2008 United States Senate election in Tennessee

Main article: 2008 United States Senate elections
Not to be confused with 2008 Tennessee Senate election.
2008 United States Senate election in Tennessee
November 4, 2008
Turnout66.34% [1] 15.94 pp
 
Nominee Lamar Alexander Bob Tuke
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 1,571,637 767,236
Percentage 65.14% 31.64%
Alexander:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Tuke:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Tie:      50%
U.S. senator before election

Lamar Alexander
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Lamar Alexander
Republican

The 2008 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 4, 2008, to elect a member of the U.S. Senate from the State of Tennessee. Incumbent Republican U.S. senator Lamar Alexander won re-election to a second term.

Alexander flipped reliably Democratic Davidson County, home to Nashville which has not voted Republican on a presidential level since 1988. With that, he also won 65.1% of the vote against Democrat Bob Tuke, who won just 32.6%. Alexander also won 28% of the African American vote.[2]

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican Party primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lamar Alexander (Incumbent) 244,222 100.00%
Total votes 244,222 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Campaign

Mike Padgett finished third after Gary Davis, who did not campaign and used no money. Many were surprised at the results. They claimed that perhaps there was name confusion, with two incumbent congressmen David Davis and Lincoln Davis.[4]

Results

Democratic Party primary results[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Tuke 59,050 32.21%
Democratic Gary G. Davis 39,119 21.34%
Democratic Mike Padgett 33,471 18.26%
Democratic Mark E. Clayton 32,309 17.62%
Democratic Kenneth Eaton 14,702 8.02%
Democratic Leonard D. Ladner 4,697 2.55%
Total votes 183,348 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Major

Minor

In Tennessee, a candidate seeking a House or Senate seat at the state or national level must gather 25 signatures from registered voters to be put on the ballot for any elected office.[6][7][8][9] Presidential candidates seeking to represent an officially recognized party must either be named as candidates by the Tennessee Secretary of State or gather 2,500 signatures from registered voters, and an independent candidate for president must gather 275 signatures and put forward a full slate of eleven candidates who have agreed to serve as electors.[10] In order to be recognized as a party and have its candidates listed on the ballot under that party's name, a political party must gather signatures equal to or in excess of 2.5% of the total number of votes cast in the last election (about 45,000 signatures based on the election held in 2006).[11] The last third party to be officially recognized was the American Party in 1968; none of its candidates received five percent of the statewide vote in 1970 and it was then subject to decertification as an official party.. Due to these hurdles third party candidates almost always appear on the ballot as independents.

  • Edward Buck (I)
  • Christopher Fenner (I)
  • David "None of the Above" Gatchell (I)
  • Bo Heyward (I)
  • Ed Lawhorn (I)
  • Daniel T. Lewis (L)[12]
  • Chris Lugo (I), Green party peace activist

Campaign

On April 3, 2007, Alexander confirmed that he would seek re-election to the Senate in 2008. Alexander has remained a popular figure in Tennessee since his first term as governor and faced no opposition in the Republican primary[13] Tuke is a former Marine who served in the Vietnam War. Tuke served as Barack Obama's Presidential campaign chair in Tennessee. Tuke declared himself to be a candidate March 3, 2008, and he secured the help of several high-profile Democratic campaigners including Joe Trippi. There were many minor candidates in the race. Chris Lugo announced on January 17 that he was seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party as a 'Progressive Democrat.'[14] In March 2008, Lugo announced he was dropping his candidacy for the Democratic nomination, and would run either for the Green Party nomination or as an independent.[15]

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[16] Safe R October 23, 2008
CQ Politics[17] Likely R October 31, 2008
Rothenberg Political Report[18] Safe R November 2, 2008
Real Clear Politics[19] Safe R November 4, 2008

Polling

Source Date Alexander (R) Tuke (D)
Ayres, McHenry & Associates (R)[20] March 11, 2008 59% 28%
Rasmussen Report[21] April 8, 2008 59% 30%
MTSU Poll[22] September 29, 2008 50% 26%
Rasmussen Reports[23] September 29, 2008 56% 32%
Rasmussen Reports[24] October 16, 2008 62% 34%

Results

United States Senate election in Tennessee, 2008[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Lamar Alexander (Incumbent) 1,579,477 65.14% +10.87%
Democratic Bob Tuke 767,236 31.64% −12.69%
Independent Edward L. Buck 31,631 1.30% N/A
Independent Christopher G. Fenner 11,073 0.46% N/A
Independent Daniel Towers Lewis 9,367 0.39% N/A
Independent Chris Lugo 9,170 0.38% N/A
Independent Ed Lawhorn 8,986 0.37% N/A
Independent David Gatchell 7,645 0.32% N/A
Majority 812,241 33.50% +23.56%
Turnout 2,424,585 66.34%
Republican hold Swing

By county

County[26] Lamar Alexander
Republican 		Bob Tuke
Democratic 		Others
Independent 		Margin Total
votes
% # % # % #
Anderson 71.40% 21,365 25.65% 7,675 2.95% 883 13,690 29,923
Bedford 70.37% 9,717 25.70% 3,548 3.93% 543 6,169 13,808
Benton 59.71% 3,614 36.63% 2,217 3.66% 222 1,397 6,053
Bledsoe 68.87% 3,105 27.77% 1,252 3.36% 151 1,853 4,508
Blount 79.16% 38,961 17.60% 8,664 3.24% 1,593 30,297 49,218
Bradley 79.41% 28,820 17.87% 6,485 2.72% 986 22,335 36,291
Campbell 71.96% 8,264 24.29% 2,790 3.75% 430 5,474 11,484
Cannon 64.39% 3,125 29.53% 1,433 6.08% 295 1,692 4,853
Carroll 67.83% 7,254 28.75% 3,075 3.42% 366 4,179 10,695
Carter 79.75% 16,148 17.03% 3,448 3.22% 653 12,700 20,249
Cheatham 69.39% 10,665 27.07% 4,160 3.54% 544 6,505 15,369
Chester 73.99% 4,403 22.58% 1,344 3.43% 204 3,059 5,951
Claiborne 73.36% 7,095 23.22% 2,246 3.42% 330 4,849 9,671
Clay 63.00% 1,623 33.07% 852 3.93% 101 771 2,576
Cocke 77.38% 8,742 19.75% 2,231 2.87% 325 6,511 11,298
Coffee 65.84% 13,173 29.91% 5,985 4.25% 850 7,188 20,008
Crockett 72.58% 3,766 24.55% 1,274 2.87% 149 2,492 5,189
Cumberland 72.06% 17,094 24.15% 5,730 3.79% 898 11,364 23,722
Davidson 49.17% 119,996 47.27% 115,354 3.56% 8,699 4,642 244,049
Decatur 64.53% 2,958 32.46% 1,488 3.01% 138 1,470 4,584
DeKalb 64.55% 3,914 30.70% 1,861 4.75% 288 2,053 6,063
Dickson 62.18% 11,264 33.41% 6,053 4.41% 799 5,211 18,116
Dyer 73.34% 9,533 23.04% 2,995 3.62% 471 6,538 12,999
Fayette 70.03% 12,457 27.69% 4,925 2.28% 405 7,532 17,787
Fentress 76.41% 4,469 19.95% 1,167 3.64% 213 3,302 5,849
Franklin 64.94% 10,461 31.44% 5,064 3.62% 583 5,397 16,108
Gibson 69.46% 13,208 27.20% 5,172 3.34% 634 8,036 19,014
Giles 62.02% 6,355 33.51% 3,433 4.47% 458 2,922 10,246
Grainger 75.52% 5,229 20.87% 1,445 3.61% 250 3,784 6,924
Greene 77.37% 18,468 20.06% 4,788 2.57% 613 13,680 23,869
Grundy 57.93% 2,368 38.43% 1,571 3.64% 149 797 4,088
Hamblen 76.45% 16,191 20.90% 4,426 2.65% 561 11,765 21,178
Hamilton 64.34% 91,563 33.56% 47,754 2.10% 2,987 43,809 142,304
Hancock 77.28% 1,537 19.41% 386 3.32% 66 1,151 1,989
Hardeman 51.82% 5,144 45.09% 4,476 3.09% 307 668 9,927
Hardin 72.31% 6,770 24.61% 2,304 3.08% 288 4,466 9,362
Hawkins 75.06% 15,260 21.83% 4,437 3.11% 633 10,823 20,330
Haywood 45.32% 3,402 52.87% 3,969 1.81% 136 -567 7,507
Henderson 73.29% 7,367 23.44% 2,356 3.27% 329 5,011 10,052
Henry 66.78% 8,084 30.29% 3,667 2.93% 355 4,417 12,106
Hickman 60.22% 4,738 34.76% 2,735 5.02% 395 2,003 7,868
Houston 52.95% 1,572 43.55% 1,293 3.50% 104 279 2,969
Humphreys 55.52% 3,965 40.99% 2,927 3.49% 249 1,038 7,141
Jackson 52.86% 2,097 42.15% 1,672 4.99% 198 425 3,967
Jefferson 77.03% 13,542 19.31% 3,395 3.66% 644 10,147 17,581
Johnson 76.12% 4,620 19.62% 1,191 4.25% 258 3,429 6,069
Knox 71.22% 126,776 25.75% 45,844 3.03% 5,388 80,932 178,008
Lake 56.47% 1,038 37.27% 685 6.26% 115 353 1,838
Lauderdale 64.58% 5,256 32.31% 2,630 3.11% 253 2,626 8,139
Lawrence 70.50% 10,115 26.21% 3,761 3.28% 471 6,354 14,347
Lewis 63.73% 2,857 31.92% 1,431 4.35% 195 1,426 4,483
Lincoln 69.94% 8,653 25.84% 3,197 4.22% 522 5,456 12,372
Loudon 80.28% 17,110 17.16% 3,658 2.55% 544 13,452 21,312
Macon 72.23% 4,665 21.40% 1,382 6.38% 412 3,283 6,459
Madison 59.15% 23,890 37.96% 15,333 2.89% 1,167 8,557 40,390
Marion 62.18% 6,803 34.76% 3,803 3.05% 334 3,000 10,940
Marshall 64.59% 6,675 30.69% 3,172 4.72% 488 3,503 10,335
Maury 61.94% 20,330 34.59% 11,355 3.47% 1,138 8,975 32,823
McMinn 75.35% 13,464 21.45% 3,832 3.20% 572 9,632 17,868
McNairy 69.29% 6,908 27.91% 2,783 2.80% 279 4,125 9,970
Meigs 72.33% 2,807 24.50% 951 3.17% 123 1,856 3,881
Monroe 75.18% 12,198 21.83% 3,541 2.99% 485 8,657 16,224
Montgomery 62.65% 31,012 33.01% 16,337 4.34% 2,148 14,675 49,497
Moore 70.01% 1,989 26.43% 751 3.55% 101 1,238 2,841
Morgan 75.86% 4,746 21.32% 1,334 2.81% 176 3,412 6,256
Obion 68.18% 8,056 28.65% 3,385 3.17% 374 4,671 11,815
Overton 62.19% 4,220 34.03% 2,309 3.79% 257 1,911 6,786
Perry 58.04% 1,559 38.20% 1,026 3.76% 101 533 2,686
Pickett 73.55% 1,805 23.43% 575 3.02% 74 1,230 2,454
Polk 67.83% 4,233 28.75% 1,794 3.43% 214 2,439 6,241
Putnam 67.38% 16,629 28.32% 6,990 4.30% 1,061 9,639 24,680
Rhea 76.67% 7,907 20.38% 2,102 2.95% 304 5,805 10,313
Roane 74.55% 16,617 22.62% 5,042 2.83% 632 11,575 22,291
Robertson 69.49% 17,485 26.80% 6,744 3.70% 932 10,741 25,161
Rutherford 65.44% 62,464 30.28% 28,906 4.28% 4,084 33,558 95,454
Scott 77.74% 4,501 18.98% 1,099 3.28% 190 3,412 5,790
Sequatchie 71.66% 3,553 24.97% 1,238 3.37% 167 2,315 4,958
Sevier 79.52% 26,021 16.93% 5,539 3.55% 1,161 20,482 32,721
Shelby 50.88% 189,851 46.61% 173,924 2.51% 9,364 15,927 373,139
Smith 64.16% 4,458 30.74% 2,136 5.10% 354 2,322 6,948
Stewart 59.87% 3,006 35.43% 1,779 4.70% 236 1,227 5,021
Sullivan 77.15% 47,721 20.86% 12,906 1.99% 1,229 34,815 61,856
Sumner 71.84% 44,945 24.19% 15,134 3.97% 2,484 29,811 62,563
Tipton 74.22% 17,157 22.92% 5,299 2.86% 660 11,858 23,116
Trousdale 62.75% 1,725 32.38% 890 4.87% 134 835 2,749
Unicoi 78.35% 5,251 18.76% 1,257 2.89% 194 3,994 6,702
Union 75.82% 4,276 20.20% 1,139 3.99% 225 3,137 5,640
Van Buren 62.27% 1,223 33.66% 661 4.07% 80 562 1,964
Warren 64.02% 8,225 31.49% 4,045 4.49% 577 4,180 12,847
Washington 75.92% 34,592 21.32% 9,715 2.76% 1,256 24,877 45,563
Wayne 76.18% 3,685 21.40% 1,035 2.42% 117 2,650 4,837
Weakley 66.69% 8,546 29.73% 3,809 3.58% 459 4,737 12,814
White 66.20% 5,969 29.06% 2,620 4.74% 427 3,349 9,016
Williamson 75.49% 68,258 21.46% 19,405 3.05% 2,759 48,853 90,422
Wilson 70.78% 34,781 24.91% 12,240 4.31% 2,122 22,541 49,143
Total 65.14% 1,579,477 31.64% 767,236 3.21% 77,872 812,241 2,424,585

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

See also

References

  1. ^ "Tennessee Voter Turnout in 2008". Tennessee Secretary of State. November 4, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Dade, Corey (November 22, 2008). "Tennessee Resists Obama Wave". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  3. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Cagle, Frank (August 13, 2008). "Last week's county election puts the Republican machine back in power". Knoxville Metro Pulse. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012.
  5. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ "Qualifying Procedures for Candidates for United States Senator Archived March 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine", Tennessee Division of Elections (accessed November 3, 2008).
  7. ^ "Qualifying Procedures for Tennessee Candidates for United States House of Representatives", Tennessee Division of Elections (accessed November 3, 2008).
  8. ^ "Qualifying Procedures for Candidates for Tennessee State Senator", Tennessee Division of Elections (accessed November 3, 2008).
  9. ^ "Qualifying Procedures for Candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives", Tennessee Division of Elections (accessed November 3, 2008).
  10. ^ "Tennessee Ballot Access Procedures for Candidates for U.S. President Archived March 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine", Tennessee Division of Elections (accessed November 3, 2008).
  11. ^ "Against all odds, third-party candidates fight on", The Tennessean (accessed November 3, 2008).
  12. ^ United States Senate Candidate List From Tennessee http://www.state.tn.us/sos/election/cand/USSenateList.pdf
  13. ^ "4/3/2007 - Alexander Running Again, Sets Fundraiser - Breaking News - Chattanoogan.com". Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved April 6, 2007.
  14. ^ Piesyk, Christine Anne (October 29, 2007). "Activist Chris Lugo seeks U.S. Senate seat; critical of 'misdirected' national priorities". Clarksville Online - Clarksville News, Sports, Events and Information. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  15. ^ Nathan Frick (March 21, 2008). "Democratic Senate Field Narrowed". News Channel 9. Retrieved March 30, 2008.
  16. ^ "2008 Senate Race ratings for October 23, 2008". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  17. ^ Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics
  18. ^ "2008 Senate ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  19. ^ "2008 RCP Averages & Senate Results". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  20. ^ Ayres, McHenry & Associates (R)
  21. ^ Rasmussen Report
  22. ^ MTSU Poll
  23. ^ Rasmussen Reports
  24. ^ Rasmussen Reports
  25. ^ "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives".
  26. ^ "United States Senate" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. November 4, 2008.
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