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Hagan: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Dole: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in North Carolina |
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The 2008 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. The Senate election coincided with the presidential, U.S. House elections, gubernatorial, Council of State, and statewide judicial elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Kay Hagan.[1]
The November general election was the first time in North Carolina history, and only the eighth time in U.S. history, that the two major-party candidates for a U.S. Senate seat were both women. In addition, Hagan became the first woman to defeat an incumbent woman in a U.S. Senate election. To date, this is the only time since 1998 that a Democrat won a U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, and the only time since 1966 that they won this seat.
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Kay Hagan, State Senator
- Duskin Lassiter, trucker
- Jim Neal, businessman
- Howard Staley, doctor
- Marcus Williams, attorney
Campaign
[edit]Hagan, initially an unknown politician, decided to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole.[2]
National Democrats attempted to recruit incumbent Governor Mike Easley to make the race. A late October 2007 Rasmussen Report poll showed Easley defeating Dole 50% to 42%.[3][4] Easley declined to run, as did Congressman Brad Miller, who expressed interest in early 2007.[5][6] Former Governor Jim Hunt also declined to compete against Dole.[7][8]
Neal earned the endorsement of the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. He also was endorsed by Blue America PAC, eQualityGiving, the Independent Weekly and YES ! Weekly.[9]
Results
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Kay Hagan | 801,920 | 60.1% | |
Democratic | Jim Neal | 239,623 | 18.0% | |
Democratic | Marcus W. Williams | 170,970 | 12.8% | |
Democratic | Duskin Lassiter | 62,136 | 4.6% | |
Democratic | Howard Staley | 60,403 | 4.5% | |
Total votes | 1,335,052 | 100.0% |
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Elizabeth Dole, incumbent U.S. Senator
- Pete DiLauro
Results
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Elizabeth Dole (incumbent) | 460,665 | 90.0% | |
Republican | Pete DiLauro | 51,406 | 10.0% | |
Total votes | 512,071 | 100.0% |
General election
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Chris Cole (L), perennial candidate
- Elizabeth Dole (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
- Kay Hagan (D), State Senator
Campaign
[edit]Dole was initially a heavy favorite for reelection, especially after several potential top-tier challengers such as Congressman Brad Miller, Governor Mike Easley and former Governor Jim Hunt all declined to compete against Dole.[7][8] Ultimately, Kay Hagan, a state senator from Greensboro, won the Democratic primary election and became Dole's general election opponent. Reports late in the campaign suggested that Dole, once considered a safe bet for reelection, suffered from Barack Obama's decision to aggressively contest North Carolina in the presidential election.[11]
Hagan was initially given little chance against Dole, but Hagan was helped by independent 527 groups lobbying/advertising against incumbent Dole.[8] The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee expended more money in North Carolina than in any other state during the 2008 election season.[8] However, Dole benefited from more out-of-state funding overall than Hagan.[12] The efforts appeared to be effective, as Hagan began to take the lead in several polls beginning in September.
In late October, Dole released a controversial television ad attacking Hagan for reportedly taking donations from individuals involved in the Godless Americans PAC, a group which advocates for the rights of people who do not believe in God. The ad also included a female voice saying, "There is no God."[13][14] The Dole campaign said the ad correctly shows who Hagan will associate with in order to raise campaign funds, and on November 1, Bob Dole also defended it, asserting that "it never questions her faith," and that "the issue is why she was there. There's no question about her faith. I think it's [the ad's] fair game."[15]
Hagan, who is a member of the Presbyterian Church and a former Sunday school teacher,[14] condemned the ad as "fabricated and pathetic," and, according to Hagan's campaign website, a cease-and-desist letter was "hand-delivered to Dole's Raleigh office, faxed to her Salisbury office and sent to her home at the Watergate in Washington, DC."[16] Hagan also filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court accusing Dole of defamation and libel.[17][18]
The ad has met exceptionally strong criticism from the public as well as many local and several national media outlets. CNN's Campbell Brown said about the ad: "[A]mid all the attack ads on the airwaves competing to out-ugly one another, we think we've found a winner."[19] The ad has been described as "ridiculously outrageous,"[20] "indecent,"[21] a "gross misrepresentation,"[22] "worse than dishonest"[23] and "beyond the bounds of acceptable political disagreement,"[23] among other harsh criticism.[24] Another ad issued by the Dole campaign in mid-October 2008 was described by The Fayetteville Observer as "[setting] the low mark in negative political campaigning."[25] The media reported, that within 48 hours of the first ad Hagan received over 3,600 contributions, including major donors as well as individual support from a range of atheists, agnostics and followers of other religious beliefs who felt they were being attacked by Dole.[26] Following the second ad Hagan's lead doubled according to some polls.[26]
Predictions
[edit]Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
The Cook Political Report[27] | Tossup | October 23, 2008 |
CQ Politics[28] | Lean D (flip) | October 31, 2008 |
Rothenberg Political Report[29] | Lean D (flip) | November 2, 2008 |
Real Clear Politics[30] | Tossup | November 2, 2008 |
Polling
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Hagen_at_Obama_rally.jpg/220px-Hagen_at_Obama_rally.jpg)
Polls released during the week of October 28, 2008 showed Dole and Hagan within the statistical margin of error (3% apart).[2]
Poll source | Dates administered | Kay Hagan (D) |
Elizabeth Dole (R) |
---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | February 18, 2008 | 33% | 50% |
Rasmussen Reports | April 10, 2008 | 39% | 52% |
Research 2000/Daily Kos | April 28–30, 2008 | 41% | 48% |
Rasmussen Reports | May 8, 2008 | 48% | 47% |
Public Policy Polling | May 8–9, 2008 | 43% | 48% |
Civitas Institute/ Tel Opinion Research |
May 14–17, 2008 | 43% | 45% |
Survey USA | May 17–19, 2008 | 46% | 50% |
Public Policy Polling | May 28–29, 2008 | 39% | 47% |
Anzalone Liszt Research | June 4, 2008 | 44% | 48% |
Rasmussen Reports | June 10, 2008 | 39% | 53% |
Civitas Institute/ Tel Opinion Research |
June 11–13, 2008 | 38% | 48% |
The Tarrance Group | July 9, 2008 | 36% | 51% |
Survey USA | July 14, 2008 | 42% | 54% |
Rasmussen Reports | July 15, 2008 | 43% | 54% |
Public Policy Polling | July 23–27, 2008 | 40% | 49% |
Research 2000/Daily Kos | July 28–30, 2008 | 42% | 50% |
Insider Advantage | August 19, 2008 | 40% | 40% |
Public Policy Polling | August 23, 2008 | 42% | 39% |
Democracy Corps | August 26, 2008 | 50% | 45% |
Survey USA | September 8, 2008 | 40% | 48% |
Daily Kos/Research 2000 | September 10, 2008 | 42% | 48% |
Rasmussen Reports | September 18, 2008 | 51% | 45% |
Public Policy Polling | September 19, 2008 | 46% | 41% |
Rasmussen Reports | September 23, 2008 | 48% | 45% |
Public Policy Polling | September 28–29, 2008 | 46% | 38% |
Survey USA | October 5–6, 2008 | 43% | 44% |
Rasmussen Reports | October 8, 2008 | 49% | 44% |
Survey USA | October 20, 2008 | 46% | 45% |
Rasmussen Reports | October 29, 2008 | 52% | 46% |
Public Policy Polling | Oct 31-Nov 2, 2008 | 51% | 44% |
Survey USA | November 2, 2008 | 50% | 43% |
Results
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Kay Hagan | 2,249,311 | 52.65% | +7.7% | |
Republican | Elizabeth Dole (incumbent) | 1,887,510 | 44.18% | −9.4% | |
Libertarian | Chris Cole | 133,430 | 3.17% | +2.1% | |
Write-in | 1,719 | 0.0% | 0.0% | ||
Total votes | 4,271,970 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
Democratic gain from Republican |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
[edit]- Perquimans (Largest city: Hertford)
- Camden (Largest city: Camden)
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
[edit]- Franklin (Largest city: Wake Forest)
- Montgomery (Largest city: Troy)
- Nash (largest municipality: Rocky Mount)
- New Hanover (largest municipality: Wilmington)
- Watauga (largest municipality: Boone)
- Alamance (largest municipality: Burlington)
- Brunswick (largest municipality: Leland)
- Greene (largest municipality: Snow Hill)
- Lee (largest municipality: Sanford)
- Person (largest municipality: Roxboro)
- Rockingham (largest municipality: Eden)
- Pender (largest municipality: Hampstead)
- Sampson (largest municipality: Clinton)
- Washington (largest municipality: Plymouth)
- Guilford (Largest city: Greensboro)
- Mecklenburg (Largest city: Charlotte)
- Tyrrell (largest municipality: Columbia)
- Buncombe (largest town: Asheville)
- Forsyth (largest town: Winston-Salem)
- Pitt (largest town: Greenville)
- Wake (largest town: Raleigh)
- Wilson (largest town: Wilson)
- Lenoir (largest town: Kinston)
Analysis
[edit]In the 2008 election, Dole lost by a wider-than-expected margin, taking only 44 percent of the vote to Hagan's 53 percent – the widest margin for a Senate race in North Carolina in 30 years, and the largest margin of defeat for an incumbent Senator in the 2008 cycle. It has been speculated that the outcry over the "Godless" ads contributed to Dole's loss.[32] Hagan trounced Dole in the state's five largest counties – Mecklenburg, Wake, Guilford, Forsyth and Durham. Hagan also dominated most of the eastern portion of the state, which had been the backbone of Helms' past Senate victories. While Dole dominated the Charlotte suburbs and most of the heavily Republican Foothills region, it was not enough to save her seat.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Libertarian Party of NC press release: Libertarians File List of 2008 Candidates Archived September 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Perdue tries to whistle up a Mayberry miracle". Raleigh News and Observer. October 28, 2008. Retrieved October 28, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ "Rasmussen Reports: The most comprehensive public opinion coverage ever provided for a mid-term election". Archived from the original on October 26, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
- ^ Dan Kane; Rob Christensen; J. Andrew Curliss (January 25, 2007). "Poll puts Easley over Dole". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
- ^ newsobserver.com | Miller looking at Senate race Archived May 1, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Draft dodger? | newsobserver.com projects Archived May 1, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b 2008 Election Challenge.
- ^ a b c d "Is the Southern Strategy Dead?". American Prospect. October 24, 2008. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
- ^ "Profile of U.S. Senate Candidate Jim Neal". News & Observer. October 4, 2007. Archived from the original on June 1, 2008. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
- ^ a b NC State Board of Elections website
- ^ "Scrambling the red states". The Economist. October 23, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ "Elizabeth Dole: Campaign Finance/Money - Summary." OpenSecrets http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?type=C&cid=N00008071&newMem=N&cycle=
- ^ Kraushaar, Josh. Hagan's campaign says the ad sought to put inflammatory words in their candidate's mouth; The Dole campaign says the ad correctly shows who Hagan will associate with in order to raise campaign funds.Dole still keeping the faith. The Politico. October 29, 2008.
- ^ a b Brown, Campbell. Commentary: Mudslinging to get elected. CNN.com. October 29, 2008.
- ^ Bob Dole Defends "Godless" TV Ad. Small Business VoIP. November 1, 2008.
- ^ KayHagan.com. Kay on Dole Ad Attacking Her Christian Faith: A Fabricated, Pathetic Ad Archived May 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. October 30, 2008.
- ^ Dole Sued for 'Godless' Attack Ad Archived January 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, ABC News. October 30, 2008.
- ^ Dole challenger irate over suggestion she is "godless". CNN.com. October 30, 2008.
- ^ Brown, Campbell. Commentary: Mudslinging to get elected. CNN.com. October 29, 2008.
- ^ Frank, James. Dole 'Godless' ad shows progress, sort of Archived November 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Chicago Tribune. October 31, 2008.
- ^ Dole's desperate turn to Big Lie advertising Archived April 18, 2009, at the Stanford Web Archive. The Charlotte Observer. October 30, 2008.
- ^ As election nears, negative ads a distraction[permanent dead link]. Asheville Citizen-Times. October 30, 2008.
- ^ a b Editorial: Dole's attack on Hagan's faith drives heated campaign lower. Greensboro News & Record. October 30, 2008.
- ^ ELIZABETH DOLE ATTACKS KAY HAGAN'S CHRISTIAN FAITH Archived August 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. AmericanChronicle.com. November 2, 2008.
- ^ Dole's new ads set the low mark in negative political campaigning. The Fayetteville Observer. October 15, 2008.
- ^ a b "Dole's mistake: 'Godless' ad drove donors, voters to Hagan". Miami Herald. November 11, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ "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.
- ^ NC State Board of Elections website
- ^ Barbara Barrett (November 5, 2008). "N.C. voters deny Dole, elect Hagan to U.S. Senate". Miami Herald. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
External links
[edit]- North Carolina State Board of Elections
- U.S. Congress candidates for North Carolina at Project Vote Smart
- North Carolina, U.S. Senate from CQ Politics
- North Carolina U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets
- Dole vs Hagan graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
- Official campaign websites (Archived)
- Elizabeth Dole, Republican nominee
- Kay Hagan, Democratic nominee
- Jim Neal, Democratic candidate