United_States_Senate_election_in_Kentucky,_2008
The 2008 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held on November 4, 2008. Minority Leader and incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell won re-election to a fifth term. Although Barack Obama lost Kentucky by a 16.22% margin to John McCain in the concurrent presidential election, McConnell more narrowly kept his seat with a 5.94% margin against businessman Bruce Lunsford. This was a greatly reduced margin from when he won re-election in 2002 with a 29.4% margin.
Quick Facts Nominee, Party ...
 | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
 County results
McConnell: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Lunsford: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
Close
In 2007 Kentucky's unpopular Republican Governor, Ernie Fletcher, lost his re-election bid. The Democrats took control of both Houses of Congress in the 2006 mid-term elections and in October Chuck Schumer acknowledged they were aiming for McConnell's seat.[1]
State auditor Crit Luallen was considered a top contender for the Democratic nomination, but she decided to remain as auditor.[2] Lunsford was asked to run by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear.[3] Seven candidates competed for the Democratic Primary nomination. The primaries for both parties took place on May 20, 2008, in which Lunsford took more than 50%.
Candidates
- Daniel Essek
- Mitch McConnell, incumbent U.S. Senator
Results
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mitch McConnell (incumbent) | 168,127 | 86.09% | |
| Republican | Daniel Essek | 27,170 | 13.91% | |
| Total votes | 195,297 | 100.00% | ||
Close
Candidates
- Michael Cassaro
- Greg Fischer, businessman
- Bruce Lunsford, former Kentucky Secretary of Commerce and candidate for Governor in 2003 and 2007
- James Rice
- Kenneth Stepp
- David Williams
- David Wylie
Results
Lunsford
- <40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
Fischer
- <40%
- 40–50%
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bruce Lunsford | 316,992 | 51.15% | |
| Democratic | Greg Fischer | 209,827 | 33.85% | |
| Democratic | David L. Williams | 34,363 | 5.54% | |
| Democratic | Michael Cassaro | 17,340 | 2.80% | |
| Democratic | Kenneth Stepp | 13,451 | 2.17% | |
| Democratic | David Wylie | 7,528 | 1.21% | |
| Democratic | James E. Rice | 2,365 | 3.28% | |
| Total votes | 619,904 | 100.00% | ||
Close
Candidates
- Bruce Lunsford (D), businessman
- Mitch McConnell (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
Campaign
In October Lunsford and McConnell were statistically tied in the polls. Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said "If Lunsford is actually doing this well, its got to be because the public is so upset by the economic meltdown and may be blaming the legislative leaders."[6]
A debate scheduled for October 7 hosted by the League of Women Voters was canceled when incumbent McConnell decided not to participate even though Lunsford announced he wanted to debate.[7]
On November 2, 2008, media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal noted that the website of The New Republic had reported that anti-McConnell flyers questioning the senator's sexuality as well as the reasons for his 1967 military discharge were being distributed in Kentucky.[8][9]
Predictions
More information Source, Ranking ...
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[10] | Lean R | October 23, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[11] | Lean R | October 31, 2008 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[12] | Lean R | November 2, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[13] | Tossup | November 1, 2008 |
Close
Polling
More information Poll Source, Dates administered ...
| Poll Source | Dates administered | Lunsford | McConnell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voter/Consumer Research | January 6–8, 2008 | 37% | 52% |
| Research 2000/ Lexington Herald-Leader/ WKYT-TV Archived July 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine |
May 7–9, 2008 | 36% | 48% |
| Voter/Consumer Research | May 21–22, 2008 | 39% | 50% |
| Rasmussen Reports | May 22, 2008 | 49% | 44% |
| Survey USA | June 13–16, 2008 | 46% | 50% |
| Voter/Consumer Research | June 15–17, 2008 | 39% | 50% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 25, 2008 | 41% | 48% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 29, 2008 | 42% | 52% |
| Survey USA | August 11, 2008 | 40% | 52% |
| Voter/Consumer Research | September 7–9, 2008 | 35% | 52% |
| Research 2000 for Daily Kos | September 15–17, 2008 | 37% | 50% |
| SurveyUSA | September 21–22, 2008 | 46% | 49% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 30, 2008 | 42% | 51% |
| SurveyUSA | October 20, 2008 | 48% | 48% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 21, 2008 | 43% | 50% |
| Research 2000/ Lexington Herald-Leader/ WKYT-TV Archived January 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine |
October 22, 2008 | 43% | 47% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 29, 2008 | 44% | 51% |
| Survey USA | November 1, 2008 | 45% | 53% |
Close
Results
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mitch McConnell (incumbent) | 953,816 | 52.97% | -11.7% | |
| Democratic | Bruce Lunsford | 847,005 | 47.03% | +11.7% | |
| Total votes | 1,800,821 | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
Close
Results breakdown
More information County, Precincts ...
| County[15] | Precincts | Reporting | Lunsford | % Lunsford | McConnell | % McConnell | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair | 16 | 16 | 2,198 | 30.88% | 4,920 | 69.12% | 7,118 (R) |
| Allen | 13 | 13 | 2,331 | 31.85% | 4,987 | 68.15% | 7,318 (R) |
| Anderson | 14 | 14 | 4,787 | 46.27% | 5,558 | 53.73% | 10,345 (R) |
| Ballard | 13 | 13 | 1,893 | 46.68% | 2,162 | 53.32% | 4,055 (R) |
| Barren | 24 | 24 | 6,735 | 41.15% | 9,630 | 58.85% | 16,365 (R) |
| Bath | 12 | 12 | 2,747 | 61.36% | 1,730 | 38.64% | 4,477 (D) |
| Bell | 33 | 33 | 3,494 | 38.83% | 5,505 | 61.17% | 8,999 (R) |
| Boone | 60 | 60 | 15,224 | 30.75% | 34,285 | 69.25% | 49,509 (R) |
| Bourbon | 18 | 18 | 4,325 | 52.26% | 3,951 | 47.74% | 8,276 (D) |
| Boyd | 47 | 47 | 11,174 | 54.23% | 9,430 | 45.77% | 20,604 (D) |
| Boyle | 25 | 25 | 5,854 | 46.90% | 6,627 | 53.10% | 12,481 (R) |
| Bracken | 8 | 8 | 1,382 | 41.17% | 1,975 | 58.83% | 3,357 (R) |
| Breathitt | 21 | 21 | 3,111 | 61.41% | 1,955 | 38.59% | 5,066 (D) |
| Breckinridge | 15 | 15 | 3,736 | 44.02% | 4,752 | 55.98% | 8,488 (R) |
| Bullitt | 44 | 44 | 12,501 | 41.85% | 17,368 | 58.15% | 29,869 (R) |
| Butler | 12 | 12 | 1,771 | 33.59% | 3,501 | 66.41% | 5,272 (R) |
| Caldwell | 13 | 13 | 2,821 | 46.30% | 3,272 | 53.70% | 6,093 (R) |
| Calloway | 30 | 30 | 6,870 | 45.39% | 8,266 | 54.61% | 15,136 (R) |
| Campbell | 66 | 66 | 14,789 | 37.55% | 24,591 | 62.45% | 39,380 (R) |
| Carlisle | 6 | 6 | 1,220 | 46.51% | 1,403 | 53.49% | 2,623 (R) |
| Carroll | 11 | 11 | 2,157 | 57.23% | 1,612 | 42.77% | 3,769 (D) |
| Carter | 23 | 23 | 5,220 | 53.74% | 4,494 | 46.26% | 9,714 (D) |
| Casey | 15 | 15 | 1,783 | 30.55% | 4,053 | 69.45% | 5,836 (R) |
| Christian | 44 | 44 | 9,030 | 40.79% | 13,109 | 59.21% | 22,139 (R) |
| Clark | 26 | 26 | 7,436 | 48.49% | 7,898 | 51.51% | 15,334 (R) |
| Clay | 20 | 20 | 2,458 | 33.85% | 4,804 | 66.15% | 7,262 (R) |
| Clinton | 13 | 13 | 1,029 | 25.42% | 3,019 | 74.58% | 4,048 (R) |
| Crittenden | 12 | 12 | 1,615 | 41.59% | 2,268 | 58.41% | 3,883 (R) |
| Cumberland | 9 | 9 | 763 | 28.62% | 1,903 | 71.38% | 2,666 (R) |
| Daviess | 84 | 84 | 20,779 | 47.94% | 22,563 | 52.06% | 43,342 (R) |
| Edmonson | 10 | 10 | 1,996 | 38.06% | 3,249 | 61.94% | 5,245 (R) |
| Elliott | 7 | 7 | 1,830 | 71.99% | 712 | 28.01% | 2,542 (R) |
| Estill | 15 | 15 | 2,162 | 41.36% | 3,065 | 58.64% | 5,227 (R) |
| Fayette | 274 | 274 | 68,029 | 54.15% | 57,605 | 45.85% | 125,634 (R) |
| Fleming | 18 | 18 | 2,845 | 50.04% | 2,841 | 49.96% | 5,686 (D) |
| Floyd | 42 | 42 | 10,105 | 64.35% | 5,598 | 35.65% | 15,703 (D) |
| Franklin | 44 | 44 | 13,888 | 59.00% | 9,651 | 41.00% | 23,539 (R) |
| Fulton | 13 | 13 | 1,456 | 53.49% | 1,266 | 46.51% | 2,722 (D) |
| Gallatin | 8 | 8 | 1,435 | 45.66% | 1,708 | 54.34% | 3,143 (R) |
| Garrard | 13 | 13 | 2,858 | 40.11% | 4,268 | 59.89% | 7,126 (R) |
| Grant | 23 | 23 | 3,408 | 39.33% | 5,257 | 60.67% | 8,665 (R) |
| Graves | 30 | 30 | 7,839 | 48.76% | 8,239 | 51.24% | 16,078 (R) |
| Grayson | 23 | 23 | 3,863 | 39.23% | 5,983 | 60.77% | 9,846 (R) |
| Green | 10 | 10 | 1,777 | 35.73% | 3,197 | 64.27% | 4,974 (R) |
| Greenup | 32 | 32 | 8,258 | 52.83% | 7,374 | 47.17% | 15,632 (D) |
| Hancock | 10 | 10 | 2,298 | 56.09% | 1,799 | 43.91% | 4,097 (D) |
| Hardin | 55 | 55 | 17,318 | 43.68% | 22,326 | 56.32% | 39,644 (R) |
| Harlan | 35 | 35 | 4,440 | 45.92% | 5,229 | 54.08% | 9,669 (R) |
| Harrison | 17 | 17 | 3,814 | 50.47% | 3,743 | 49.53% | 7,557 (D) |
| Hart | 19 | 19 | 2,962 | 44.60% | 3,680 | 55.40% | 6,642 (R) |
| Henderson | 42 | 42 | 11,048 | 56.06% | 8,659 | 43.94% | 19,707 (D) |
| Henry | 20 | 20 | 3,194 | 46.52% | 3,672 | 53.48% | 6,866 (R) |
| Hickman | 6 | 6 | 1,049 | 47.49% | 1,160 | 52.51% | 2,209 (R) |
| Hopkins | 40 | 40 | 8,481 | 44.87% | 10,419 | 55.13% | 18,900 (R) |
| Jackson | 14 | 14 | 1,245 | 24.71% | 3,794 | 75.29% | 5,039 (R) |
| Jefferson | 515 | 515 | 195,401 | 55.73% | 155,241 | 44.27% | 350,642 (D) |
| Jessamine | 37 | 37 | 7,847 | 39.60% | 11,969 | 60.40% | 19,816 (R) |
| Johnson | 31 | 31 | 3,252 | 38.81% | 5,128 | 61.19% | 8,380 (R) |
| Kenton | 108 | 108 | 19,217 | 36.26% | 33,787 | 63.74% | 53,004 (R) |
| Knott | 30 | 30 | 3,477 | 62.14% | 2,118 | 37.86% | 5,595 (D) |
| Knox | 30 | 30 | 4,329 | 39.01% | 6,767 | 60.99% | 11,096 (R) |
| LaRue | 12 | 12 | 2,523 | 41.97% | 3,489 | 58.03% | 6,012 (R) |
| Laurel | 45 | 45 | 6,850 | 31.15% | 15,138 | 68.85% | 21,988 (R) |
| Lawrence | 18 | 18 | 2,641 | 47.47% | 2,923 | 52.53% | 5,564 (R) |
| Lee | 10 | 10 | 1,073 | 39.77% | 1,625 | 60.23% | 2,698 (R) |
| Leslie | 17 | 17 | 1,083 | 25.15% | 3,224 | 74.85% | 4,307 (R) |
| Letcher | 32 | 32 | 4,198 | 51.82% | 3,903 | 48.18% | 8,101 (D) |
| Lewis | 14 | 14 | 1,787 | 38.26% | 2,884 | 61.74% | 4,671 (R) |
| Lincoln | 17 | 17 | 4,119 | 45.47% | 4,939 | 54.53% | 9,058 (R) |
| Livingston | 10 | 10 | 2,142 | 47.35% | 2,382 | 52.65% | 4,524 (R) |
| Logan | 20 | 20 | 4,379 | 40.70% | 6,379 | 59.30% | 10,758 (R) |
| Lyon | 6 | 6 | 1,821 | 47.80% | 1,989 | 52.20% | 3,810 (R) |
| McCracken | 54 | 54 | 13,006 | 42.91% | 17,303 | 57.09% | 30,309 (D) |
| McCreary | 18 | 18 | 1,576 | 30.41% | 3,606 | 69.59% | 5,182 (R) |
| McLean | 8 | 8 | 2,225 | 50.55% | 2,177 | 49.45% | 4,402 (D) |
| Madison | 56 | 56 | 14,657 | 45.96% | 17,237 | 54.04% | 31,894 (R) |
| Magoffin | 14 | 14 | 2,719 | 58.81% | 1,904 | 41.19% | 4,623 (D) |
| Marion | 17 | 17 | 4,304 | 57.68% | 3,158 | 42.32% | 7,462 (D) |
| Marshall | 25 | 25 | 7,463 | 48.94% | 7,785 | 51.06% | 15,248 (R) |
| Martin | 14 | 14 | 1,203 | 33.19% | 2,422 | 66.81% | 3,625 (R) |
| Mason | 20 | 20 | 3,095 | 44.58% | 3,847 | 55.42% | 6,942 (R) |
| Meade | 18 | 18 | 5,149 | 46.58% | 5,905 | 53.42% | 11,054 (R) |
| Menifee | 6 | 6 | 1,520 | 61.51% | 951 | 38.49% | 2,471 (D) |
| Mercer | 17 | 17 | 4,338 | 44.17% | 5,484 | 55.83% | 9,822 (R) |
| Metcalfe | 12 | 12 | 1,766 | 44.03% | 2,245 | 55.97% | 4,011 (R) |
| Monroe | 12 | 12 | 1,237 | 27.16% | 3,318 | 72.84% | 4,555 (R) |
| Montgomery | 18 | 18 | 5,526 | 54.25% | 4,660 | 45.75% | 10,186 (D) |
| Morgan | 12 | 12 | 2,475 | 57.03% | 1,865 | 42.97% | 4,340 (D) |
| Muhlenberg | 26 | 26 | 7,436 | 57.90% | 5,406 | 42.10% | 12,842 (R) |
| Nelson | 26 | 26 | 8,823 | 49.60% | 8,965 | 50.40% | 17,788 (R) |
| Nicholas | 5 | 5 | 1,737 | 59.47% | 1,184 | 40.53% | 2,921 (D) |
| Ohio | 25 | 25 | 4,664 | 47.08% | 5,242 | 52.92% | 9,906 (R) |
| Oldham | 34 | 34 | 10,204 | 35.25% | 18,744 | 64.75% | 28,948 (R) |
| Owen | 13 | 13 | 2,019 | 42.93% | 2,684 | 57.07% | 4,703 (R) |
| Owsley | 8 | 8 | 559 | 34.46% | 1,063 | 65.54% | 1,622 (R) |
| Pendleton | 12 | 12 | 2,155 | 37.97% | 3,520 | 62.03% | 5,675 (R) |
| Perry | 37 | 37 | 5,026 | 49.10% | 5,211 | 50.90% | 10,237 (R) |
| Pike | 57 | 57 | 12,912 | 57.16% | 9,679 | 42.84% | 22,591 (D) |
| Powell | 11 | 11 | 2,863 | 57.91% | 2,081 | 42.09% | 4,944 (D) |
| Pulaski | 57 | 57 | 8,108 | 32.20% | 17,072 | 67.80% | 25,180 (R) |
| Robertson | 5 | 5 | 498 | 49.21% | 514 | 50.79% | 1,012 (R) |
| Rockcastle | 14 | 14 | 1,837 | 30.55% | 4,177 | 69.45% | 6,014 (R) |
| Rowan | 18 | 18 | 4,710 | 58.71% | 3,312 | 41.29% | 8,022 (D) |
| Russell | 16 | 16 | 2,450 | 33.67% | 4,827 | 66.33% | 7,277 (R) |
| Scott | 35 | 35 | 9,238 | 47.36% | 10,267 | 52.64% | 19,505 (R) |
| Shelby | 33 | 33 | 7,546 | 41.15% | 10,790 | 58.85% | 18,336 (R) |
| Simpson | 13 | 13 | 3,118 | 44.29% | 3,922 | 55.71% | 7,040 (R) |
| Spencer | 11 | 11 | 3,159 | 39.64% | 4,811 | 60.36% | 7,970 (R) |
| Taylor | 20 | 20 | 4,163 | 38.52% | 6,644 | 61.48% | 10,807 (R) |
| Todd | 13 | 13 | 1,772 | 36.89% | 3,032 | 63.11% | 4,804 (R) |
| Trigg | 14 | 14 | 2,637 | 40.76% | 3,833 | 59.24% | 6,470 (R) |
| Trimble | 12 | 12 | 1,927 | 50.87% | 1,861 | 49.13% | 3,788 (D) |
| Union | 16 | 16 | 3,335 | 55.46% | 2,678 | 44.54% | 6,013 (D) |
| Warren | 63 | 63 | 19,162 | 43.84% | 24,547 | 56.16% | 43,709 (R) |
| Washington | 14 | 14 | 2,316 | 45.04% | 2,826 | 54.96% | 5,142 (R) |
| Wayne | 19 | 19 | 3,045 | 43.30% | 3,987 | 56.70% | 7,032 (R) |
| Webster | 14 | 14 | 3,000 | 54.39% | 2,516 | 45.61% | 5,516 (D) |
| Whitley | 36 | 36 | 4,849 | 36.37% | 8,484 | 63.63% | 13,333 (R) |
| Wolfe | 8 | 8 | 1,886 | 62.74% | 1,120 | 37.26% | 3,006 (D) |
| Woodford | 16 | 16 | 5,903 | 48.65% | 6,231 | 51.35% | 12,134 (R) |
Close
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Bourbon (Largest city: Paris)
- Carroll (Largest city: Carrollton)
- Carter (Largest city: Grayson)
- Hancock (Largest city: Hawesville)
- Magoffin (Largest city: Salyersville)
- Trimble (Largest city: Bedford)
- Webster (Largest city: Providence)
- McLean (Largest city: Livermore)
- Morgan (Largest city: West Liberty)
- Harrison (Largest city: Cynthiana)
- Henderson (Largest city: Henderson)
- Letcher (Largest city: Jenkins)
- Muhlenberg (Largest city: Central City)
- Greenup (Largest city: Flatwoods)
- Fulton (Largest city: Fulton)
- Fleming (Largest city: Flemingsburg)
- Lincoln (Largest city: Stanford)
- Bath (Largest city: Owingsville)
- Fayette (Largest city: Lexington)
- Marion (Largest city: Lebanon)
- Menifee (Largest city: Frenchburg)
- Nicholas (Largest city: Carlisle)
- Rowan (Largest city: Morehead)
- Franklin (Largest city: Frankfort)
- Jefferson (Largest city: Louisville)
- Stein, Sam (October 31, 2007). "Schumer Takes Aim At Senate's Top Republican". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 31, 2007.
- "KY-Sen: Schumer says Crit is in". Daily Kos.
- Gerth, Joseph (January 30, 2008). "Lunsford to challenge McConnell; Lewis is out". Courier-Journal.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "2008 Kentucky Statewide Election Results by Office". Kentucky State Board of Elections. June 11, 2008. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
- "McConnell, Lunsford race a dead heat". The Courier-Journal. September 27, 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2008.[dead link]
- "Lunsford-McConnell Debate Now Off". Kentucky Post. September 30, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
- "McConnell Outing Controversy Breaks Into National Mainstream Media". Proud of Who We Are (Press release). Proud of Who We Are. November 3, 2008.
- Michelle, Cottle; Orr, Christopher; Zengerle, Jason (November 2, 2008). "Democratic Gay-Baiting? You Don't Say..." The New Republic. Archived from the original on November 6, 2008.
- "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.
- Kentucky State Board of Elections
- U.S. Congress candidates for Kentucky at Project Vote Smart
- "Kentucky, U.S. Senate". Archived from the original on May 4, 2008. Retrieved June 27, 2008. – CQ Politics
- Kentucky U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com
- "Kentucky U.S. Senate race". Archived from the original on June 22, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2008. – 2008 Race Tracker
- "Campaign contributions". Archived from the original on June 12, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) – OpenSecrets - "McConnell (R-i) vs Lunsford (D)". Archived from the original on October 12, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2008. – graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
- Official campaign websites
- "Bruce Lunsford for U.S. Senate". Archived from the original on March 24, 2008. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) – Democratic nominee - Mitch McConnell for Senate – Republican nominee
- "Bruce Lunsford for U.S. Senate". Archived from the original on March 24, 2008. Retrieved September 9, 2016.