2008 United States Senate election in Alabama

The 2008 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 4, 2008 to elect one of Alabama's members to the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions won re-election to a third term.

2008 United States Senate election in Alabama
November 4, 2008
 
Nominee Jeff Sessions Vivian Davis Figures
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 1,305,383 752,391
Percentage 63.4% 36.5%
County results
Sessions:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Figures:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
U.S. senator before election

Jeff Sessions
Republican

 Elected U.S. Senator

Jeff Sessions
Republican

Elections in Alabama
Government

Background

Since 1980, Alabama voters have increasingly voted for Republican candidates at the Federal level, especially in Presidential elections. By contrast, Democratic candidates have been elected to many state-level offices and, until 2010, comprised a longstanding majority in the Alabama Legislature; see Dixiecrat.

In 2004, George W. Bush won Alabama's nine electoral votes by a margin of 25 percentage points with 62.5% of the vote. The eleven counties that voted Democratic are part of the Black Belt counties, where African Americans are the majority racial group.

On January 10, 2007, Rep. Artur Davis announced that he would not run for the seat.[1] Despite voting heavily for George W. Bush in 2004, Alabama still had a strong Democratic presence in 2008, and Democrats controlled majorities in both chambers in the Alabama Legislature. Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Ron Sparks appeared to be preparing for a run, but on June 12, 2007, he announced that he would not seek the Senate seat, in order to avoid a primary battle with State Senator Vivian Davis Figures.[2]

Primary elections were held on June 3.[3]

Republican primary

Sessions' approval rating was 56% in December 2007.[4]

Candidates

Results
Republican primary results[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jeff Sessions (incumbent) 199,690 92.27%
Republican Earl Mack Gavin 16,718 7.73%
Total votes 216,408 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates
  • Vivian Davis Figures, State Senator
  • Johnny Swanson, Army veteran
  • Mark Townsend, candidate for Governor in 2002

Results
County results
Democratic primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Vivian Davis Figures 112,074 63.72%
Democratic Johnny Swanson 38,757 22.03%
Democratic Mark Townsend 25,058 14.25%
Total votes 175,889 100.00%

General election

Candidates
  • Vivian Figures (D), State Senator
  • Darryl W. Perry (write-in), Libertarian Party nominee for Pennsylvania State Treasurer in 2004 and candidate for Mayor of Birmingham in 2007[7][8]
  • Jeff Sessions (R), incumbent U.S. Senator

Predictions

Poll results showed Sessions with an exceptionally comfortable lead, which was verified by the election results. CQ Politics rated this race as 'Republican Favored'.[9] The Cook Political Report considered it 'Solid Republican'.[10] The Rothenberg Political Report considered it a 'Safe Republican'.[11]

Polling
Poll Source Dates administered Vivian Davis
Figures (D)		 Jeff
Sessions (R)
SurveyUSA August 25–27, 2007 37% 59%
Rasmussen Reports November 14, 2007 30% 62%
Rasmussen Reports April 2, 2008 36% 57%
Rasmussen Reports May 27, 2008 29% 62%
Rasmussen Reports June 30, 2008 34% 58%
Rasmussen Reports July 31, 2008 31% 58%
Survey USA September 16–17, 2008 31% 66%
Survey USA October 8–9, 2008 33% 64%
Survey USA October 27–28, 2008 32% 65%

Results
United States Senate election in Alabama, 2008[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jeff Sessions (incumbent) 1,305,383 63.36%
Democratic Vivian Davis Figures 752,391 36.52%
Write-in Write-ins 2,417 0.12%
Invalid or blank votes
Total votes 2,060,191 100.00%
Turnout   N/A
Republican hold

References
  1. "Davis Won't Challenge Stevens". WTOK-TV. Associated Press. January 9, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2007.
  2. "Sparks says he won't seek U.S. Senate seat". The Birmingham News. June 12, 2007. Retrieved June 13, 2007.
  3. Election Dates Archived December 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine from the Alabama Secretary of State]
  4. December 2007 SurveyUSA poll
  5. "Certified Primary Election Results: Republican Party" (PDF). Alabama Republican Party. June 13, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
  6. "Certified Primary Election Results: Democratic Party" (PDF). Alabama Democratic Party. June 17, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
  7. senate.dwp2016.org Archived July 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. "al.com". Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
  9. Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics
  10. 2008 Senate Race Ratings Archived September 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine The Cook Political Report, September 18, 2008
  11. 2008 Senate Ratings The Rothenberg Political Report, July 19, 2008
  12. "Certified General Election Results without write-in appendix" (PDF). Secretary of State of Alabama. November 25, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
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