary 2008.svg
County results
Democratic primary results [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Vivian Davis Figures 112,074 63.72%
Democratic Johnny Swanson38,75722.03%
Democratic Mark Townsend25,05814.25%
Total votes175,889 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [9] Safe ROctober 23, 2008
CQ Politics [10] Safe ROctober 31, 2008
Rothenberg Political Report [11] Safe RNovember 2, 2008
Real Clear Politics [12] Safe RNovember 4, 2008

Polling

Poll sourceDates administeredVivian Davis
Figures (D)		Jeff
Sessions (R)
SurveyUSA [13] August 25–27, 200737%59%
Rasmussen Reports [14] November 14, 200730%62%
Rasmussen Reports [15] April 2, 200836%57%
Rasmussen Reports [16] May 27, 200829%62%
Rasmussen Reports [17] June 30, 200834%58%
Rasmussen Reports [18] July 31, 200831%58%
Survey USA [19] September 16–17, 200831%66%
Survey USA [20] October 8–9, 200833%64%
Survey USA [21] October 27–28, 200832%65%

Results

2008 United States Senate election in Alabama [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Jeff Sessions (incumbent) 1,305,383 63.36%
Democratic Vivian Davis Figures 752,39136.52%
Write-in 2,4170.12%
Total votes2,060,191 100.00%
Republican hold

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Davis Won't Challenge Stevens". WTOK-TV. Associated Press. January 9, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Sparks says he won't seek U.S. Senate seat". The Birmingham News . June 12, 2007. Retrieved June 13, 2007.
  3. ↑ Election Dates Archived December 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine from the Alabama Secretary of State]
  4. ↑ December 2007 SurveyUSA poll
  5. ↑ "Certified Primary Election Results: Republican Party" (PDF). Alabama Republican Party. June 13, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Certified Primary Election Results: Democratic Party" (PDF). Alabama Democratic Party. June 17, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
  7. ↑ senate.dwp2016.org Archived July 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "al.com". Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
  9. ↑ "2008 Senate Race ratings for October 23, 2008". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  10. ↑ Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 31, 2008, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics
  11. ↑ "2008 Senate ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  12. ↑ "2008 RCP Averages & Senate Results". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  13. ↑ "SurveyUSA". Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2008.
  14. ↑ Rasmussen Reports
  15. ↑ Rasmussen Reports
  16. ↑ Rasmussen Reports
  17. ↑ Rasmussen Reports
  18. ↑ Rasmussen Reports
  19. ↑ Survey USA
  20. ↑ Survey USA
  21. ↑ Survey USA
  22. ↑ "Certified General Election Results without write-in appendix" (PDF). Secretary of State of Alabama. November 25, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
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