2008_United_States_Senate_election_in_Georgia
The 2008 United States Senate election in Georgia took place on November 4, 2008. The run off election took place on December 2, 2008. Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss, first elected in 2002, sought re-election to his position as a United States Senator from Georgia. He was challenged by Democratic nominee Jim Martin and Libertarian nominee Allen Buckley. After a runoff election on December 2, Chambliss was elected.[1][2]
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 First round county results Runoff county resultsChambliss: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Martin: 40-50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Tie: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||
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The runoff was necessary as neither Chambliss nor Martin, the two major party candidates, had won a majority of the vote in the first round. Early voting hours were set by county, and started November 17 or November 18. Prior to the runoff, advanced polls were open from November 24 to the 26th.[3] Since the election was a runoff, only those voters who registered in time for the general election could cast ballots. It was the second Senate runoff election to be held in Georgia since runoffs were first mandated in 1964, following a runoff in 1992.
As of 2023, this remains the only time in history that a Republican has won re-election to Georgia's Class 2 Senate seat.
Candidates
- Saxby Chambliss, incumbent U.S. Senator
Results
 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Saxby Chambliss (incumbent) | 392,902 | 100.0% | ||
| Turnout | 392,928 | 100.0% | |||
The general primary was held July 15, 2008.[4] A run-off between the top two Democratic contenders was held on August 5, in which Jim Martin defeated Vernon Jones.[5]
Candidates
- Jim Martin, former State Representative and nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 2006
- Vernon Jones, businessman, DeKalb County chief executive officer and former State Representative
- Dale Cardwell, TV journalist[6]
- Rand Knight, businessman
- Josh Lanier, Vietnam War veteran and former aide to U.S. Senator Herman Talmadge
Polling
| Source | Date | Cardwell | Jones | Knight | Lanier | Martin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Vision (R) | May 9–11, 2008 | 20% | 28% | 11% | 5% | 15% |
| Insider Advantage | May 12, 2008 | 14% | 21% | 1% | 5% | 3% |
| Mellman Group (D) | May 29, 2008 | 7% | 16% | 2% | 3% | 21% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | June 27–29, 2008 | 22% | 25% | 14% | 6% | 17% |
| Insider Advantage | July 8–9, 2008 | 11% | 20% | 4% | 1% | 31% |
Initial results
Results[7] for the first round showed that since Vernon Jones did not win a majority of the vote, a runoff was held between him and Martin. Martin subsequently won the runoff.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Vernon Jones | 199,026 | 40.4% | |
| Democratic | Jim Martin | 169,635 | 34.4% | |
| Democratic | Dale Cardwell | 79,181 | 16.1% | |
| Democratic | Rand Knight | 25,667 | 5.2% | |
| Democratic | Josh Lanier | 19,717 | 4.0% | |
| Total votes | 493,226 | 100.0% | ||
Run off results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Martin | 191,061 | 59.9% | +25.5% | |
| Democratic | Vernon Jones | 127,993 | 40.1% | −0.3% | |
| Total votes | 319,054 | 100.0% | |||
Candidates
Democratic
Jim Martin, a former State Representative, former State Human Resources Commissioner, Vietnam War veteran, and 2006 nominee for lieutenant governor, challenged Chambliss for his seat. He made his support for PeachCare and other social services a signature issue in the campaign.[citation needed] He made his opposition to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 an issue in the run off.[citation needed]
Libertarian
Allen Buckley - Attorney, accountant, 2004 Senate nominee, and 2006 nominee for lieutenant governor. He was eliminated in the general election, but his endorsement was sought by both the Martin and Chambliss campaigns.[citation needed]
Republican
Sen. Saxby Chambliss running for re-election for the first time, is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994 and had only one serious election challenge while in the House.[citation needed] He maintained high ratings from conservative interest groups such as the National Rifle Association of America, and the National Right to Life Committee,[8] and correspondingly low marks from liberal interest groups such as the NAACP and ACLU.[8] He sponsored legislation while in the Senate to replace the income tax with a national sales tax.[citation needed]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[9] | Tossup | October 23, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[10] | Tossup | October 31, 2008 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[11] | Lean R | November 2, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[12] | Tossup | November 2, 2008 |
Polling
Chambliss vs. Martin
| Source | Date | Chambliss (R) | Martin (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports | June 26, 2008 | 52% | 39% |
| Strategic Vision | June 29, 2008 | 57% | 28% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 21, 2008 | 51% | 40% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 14, 2008 | 50% | 44% |
| Survey USA | September 14–16, 2008 | 53% | 36% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 16, 2008 | 50% | 43% |
| Survey USA | September 29, 2008 | 46% | 44% |
| Research 2000[13] | September 29 – October 1, 2008 | 45% | 44% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 7, 2008 | 50% | 44% |
| Insider Advantage | October 9, 2008 | 45% | 45% |
| Survey USA | October 12, 2008 | 46% | 43% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 22, 2008 | 47% | 45% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 30, 2008 | 48% | 43% |
| Survey USA | November 2, 2008 | 48% | 44% |
| Public Policy Polling | November 2, 2008 | 48% | 46% |
Chambliss vs. Jones (Hypothetical)
| Source | Date | Chambliss (R) | Jones (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports | July 21, 2008 | 59% | 29% |
| Strategic Vision | June 29, 2008 | 57% | 27% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 26, 2008 | 57% | 30% |
| Strategic Vision | December 12, 2007 | 57% | 27% |
| Rasmussen Report | November 13, 2007 | 55% | 32% |
| Rasmussen Report | September 23, 2007 | 53% | 28% |
| Strategic Vision | June 24, 2007 | 55% | 31% |
| Rasmussen Report | September 23, 2007 | 53% | 28% |
| Strategic Vision | June 24, 2007 | 55% | 31% |
| Insider Advantage | May 23, 2007 | 48% | 31% |
| Strategic Vision | April 7, 2007 | 57% | 29% |
Results
As no candidate reached a majority on November 4, a runoff election was held on December 2, which Chambliss won.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Saxby Chambliss (Incumbent) | 1,867,097 | 49.76% | −3.01% | |
| Democratic | Jim Martin | 1,757,393 | 46.83% | +0.93% | |
| Libertarian | Allen Buckley | 127,923 | 3.41% | +2.08% | |
| Socialist Workers | Eleanor Garcia (write-in) | 43 | 0.00% | n/a | |
| Independent | William Salomone, Jr. (write-in) | 29 | 0.00% | n/a | |
| Majority | 109,704 | 2.93% | -3.95% | ||
| Turnout | 3,752,577 | ||||
Candidates
- Chambliss (R)
- Martin (D)
Campaign
Both qualifying candidates' runoff campaigns began in earnest on November 10, when election returns made it clear that a runoff would be required. With an election date of December 2, candidates were given only 3 weeks for additional campaigning.
The Libertarian nominee did not endorse either candidate in the run-off, though both campaigns reportedly inquired about getting Buckley's endorsement.[citation needed] Major political figures such as former President Bill Clinton, Republican Senator and 2008 presidential nominee John McCain and his former running mate Sarah Palin campaigned in Georgia[citation needed], because of the election's potential to determine whether the Democratic Party could block filibusters in the United States Senate. Historically, run-off elections in Georgia have had significantly lower turnout than have general elections.[citation needed]
Chambliss's campaign verified that former Republican presidential candidates John McCain and Mike Huckabee would be campaigning in Georgia on the Senator's behalf, and former Democratic Governor and former U.S. Senator Zell Miller endorsed Chambliss. Former President Bill Clinton campaigned on Martin's behalf. Sarah Palin campaigned for the Chambliss campaign on December 1, the eve of the run-off election.[16] President-elect Barack Obama had also been invited by the Democratic campaign but decided against making a stop.[17]
The results of the runoff election were of particular interest to both parties.[citation needed] Subsequent to the November 4 general elections, Democrats had captured 58 seats in the Senate, two shy of a filibuster-proof supermajority. The result of Georgia's runoff election, as well as the results of an extremely close race and recount in Minnesota, would determine whether or not the required majority of 60 seats would be met.[18] Although the Democratic nominee lost the runoff, the party would still obtain a supermajority after Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter switched from the Republican party to the Democratic party in April 2009 and Democrat Al Franken won in Minnesota after several recounts in June 2009.
Polling
| Source | Date | Chambliss (R) | Martin (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports | November 18, 2008 | 50% | 46% |
| Public Policy Polling | November 23, 2008 | 52% | 46% |
| Public Policy Polling | November 30, 2008 | 53% | 46% |
Results
Douglas, Rockdale, Newton, McIntosh, Merriwether, Chattahoochee, Webster, and Marion counties were won by Chambliss in the runoff, after he lost them in the general. Additionally, Mitchell County went from tied to Chambliss, and Early County switched from Chambliss to Martin.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Saxby Chambliss (Incumbent) | 1,228,033 | 57.44% | N/A | |
| Democratic | Jim Martin | 909,923 | 42.56% | N/A | |
| Majority | 318,110 | 14.88% | |||
| Turnout | 2,137,956 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Ben Hill (Largest city: Fitzgerald)
- Brooks (Largest city: Quitman)
- Decatur (Largest city: Bainbridge)
- Elbert (Largest city: Elberton)
- Grady (Largest city: Cairo)
- Marion (Largest city: Buena Vista)
- Seminole (Largest city: Donalsonville)
- Taylor (Largest city: Butler)
- Chattahoochee (largest municipality: Cusseta)
- McIntosh (largest municipality: Darien)
- Meriwether (largest municipality: Manchester)
- Mitchell (largest municipality: Camilla)
- Hart (Largest city: Hartwell)
- Long (Largest city: Ludowici)
- Wilkes (Largest city: Washington)
- Webster (largest town: Preston)
- Steinhauser, Paul (December 2, 2008). "gop Senate win in Georgia means Democrats can't halt filibusters". CNN.
- "GOP's Chambliss wins Ga. Senate runoff". NBC News. Associated Press. December 2, 2008.
- Elections Division Archived November 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Georgia Secretary of State
- Unofficial And Incomplete Results of the Tuesday, July 15, 2008 General Primary Election Georgia Secretary of State
- Kapochunas, Rachel (August 5, 2008). "Martin Wins Georgia Dem Runoff, Will Challenge Sen. Chambliss : Roll Call". CQ Politics. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
- "Saxby Chambliss". VoteSmart. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019.
- "2008 Senate Race ratings for October 23, 2008". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics
- "2008 Senate ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- "2008 RCP Averages & Senate Results". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
- "GA-Sen: Holy crap, it *is* tied!". Daily Kos. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
- "Georgia Election Results: United States Senator". Georgia Secretary of State. November 10, 2008. Archived from the original on November 12, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
- "Georgia 2008 General Election". The Green Papers. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
- "Palin Heads Back to Campaign Trail -- Political Wire". Archived from the original on November 27, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2008.
- Tharpe, Jim (November 11, 2008). "Senate runoff fast and furious". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 12, 2008.
- Britt, Russ (November 6, 2008). "Democrats still have shot at filibuster-proof Senate". Market Watch. Retrieved November 12, 2008.
- "Georgia Election Results". State of Georgia Secretary of State. December 2, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
- Elections Division from the Georgia Secretary of State
- U.S. Congress candidates for Georgia at Project Vote Smart
- Georgia, U.S. Senate from CQ Politics
- Georgia U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com
- Georgia U.S. Senate race from 2008 Race Tracker
- Campaign contributions for Georgia congressional races from OpenSecrets
- Official campaign websites (Archived)
- Saxby Chambliss, Republican incumbent nominee
- Dale Cardwell, Democratic candidate
- Vernon Jones, Democratic candidate
- Rand Knight, Democratic candidate
- Josh Lanier, Democratic candidate
- Jim Martin, Democratic nominee
- Allen Buckley, Libertarian nominee