United States Senate election in Louisiana, 2008
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Parish Results Landrieu: 40-50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 2008 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on November 4, 2008. This was the first time since the 1970s that Louisiana used primaries for federal races. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu won reelection to a third term. As of 2018, this is the last Senate election in Louisiana that was won by a Democrat.
Background
Landrieu's increased vulnerability was supposed to be the result of a significant drop in the state's African-American population after Hurricane Katrina, especially in Landrieu's home city of New Orleans. Louisiana also elected a Republican senator in 2004 and President Bush carried the state twice, in 2004 with 58 percent of the vote. Also, Republican Congressman Bobby Jindal won the 2007 gubernatorial election with 54 percent of the vote.
Major candidates
Democratic
- Mary Landrieu, incumbent U.S. Senator
Republican
- John Neely Kennedy, State Treasurer and Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2004.
Predictions
CQ Politics rated this race as 'Leans Democrat'.[1] The Cook Political Report considered it 'Lean Democrat'.[2] The Rothenberg Political Report considered it a 'Narrow Advantage for Incumbent Party'.[3] Landrieu was considered the most vulnerable Democratic senator up for re-election in 2008.[4]
Polling
Poll Source | Dates administered | Landrieu (D) | Kennedy (R) |
---|---|---|---|
Rasmussen Reports | October 21, 2008 | 53% | 43% |
Rasmussen Reports | September 25, 2008 | 54% | 41% |
Rasmussen Reports | August 17, 2008 | 56% | 39% |
Rasmussen Reports | July 9, 2008 | 49% | 44% |
Southern Media & Opinion Research | July 1, 2008 | 46% | 40% |
Rasmussen Reports | May 28, 2008 | 47% | 44% |
Southern Media & Opinion Research | March 26 – April 9, 2008 | 50% | 38% |
Survey USA | December 6–10, 2007 | 46% | 42% |
Results
Landrieu, despite being one of the most vulnerable incumbent senators in 2008 and then-senator Barack Obama losing the state to senator John McCain, won on election night by 121,121 votes and 6.39%.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Mary Landrieu (Incumbent) | 988,298 | 52.11% | +0.41% | |
Republican | John Neely Kennedy | 867,177 | 45.72% | -2.58% | |
Libertarian | Richard Fontanesi | 18,590 | 0.98% | n/a | |
Independent | Jay Patel | 13,729 | 0.72% | n/a | |
Independent | Robert Stewart | 8,780 | 0.46% | n/a | |
Majority | 121,121 | 6.39% | +2.99 | ||
Turnout | 1,896,574 | 100.0% | |||
Democratic hold | Swing |
References
- ↑ Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. CQ Politics
- ↑ 2008 Senate Race Ratings Archived November 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. The Cook Political Report, October 9, 2008
- ↑ 2008 Senate Ratings The Rothenberg Political Report, September 29, 2008
- ↑ Louisiana U.S. Senate from CQ Politics
External links
- Elections Division from the Louisiana Secretary of State
- U.S. Congress candidates for Louisiana at Project Vote Smart
- Louisiana U.S. Senate from CQ Politics
- Louisiana U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org