Kentucky Democratic primary, 2008
Encyclopedia
The Kentucky
Democratic
Presidential Primary took place May 20, 2008, and had 51 delegates at stake. The winner in each of Kentucky's six congressional districts was awarded all of that district's delegates, totaling 34. Another 17 delegates were awarded to the statewide winner, Hillary Rodham Clinton
. The 51 delegates represented Kentucky at the Democratic National Convention
in Denver, Colorado
. Nine other unpledged delegates, known as superdelegate
s, also attended the convention and cast their votes as well.
Kentucky had a closed primary, meaning it was open only to registered Democrats. Those wishing to participate in the primary had to register as Democrats 28 days prior to the primary.
There were 3,545 precincts in 120 counties with 1,629,845 Democratic registered voters, and the turnout was 43.0% of the registered voters.
taken before the primary, Hillary Rodham Clinton led Barack Obama 56-31 percent in Kentucky with 13 percent undecided.
As of April 30, two superdelegate
s had pledged support for Obama while three had endorsed Clinton.
National Pledged Delegates Determined: 51
which had many of the demographics in her favor. According to exit polls, 89 percent of voters in the Kentucky Democratic Primary were Caucasian and they opted for Clinton by a margin of 72-23 compared to the 9 percent of African American voters who backed Obama by a margin of 90-7. Clinton won all age groups, all socioeconomic/income classes and educational attainment ladders of voters. Registered Democrats, who comprised 84 percent of the turnout, backed Clinton by a margin of 68-30 and she also won Independents
which made up 11 percent of the turnout by a turnout of 47-40. She also won all ideological groups. Regarding religion, Clinton dominated all major denominations by two-to-one margins, including Protestants
which backed her 66-28, Roman Catholics
supported her 66-31, and other Christians favored Clinton by a margin of 66-30. It was a conclusive and well-deserved landslide victory for Clinton.
Clinton performed extraordinarily well throughout the state of Kentucky, carrying every county with well over 60 percent of the vote and winning all but two: Jefferson County
, which contains Louisville
, and Fayette County
which contains Lexington-Fayette. Her best performance was in Southeast Kentucky, located in the heart of Appalachia, an area made up of less educated, lower-income, working-class whites. In fact, it was here where Clinton received her largest margin of victory in a county nationwide: Magoffin County
gave Clinton 92.98 percent of the vote while Obama only received a meager 5.00 percent.
Kentucky was another state that highlighted Barack Obama’s growing problem among working-class whites, a swing voting bloc also referred to as Reagan Democrat
s who Clinton claimed were crucial to Democrats winning back the White House. Exit polls in Kentucky supported Clinton’s claim – of Kentucky voters who voted for Clinton, only one-third of voters said they would vote for Obama should he become the nominee while another one-third said they would vote for presumptive Republican
presidential nominee John McCain
and another one-third said they would not vote at all.
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Presidential Primary took place May 20, 2008, and had 51 delegates at stake. The winner in each of Kentucky's six congressional districts was awarded all of that district's delegates, totaling 34. Another 17 delegates were awarded to the statewide winner, Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
. The 51 delegates represented Kentucky at the Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. Nine other unpledged delegates, known as superdelegate
Superdelegate
"Superdelegate" is an informal term commonly used for some of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Democratic Party....
s, also attended the convention and cast their votes as well.
Kentucky had a closed primary, meaning it was open only to registered Democrats. Those wishing to participate in the primary had to register as Democrats 28 days prior to the primary.
There were 3,545 precincts in 120 counties with 1,629,845 Democratic registered voters, and the turnout was 43.0% of the registered voters.
Polls
According to a poll from Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
taken before the primary, Hillary Rodham Clinton led Barack Obama 56-31 percent in Kentucky with 13 percent undecided.
As of April 30, two superdelegate
Superdelegate
"Superdelegate" is an informal term commonly used for some of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Democratic Party....
s had pledged support for Obama while three had endorsed Clinton.
Results
Primary Date: May 20, 2008National Pledged Delegates Determined: 51
| Kentucky Democratic Presidential Primary Results – 2008 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Delegates | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the... |
459,511 | 65.48% | 37 | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
209,954 | 29.92% | 14 | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Uncommitted | 18,091 | 2.58% | 0 | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
John Edwards John Edwards Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in... |
14,212 | 2.03% | 0 | ||
| Totals | 701,768 | 100.00% | 51 | |||
| Voter turnout | 43.00% | — | ||||
Analysis
Hillary Rodham Clinton won a decisive two-to-one victory in Kentucky, a state located in the Appalachian regionAppalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
which had many of the demographics in her favor. According to exit polls, 89 percent of voters in the Kentucky Democratic Primary were Caucasian and they opted for Clinton by a margin of 72-23 compared to the 9 percent of African American voters who backed Obama by a margin of 90-7. Clinton won all age groups, all socioeconomic/income classes and educational attainment ladders of voters. Registered Democrats, who comprised 84 percent of the turnout, backed Clinton by a margin of 68-30 and she also won Independents
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
which made up 11 percent of the turnout by a turnout of 47-40. She also won all ideological groups. Regarding religion, Clinton dominated all major denominations by two-to-one margins, including Protestants
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
which backed her 66-28, Roman Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
supported her 66-31, and other Christians favored Clinton by a margin of 66-30. It was a conclusive and well-deserved landslide victory for Clinton.
Clinton performed extraordinarily well throughout the state of Kentucky, carrying every county with well over 60 percent of the vote and winning all but two: Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...
, which contains Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, and Fayette County
Fayette County, Kentucky
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 295,083 in the 2010 Census. Its territory, population and government are coextensive with the city of Lexington, which also serves as county seat....
which contains Lexington-Fayette. Her best performance was in Southeast Kentucky, located in the heart of Appalachia, an area made up of less educated, lower-income, working-class whites. In fact, it was here where Clinton received her largest margin of victory in a county nationwide: Magoffin County
Magoffin County, Kentucky
Magoffin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky which was formed from parts of Floyd, Johnson, and Morgan Counties and officially created on 22 February 1860. As of 2000, the population was 13,332. Its county seat is Salyersville...
gave Clinton 92.98 percent of the vote while Obama only received a meager 5.00 percent.
Kentucky was another state that highlighted Barack Obama’s growing problem among working-class whites, a swing voting bloc also referred to as Reagan Democrat
Reagan Democrat
Reagan Democrat is an American political term used by analysts to denote traditionally Democratic voters, especially white working-class Northerners, who defected from their party to support Republican President Ronald Reagan in both the 1980 and 1984 elections. It is also used to refer to the...
s who Clinton claimed were crucial to Democrats winning back the White House. Exit polls in Kentucky supported Clinton’s claim – of Kentucky voters who voted for Clinton, only one-third of voters said they would vote for Obama should he become the nominee while another one-third said they would vote for presumptive Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
presidential nominee John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
and another one-third said they would not vote at all.
See also
- Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008The 2008 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
- Kentucky Republican primary, 2008Kentucky Republican primary, 2008The 2008 Kentucky Republican primary took place on May 20, 2008. The only Republican candidates that were still in the race were Senator John McCain and Congressman Ron Paul. McCain was the presumptive Republican nominee, having already won enough delegates to secure his eventual nomination...