2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas

The 2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Pryor ran for a second term. No Republican filed to challenge him, and his only opponent was Green Party candidate Rebekah Kennedy. Pryor won re-election with almost 80% of the vote.

2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas
November 4, 2008
 
Nominee Mark Pryor Rebekah Kennedy
Party Democratic Green
Popular vote 804,678 207,076
Percentage 79.5% 20.5%
County results
Pryor:      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
U.S. senator before election

Mark Pryor
Democratic

 Elected U.S. Senator

Mark Pryor
Democratic

Elections in Arkansas

Kennedy received the highest ever vote share of any Green Party candidate running for U.S. Senate.[1]

As of 2020, this is the last U.S. Senate election in Arkansas won by a Democrat.

Candidates

Democratic

Green
  • Rebekah Kennedy, attorney and nominee for Attorney General in 2006 & 2010

Campaign

On March 10, the state Republican Party announced it has no plans to field a candidate against Pryor. The only Republican to express interest in the race, health care executive Tom Formicola, decided not to run the weekend before filing began. Formicola lost the GOP primaries for the Senate in 2004 and the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006. As a result, Pryor was the only Senator in 2008 to face no major-party opposition in a reelection bid.[2]

There had been speculation that former Governor Mike Huckabee would run against Pryor if his presidential bid were unsuccessful, but on March 8, Huckabee said he would not contest the race.[3]

Pryor's sole challenger was Green Party nominee Rebekah Kennedy, who entered the race in April 2007.[4]. Kennedy received a 206,504 votes (20.54%).[5] This is the highest percentage of the vote for any Green Party candidate running for U.S. Senate ever, and her 206,504 votes is the second most total votes received by a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate after Medea Susan Benjamin's 326,828 votes in the 2000 California Senate race.[6] Kennedy's campaign, in addition to being record breaking for the Green Party, was also the strongest showing of any independent or third party candidate running for the U.S. Senate in 2008.

Polling

Pryor was polled at 90% in a poll without a challenger in March.[7]

Results
2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Pryor (incumbent) 804,678 79.53%
Green Rebekah Kennedy 207,076 20.47%
Total votes 1,011,754 100.00%
Democratic hold
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See also

References
  1. http://www.greenpartywatch.org/2008/10/09/a-short-history-of-green-party-us-senate-races/
  2. "Today's THV - KTHV Little Rock News Article". Todaysthv.com. March 10, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  3. Huckabee says he won't run against Pryor Archived 2008-03-16 at the Wayback Machine, Nasdaq.com
  4. "Kennedy enters race for Pryor's Senate Seat", Daniel Nassaw, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, April 14, 2007.
  5. "U.S. Senate Statewide Results". Secretary of State of Arkansas. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
  6. http://www.greenpartywatch.org/2008/10/09/a-short-history-of-green-party-us-senate-races/
  7. "Arkansas Polls". Electoral-vote.com. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  8. "U.S. Senate Statewide Results". Secretary of State of Arkansas. December 2, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
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