2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas

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2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas
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Nominee Mark Pryor Rebekah Kennedy
Party Democratic Green
Popular vote804,678207,076
Percentage79.53%20.47%
2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas results map by county.svg
County results
Pryor:     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
U.S. senator before election

Mark Pryor
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Mark Pryor
Democratic

The 2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Senator Mark Pryor ran for a second term. No Republican filed to challenge him, and his only opponent was Green Party candidate Rebekah Kennedy. Pryor won re-election with almost 80% of the vote.

Contents

Kennedy received the highest ever vote share of any Green Party candidate running for U.S. Senate, [1] and the highest for a third party Senate candidate in Arkansas until her record was surpassed by Libertarian candidate Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. in 2020.

As of 2024, this was the last time Democrats won a U.S. Senate election in Arkansas.

Candidates

Democratic

Green

General election

Campaign

On March 10, the state Republican Party announced it has no plans to field a candidate against Pryor. The only Republican to express interest in the race, health care executive Tom Formicola, decided not to run the weekend before filing began. Formicola lost the GOP primaries for the Senate in 2004 and the United States House of Representatives in 2006. As a result, Pryor was the only Senator in 2008 to face no major-party opposition in a reelection bid. [2]

There had been speculation that former Governor Mike Huckabee would run against Pryor if his presidential bid were unsuccessful, but on March 8, Huckabee said he would not contest the race. [3]

Pryor's sole challenger was Green Party nominee Rebekah Kennedy, who entered the race in April 2007. [4] Kennedy received 206,504 votes (20.54%). [5] This is the highest percentage of the vote for any Green Party candidate running for U.S. Senate ever, and her 206,504 votes is the second most total votes received by a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate after Medea Susan Benjamin's 326,828 votes in the 2000 California Senate race. [1] Kennedy's campaign, in addition to being record breaking for the Green Party, was also the strongest showing of any independent or third-party candidate running for the U.S. Senate in 2008.

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [6] Safe DOctober 23, 2008
CQ Politics [7] Safe DOctober 31, 2008
Rothenberg Political Report [8] Safe DNovember 2, 2008
Real Clear Politics [9] Safe DNovember 4, 2008

Polling

Pryor was polled at 90% in a poll without a challenger in March. [10]

Results

2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Mark Pryor (incumbent) 804,678 79.53%
Green Rebekah Kennedy207,07620.47%
Total votes1,011,754 100.00%
Democratic hold

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "A short history of Green Party U.S. Senate races – Green Party Watch". Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Today's THV - KTHV Little Rock News Article". Todaysthv.com. March 10, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  3. ↑ Huckabee says he won't run against Pryor Archived 2008-03-16 at the Wayback Machine , Nasdaq.com
  4. ↑ "Kennedy enters race for Pryor's Senate Seat", Daniel Nassaw, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, April 14, 2007.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Senate Statewide Results". Secretary of State of Arkansas . Retrieved April 9, 2009.
  6. ↑ "2008 Senate Race ratings for October 23, 2008". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  7. ↑ Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics
  8. ↑ "2008 Senate ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  9. ↑ "2008 RCP Averages & Senate Results". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Arkansas Polls". Electoral-vote.com. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  11. ↑ "U.S. Senate Statewide Results". Secretary of State of Arkansas. December 2, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
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