United States Senate election in Kansas, 2008
United States Senate election in Kansas, 2008
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The 2008 United States Senate election in Kansas was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pat Roberts won re-election to a third term.
Background
The state of Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932. Kansas's other Republican Senator Sam Brownback announced that he is retiring due to "self-imposed term limits," which meant Roberts became the senior Senator from Kansas in 2011. It is considered one of the more Republican states in the U.S. The last time its electors went to a Democrat was the Presidential Election of 1964, when Lyndon Johnson carried the state over Barry Goldwater.
Roberts had announced ahead of the 1996 election that "I plan only to serve two terms in the U.S. Senate",[1] but he broke that pledge in this election.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Jim Slattery, former U.S. Representative and nominee for Governor in 1994
- Lee Jones, nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2004
Results
| Democratic primary results[2] |
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
|
Democratic |
Jim Slattery |
68,106 |
68.93 |
|
Democratic |
Lee Jones |
30,699 |
31.07 |
| Total votes |
98,805 |
100.00 |
Republican primary
Candidates
Results
| Republican Party primary results[3] |
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
|
Republican |
Pat Roberts (inc.) |
214,911 |
100.00 |
| Total votes |
214,911 |
100.00 |
General election
Candidates
- Pat Roberts (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
- Jim Slattery (D), former U.S. Representative
- Randall Hodgkinson (L), attorney
- Joseph L. Martin (Re), nominee for Secretary of State in 2006
Predictions
CQ Politics rated this race as 'Republican Favored'.[4] The Cook Political Report considered it 'Solid Republican'.[5]
The Rothenberg Political Report considered it a 'Safe Republican'.[6]
Polling
| Poll Source |
Dates administered |
Slattery |
Roberts |
| Survey USA |
October 28, 2008 |
33% |
60% |
| Survey USA |
October 22, 2008 |
35% |
57% |
|
Rasmussen Reports |
October 13, 2008 |
36% |
55% |
|
Rasmussen Reports |
September 23, 2008 |
38% |
58% |
| Survey USA |
September 22, 2008 |
35% |
55% |
| Survey USA |
August 20, 2008 |
31% |
58% |
| Rasmussen Reports |
August 11, 2008 |
37% |
56% |
| Rasmussen Reports |
July 15, 2008 |
33% |
61% |
| TargetPoint Consulting, Inc. |
July 1, 2008 |
34% |
54% |
| Rasmussen Reports |
June 11, 2008 |
39% |
48% |
| Cooper & Secrest |
June 5-June 8, 2008 |
36% |
48% |
| Research 2000/Daily Kos |
June 2-June 4, 2008 |
38% |
50% |
| Rasmussen Reports |
May 13, 2008 |
40% |
52% |
Results
Roberts won by 24 percentage points over Slattery, carrying 102 of the state's 105 counties. Slattery only carried three counties in northeast Kansas: Atchison, Douglas and Wyandotte.
References
External links
