2008 United States Senate election in Idaho

Last updated

2008 United States Senate election in Idaho
Flag of Idaho.svg
  2002 November 4, 2008 2014  
  James E. Risch, official Senate photo portrait, 2009.jpg Larry LaRocco 1.jpg Rex "T-Rex" Rammell at Campbell County League of Women Voters' General Election Candidates' Forum in Gillette, Wyoming (cropped).jpg
Nominee Jim Risch Larry LaRocco Rex Rammell
Party Republican Democratic Independent
Popular vote371,744219,90334,510
Percentage57.65%34.11%5.35%

2008 United States Senate election in Idaho results map by county.svg
2008 US Senate election in Idaho by precinct.svg
Risch:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
LaRocco:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Rammell:     70–80%
Marmon:     >90%
Tie:     40–50%     No data

U.S. senator before election

Larry Craig
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Jim Risch
Republican

The 2008 United States Senate election in Idaho was held on November 4, 2008. The primary elections were held on May 27. [1] Incumbent Senator Larry Craig decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Fellow Republican Jim Risch won the open seat.

Contents

Background

Incumbent Larry Craig announced his intent to resign following an incident where he allegedly solicited another man for gay sex in a public restroom. [2] Craig later decided not to resign but did announce that he would not seek re-election. The filing deadline for the election was March 21, 2008. A total of 13 candidates filed for the seat. [3] Republican and Democratic candidates ran for their respective nominations in the May 27 primary.

Lieutenant Governor Jim Risch defeated a crowded field for the Republican nomination, while former Congressman Larry LaRocco won the Democratic nomination in similar fashion. Conservative independents Rex Rammell and Pro-Life (formerly Marvin Richardson) also qualified for the general election ballot. Former Caldwell city council member Kent Marmon secured the Libertarian nomination. In the general election, Risch defeated LaRocco and the other candidates to keep the seat in Republican hands.

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

County results Idaho Senate R Primary 2008.svg
County results
Republican primary results [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Jim Risch 80,743 65.34%
Republican Scott Syme16,66013.48%
Republican Richard Phenneger6,5325.29%
Republican Neal Thompson5,3754.35%
Republican Fred M. Adams4,9874.04%
Republican Bill Hunter4,2803.46%
Republican Brian E. Hefner2,9152.36%
Republican Hal James Styles, Jr.2,0821.68%
Total votes123,574 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

County results Idaho Senate D Primary 2008.svg
County results
Democratic Primary results [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Larry LaRocco 29,023 72.35%
Democratic David J. Archuleta11,07427.60%
Democratic Write-ins200.05%
Total votes40,117 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [7] Safe ROctober 23, 2008
CQ Politics [8] Safe ROctober 31, 2008
Rothenberg Political Report [9] Safe RNovember 2, 2008
Real Clear Politics [10] Safe RNovember 4, 2008

Polling

Poll SourceDates administeredLarry
LaRocco (D)
Jim
Risch (R)
Rex
Rammel (I)
Survey USA [11] September 6–8, 200736%52%-
Myers Research [12] November 13–19, 200734%48%-
Robinson Research [13] November 26 – December 12, 200727%46%-
Celinda Lake [14] May 20–25, 200828%43%6%
Research 2000 [15] July 28–30, 200832%42%5%
Greg Smith [16] August 18–22, 200830%41%3%
Rasmussen Reports [17] September 9, 200830%58%-

Results

General election results [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Jim Risch 371,744 57.65% −7.51%
Democratic Larry LaRocco 219,90334.11%+1.56%
Independent Rex Rammell 34,5105.35%
Libertarian Kent Marmon9,9581.54%−0.75%
Independent Pro-Life 8,6621.35%
Write-in 30.00%
Majority151,84123.55%−9.06%
Turnout 644,780
Republican hold Swing

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States Senate elections</span>

The 2008 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, 2008, with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested. 33 seats were up for regular elections; the winners were eligible to serve 6-year terms from January 3, 2009, to January 3, 2015, as members of Class 2. There were also 2 special elections, the winners of those seats would finish the terms that ended on January 3, 2013. The presidential election, which was won by Democrat Barack Obama, elections for all House of Representatives seats; elections for several gubernatorial elections; and many state and local elections occurred on the same date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2006, in 36 states and two territories. The elections coincided with the midterm elections of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Idaho gubernatorial election</span>

The 2006 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Governor Jim Risch succeeded Dirk Kempthorne, who resigned May 26 to become Secretary of the Interior. Risch served as governor until the end of the term, but had committed to a reelection campaign for Lieutenant Governor before Kempthorne's appointment and subsequent resignation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Risch</span> American lawyer and politician (born 1943)

James Elroy Risch is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Idaho since 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as lieutenant governor of Idaho under governors Dirk Kempthorne and Butch Otter. He also served from May 2006 to January 2007 as the 31st governor of Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry LaRocco</span> American politician (born 1946)

Lawrence Paul LaRocco is an American politician who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the Idaho's 1st congressional district from 1991 to 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States Senate election in Virginia</span>

The 2008 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican Senator John Warner decided to retire instead of seeking a sixth term. Former Governor Mark Warner (unrelated) won the open seat by more than 31 percentage points. Warner became the first Democrat to win this seat since 1966. This was also the first time since 1964 that the state voted simultaneously for a Democratic presidential candidate and a Democratic Senate candidate, having voted for Barack Obama in the presidential election, albeit by a far lesser margin. This was Virginia's first open-seat election since 1988. Mark Warner's inauguration marked the first time since Harry Flood Byrd Jr. left the Democratic Party to become an independent in 1970 where Democrats held both of Virginia's Senate seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Republican Governor Mark Sanford was term limited and unable to seek re-election. Primary elections took place on June 8, 2010, and a runoff election, as was necessary on the Republican side, was held two weeks later on June 22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 2, 2010, in 37 states and two territories. These elections coincided with the elections for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives as well as other state and local elections. As in most midterm elections, the party controlling the White House lost ground. Democrats took five governorships from the Republicans, while Republicans took 12 governorships from the Democrats. An independent won one governorship previously held by a Republican, while a Republican won one governorship previously held by an independent. Republicans held a majority of governorships for the first time since before the 2006 elections. One state, Louisiana, had no election for governor, but it did feature a special election for lieutenant governor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Idaho</span>

The 2008 congressional elections in Idaho were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who would represent the state of Idaho in the United States House of Representatives, coinciding with the presidential and senatorial elections. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected were to serve in the 111th Congress from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States presidential election in Idaho</span>

The 2008 United States presidential election in Idaho took place on November 4, 2008, and was part of the 2008 United States presidential election. Voters chose four representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Idaho gubernatorial election</span>

The 2010 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the Governor of Idaho. Incumbent Republican Governor Butch Otter won re-election, defeating his Democratic opponent Keith G. Allred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 United States Senate elections</span>

The 2014 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, 2014. A total of 36 seats in the 100-member U.S. Senate were contested. 33 Class 2 seats were contested for regular 6-year terms to be served from January 3, 2015, to January 3, 2021, and 3 Class 3 seats were contested in special elections due to Senate vacancies. The elections marked 100 years of direct elections of U.S. senators. Going into the elections, 21 of the contested seats were held by the Democratic Party, while 15 were held by the Republican Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rex Rammell</span> American activist, politician and veterinarian

Rex Floyd Rammell is an American veterinarian and perennial candidate for public office in Idaho and Wyoming.

Pro-Life is an American perennial candidate and strawberry farmer known for his strong opposition to abortion, which inspired him to legally change his name. He lives in the unincorporated community of Letha, Idaho. He has made several unsuccessful runs for political office in Idaho and has stated his intention to continue running for office until his death. Pro-Life ran in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Idaho, receiving 2.2% of the vote, and was most recently the Constitution Party nominee in the 2022 Idaho lieutenant gubernatorial election, receiving 5.1%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Idaho elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Idaho on November 4, 2014. All of Idaho's executive officers are up for election as well as a United States Senate seat, and both of Idaho's two seats in the United States House of Representatives. Primary elections was held on May 20, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States Senate election in Idaho</span>

The 2016 United States Senate election in Idaho was held November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Idaho, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The primaries were held May 17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in Idaho</span>

The 2020 United States Senate election in Idaho was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Idaho, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States House of Representatives election in Wyoming</span>

The 2016 United States House of Representatives election in Wyoming was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the U.S. representative from Wyoming's at-large congressional district, who would represent the state of Wyoming in the 115th United States Congress. The election coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Cynthia Lummis decided to retire instead of seeking a fifth term. Liz Cheney was elected to the seat to succeed Lummis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Wyoming gubernatorial election</span>

The 2018 Wyoming gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor of Wyoming. Incumbent Republican governor Matt Mead was term-limited and could not seek a third consecutive term. Republican nominee Mark Gordon defeated Democratic nominee Mary Throne by nearly 40 percentage points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Idaho gubernatorial election</span>

The 2022 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 8 to elect the next governor of Idaho. Incumbent Brad Little, first elected in 2018, was re-elected for a second term, the eighth consecutive win by a Republican.

References

  1. Elections, Campaign Disclosure and Lobbyists Archived August 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Idaho Secretary of State
  2. "Craig to Announce Resignation Saturday". Archived from the original on September 3, 2007.
  3. "LIST OF FEDERAL, STATEWIDE, AND JUDICIAL CANDIDATES" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 19, 2008.
  4. "Iraq vet announces bid in GOP Senate primary".
  5. 1 2 "2008 Primary Results statewide". Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2009.
  6. "LaRocco to run for Senate; Craig mum on future]" . Retrieved May 8, 2007.[ dead link ]
  7. "2008 Senate Race ratings for October 23, 2008". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  8. Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics
  9. "2008 Senate ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  10. "2008 RCP Averages & Senate Results". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  11. Survey USA
  12. Myers Research
  13. Robinson Research
  14. Celinda Lake
  15. Research 2000
  16. Greg Smith
  17. Rasmussen Reports
  18. "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives".