2008 United States Senate election in Kansas

The 2008 United States Senate election in Kansas was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pat Roberts won re-election to a third term.

2008 United States Senate election in Kansas
November 4, 2008
 
Nominee Pat Roberts Jim Slattery
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 712,396 429,691
Percentage 60.1% 36.5%
County Results
Roberts:
     40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Slattery:
     40-50%      50–60%      60–70%
U.S. senator before election

Pat Roberts
Republican

 Elected U.S. Senator

Pat Roberts
Republican

Elections in Kansas

Background

The state of Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932. Kansas's other Republican Senator Sam Brownback announced that he is retiring due to "self-imposed term limits," which meant Roberts became the senior senator from Kansas in 2011. It is considered one of the most Republican states in the U.S. The last time its electors went to a Democrat was the Presidential Election of 1964, when Lyndon Johnson carried the state over Barry Goldwater.

Roberts had announced ahead of the 1996 election that "I plan only to serve two terms in the U.S. Senate",[1] but he broke that pledge in this election.

Republican primary

Candidates

Results
Republican Party primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Pat Roberts (Incumbent) 214,911 100.00%
Total votes 214,911 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates
  • Jim Slattery, former U.S. Representative and nominee for Governor in 1994
  • Lee Jones, nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2004

Results
Democratic primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim Slattery 68,106 68.93%
Democratic Lee Jones 30,699 31.07%
Total votes 98,805 100.00%

General election

Candidates
  • Pat Roberts (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
  • Jim Slattery (D), former U.S. Representative
  • Randall Hodgkinson (L), attorney
  • Joseph L. Martin (Re), nominee for Secretary of State in 2006

Predictions

CQ Politics rated this race as 'Republican Favored'.[4] The Cook Political Report considered it 'Solid Republican'.[5] The Rothenberg Political Report considered it a 'Safe Republican'.[6]

Polling
Poll Source Dates administered Slattery Roberts
Rasmussen Reports May 13, 2008 40% 52%
Research 2000/Daily Kos June 2–4, 2008 38% 50%
Cooper & Secrest June 5–8, 2008 36% 48%
Rasmussen Reports June 11, 2008 39% 48%
TargetPoint Consulting, Inc. July 1, 2008 34% 54%
Rasmussen Reports July 15, 2008 33% 61%
Rasmussen Reports August 11, 2008 37% 56%
Survey USA August 20, 2008 31% 58%
Survey USA September 22, 2008 35% 55%
Rasmussen Reports September 23, 2008 38% 58%

Rasmussen Reports

 October 13, 2008 36% 55%
Survey USA October 22, 2008 35% 57%
Survey USA October 28, 2008 33% 60%

Results

Roberts won by 24 percentage points over Slattery, carrying 102 of the state's 105 counties. Slattery only carried three counties in northeast Kansas: Atchison, Douglas and Wyandotte.

General election results[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Republican Pat Roberts (Incumbent) 727,121 60.06% -22.46%
Democratic Jim Slattery 441,399 36.46%
Libertarian Randall Hodgkinson 25,727 2.12% -6.98%
Reform Joseph L. Martin 16,443 1.36% -7.02%
Majority 285,722 23.60% -49.82%
Turnout 1,210,690
Republican hold Swing
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References
  1. "Pat Roberts Said In 1996 He'd Only Serve Two Terms — He's Running For His Fourth". BuzzFeed. October 14, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  2. http://www.kssos.org/elections/08elec/2008ElectionOfficialVoteTotals.pdf
  3. http://www.kssos.org/elections/08elec/2008ElectionOfficialVoteTotals.pdf
  4. Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics
  5. 2008 Senate Race Ratings Archived November 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine The Cook Political Report, October 9, 2008
  6. 2008 Senate Ratings The Rothenberg Political Report, September 29, 2008
  7. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/2008/2008Stat.htm#stateKS
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