2008 United States Senate special election in Mississippi

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2008 United States Senate special election in Mississippi
Flag of Mississippi (2001-2020).svg
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  SenatorRogerWicker(R-MS).jpg David Ronald Musgrove (cropped).jpg
Nominee Roger Wicker Ronnie Musgrove
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote683,409560,064
Percentage54.96%45.04%
2008 United States Senate special election in Mississippi results map by county.svg
2008 MS Senate(Special).svg
Wicker:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Musgrove:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
U.S. senator before election

Roger Wicker
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Roger Wicker
Republican

The 2008 United States Senate special election in Mississippi was held on November 4, 2008. This election was held on the same day of Thad Cochran's re-election bid in the regularly scheduled Class II election. The winner of this special election served the rest of the Senate term, which ended in January 2013. Unlike most Senate elections, this was a non-partisan election in which the candidate who got a majority of the vote won, and if the first-place candidate did not get 50%, a runoff election with the top two candidates would have been held. In the election, no run-off was necessary as Republican nominee and incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Roger Wicker won election to finish the term.

Contents

Background

Musgrove campaigning for Senate with Jim Webb in Jackson, Mississippi Ronnie Musgrove and Jim Webb.jpg
Musgrove campaigning for Senate with Jim Webb in Jackson, Mississippi
Supporters of Musgrove's senate campaign Obama and Musgrove supporters in Jackson.jpg
Supporters of Musgrove's senate campaign

On December 18, 2007, U.S. Senator Trent Lott resigned in his fourth-term to pursue "something else" in the private sector. [1] [2] He ended up starting his own lobbying firm.

On December 31, 2007, Mississippi governor Haley Barbour appointed U.S. Representative Roger Wicker to the vacant seat. Wicker then began his Senate campaign. [3]

Former Governor Ronnie Musgrove, former U.S. Representative and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, former Jackson mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr., former Governor Ray Mabus, and former Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore were all considered potential Democratic candidates. [4] [5] Of the five, only Musgrove decided to run. Another Democrat, former congressman Ronnie Shows also decided to run, [6] but withdrew on February 19, 2008 after determining that he could not raise enough funds to effectively campaign against Wicker and Musgrove. Shows gave his endorsement to Musgrove. [7] There was a dispute about the date on which the special election should occur and whether the governor appointed the interim senator in keeping with state law.

Mississippi law states that Gov. Barbour had 10 days after receiving official notification of the vacancy to appoint an interim senator pending a special election. Barbour appointed Wicker on December 31, 2007, 13 days after Lott's resignation. [8] [9] [10]

The state Democratic party objected to the timing of the special election. Barbour set the special election for November 4, 2008. [9] Democrats claimed that he had 10 days to set a special election within 90 days (no later than March 29, 2008 ), and the issue went to court for resolution.

Mississippi Attorney General, Democrat Jim Hood, issued a non-binding opinion that the election must be held within 100 days of Lott's resignation. [11] Hood said that Barbour would be breaking the law if he holds the special election in November 2008. Hood sued Barbour in court over the issue. [12] Hood wanted the date of the special election to be March 11, the same day as Mississippi's presidential primary. [13]

The state’s chief elections officer, the then-Mississippi Secretary of State, Democrat Eric Clark, backed the governor's position. [14]

Governor Barbour claimed that the definition of "year" in the law in question is 365 days. Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Bobby DeLaughter ruled that the election must take place no later than March 19. [15] On February 6, 2008, after Barbour appealed, [16] the Mississippi Supreme Court reversed Judge Delaughter and ruled that the non-partisan special election may be held on November 4. [17]

Campaign

Candidates

Note: Mississippi special elections are nonpartisan. Party labels are for informational purposes only.

Democratic Party

Republican Party

Withdrew

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [19] TossupOctober 23, 2008
CQ Politics [20] Lean ROctober 31, 2008
Rothenberg Political Report [21] Lean RNovember 2, 2008
Real Clear Politics [22] Lean ROctober 29, 2008

Polling

Poll SourceDate(s) administeredRonnie
Musgrove		Roger
Wicker
Rasmussen Reports October 27, 200843%54%
Rasmussen Reports September 30, 200847%49%
Rasmussen Reports August 23, 200842%47%
Rasmussen Reports July 28, 200842%48%
Rasmussen Reports June 26, 200847%48%
Rasmussen Reports May 27, 200847%46%

Results

2008 Mississippi U.S. Senate special election [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Nonpartisan Roger Wicker (incumbent) 683,409 54.96% -8.62%
Nonpartisan Ronnie Musgrove 560,06445.04%+10.17%
Majority123,3459.92%-18.79%
Total votes1,243,473 100.00%
Republican hold

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

Related Research Articles

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David Ronald Musgrove is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 62nd governor of Mississippi from 2000 to 2004. A Democrat, he previously served as the 29th lieutenant governor of Mississippi from 1996 to 2000. He was the Democratic nominee in the 2008 special election for one of Mississippi's seats in the United States Senate, losing to incumbent Senator Roger Wicker. Musgrove is a principal at a public affairs consulting firm, Politics. In 2014, he became founding partner of a new law firm in Jackson, Mississippi, Musgrove/Smith Law.

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References

  1. ↑ Nossiter, Adam & Herszenhorn, David M. (November 26, 2007). "Mississippi's Lott to Leave Senate Seat". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ Congressional Quarterly, December 19, 2007 Archived January 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Wicker launches Senate campaign | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
  4. 1 2 "Wicker Launches Senate Campaign", The Clarion-Ledger, January 1, 2008
  5. ↑ Democrat Finally Jumps into Mississippi Senate Race Yahoo! News January 7, 2008
  6. ↑ Associated Press via The Hattiesburg American, January 5, 2008
  7. ↑ Shows out of Senate race for Lott's seat | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
  8. ↑ Bloomberg: Wicker Named to Replace Mississippi's Lott in Senate
  9. 1 2 Hattiesburg American: Barbour to name leader to fill Lott's seat
  10. ↑ http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071231/NEWS/712310319/1001/news Jackson Clarion-Ledger Senate Pick to be Unveiled Today
  11. ↑ FOX News: Trent Lott Resigns From U.S. Senate After Nearly Two Decades of Service
  12. ↑ "WLBT 3 – Jackson, MS: Hood Files Suit to Have Special Election Earlier". Archived from the original on January 4, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2008.
  13. ↑ "WLBT 3 – Jackson, MS: AG Challenges Timing of Senate Election". Archived from the original on January 4, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2008.
  14. ↑ The ClarionLedger: AG opinion backs Democrats on timing of election
  15. ↑ Judge: AG right in election date spat | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
  16. ↑ "WLBT 3 – Jackson, MS: Barbour's Attorney Appeals Special-Elex Ruling". Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
  17. ↑ djournal.com
  18. ↑ "Former governor Musgrove to run for U.S. Senate". Archived from the original on January 8, 2008. Retrieved January 7, 2008.
  19. ↑ "2008 Senate Race ratings for October 23, 2008". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  20. ↑ Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics
  21. ↑ "2008 Senate ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  22. ↑ "2008 RCP Averages & Senate Results". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  23. ↑ "US Senate Special Election Official Certification" (PDF). Mississippi Secretary of State . Retrieved January 10, 2009.
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