United States House of Representatives elections in Utah, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 congressional elections in Utah were held on November 4, 2008 to determine the representatives of the state
of Utah
in the United States House of Representatives
for the 111th Congress
from January 3, 2009, until their terms of office expire on January 3, 2011. Incumbent Rob Bishop
(R) was reelected in Utah's 1st congressional district
. Incumbent Jim Matheson
(D) was reelected in Utah's 2nd congressional district
. Jason Chaffetz
(R) was elected to succeed Chris Cannon
(R) in Utah's 3rd congressional district
.
Utah has three seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms. The election coincided with the 2008 U.S. presidential election
.
All races were forecasted as safe for the incumbent party.
This district covers the northwest area of Utah
including Ogden
, Logan
, Tooele
, the northwest portion of Salt Lake City
, and the entirety of the Great Salt Lake
. It has been represented by Republican Rob Bishop
since January 2003. His challengers were Democrat Morgan Bowen, Libertarian Joseph Geddes Buchman, and Constitution candidate Kirk D. Pearson. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.
This district covers the largely rural southern and eastern portions of Utah
(including Saint George and Moab in the south and Vernal in the east), as well as the east side of urban Salt Lake County, the northern portion of Utah County, and Wasatch County. It has been represented by Democrat Jim Matheson
since 2001. His challengers were Republican Bill Dew
, Libertarian Mathew Arndt and Independent Dennis Ray Emery. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.
This district covers central and west central Utah
, including nearly all of Utah County and the west side of Salt Lake County. It has been represented by Republican Chris Cannon
since 1997, who lost to Jason Chaffetz
in the primary. His challengers were Democrat Bennion Spencer
and Constitution Party Candidate Jim Noorlander. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for the 111th Congress
111th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...
from January 3, 2009, until their terms of office expire on January 3, 2011. Incumbent Rob Bishop
Rob Bishop
Robert William "Rob" Bishop is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus.-Early life, education, and early career:...
(R) was reelected in Utah's 1st congressional district
Utah's 1st congressional district
Utah's 1st congressional district serves the northwest area of Utah, including the cities of Ogden, Logan, Tooele; the northwest portion of Salt Lake City, and the entirety of the Great Salt Lake....
. Incumbent Jim Matheson
Jim Matheson
James David "Jim" Matheson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes eastern Salt Lake City....
(D) was reelected in Utah's 2nd congressional district
Utah's 2nd congressional district
Utah's 2nd congressional district currently serves the largely rural southern and eastern portions of Utah, including Saint George and Moab in the south and Vernal in the east, as well as the east side of urban Salt Lake County, the northern portion of Utah County, and Wasatch County. The current...
. Jason Chaffetz
Jason Chaffetz
Jason E. Chaffetz is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Provo and includes large portions of central and west-central Utah.-Early life, education and career:...
(R) was elected to succeed Chris Cannon
Chris Cannon
Christopher Black "Chris" Cannon was a member of the United States House of Representatives, for the Republican Party, representing the third district of Utah from 1997 - 2009....
(R) in Utah's 3rd congressional district
Utah's 3rd congressional district
Utah's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. It currently covers nearly all of Utah County and the west side of Salt Lake County, in central and west central Utah....
.
Utah has three seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms. The election coincided with the 2008 U.S. presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
.
All races were forecasted as safe for the incumbent party.
| United States House of Representatives elections in Utah, 2008 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats | +/– | |
| Republican | 503,917 | 53.79% | 2 | — | |
| Democratic | 393,761 | 42.03% | 1 | — | |
| Independents | 39,161 | 4.18% | 0 | — | |
| Totals | 936,839 | 100.00% | 3 | — | |
District 1
This district covers the northwest area of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
including Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, Logan
Logan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
, Tooele
Tooele, Utah
Tooele is a city in Tooele County in the U.S. state of Utah. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 22,502 at the 2000 census, and 30,708 as of the 2009 estimates. It is the county seat of Tooele County...
, the northwest portion of Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, and the entirety of the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
. It has been represented by Republican Rob Bishop
Rob Bishop
Robert William "Rob" Bishop is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus.-Early life, education, and early career:...
since January 2003. His challengers were Democrat Morgan Bowen, Libertarian Joseph Geddes Buchman, and Constitution candidate Kirk D. Pearson. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.
District 2
This district covers the largely rural southern and eastern portions of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
(including Saint George and Moab in the south and Vernal in the east), as well as the east side of urban Salt Lake County, the northern portion of Utah County, and Wasatch County. It has been represented by Democrat Jim Matheson
Jim Matheson
James David "Jim" Matheson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes eastern Salt Lake City....
since 2001. His challengers were Republican Bill Dew
Bill Dew
Bill Dew was a home construction contractor and the Republican challenger in Utah's 2nd congressional district in 2008. Dew received the Republican nomination, but lost in the general election to Democratic incumbent Jim Matheson. Dew got 35% of the vote....
, Libertarian Mathew Arndt and Independent Dennis Ray Emery. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.
District 3
This district covers central and west central Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, including nearly all of Utah County and the west side of Salt Lake County. It has been represented by Republican Chris Cannon
Chris Cannon
Christopher Black "Chris" Cannon was a member of the United States House of Representatives, for the Republican Party, representing the third district of Utah from 1997 - 2009....
since 1997, who lost to Jason Chaffetz
Jason Chaffetz
Jason E. Chaffetz is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Provo and includes large portions of central and west-central Utah.-Early life, education and career:...
in the primary. His challengers were Democrat Bennion Spencer
Bennion Spencer
Bennion Lloyd Spencer is a journalist and professor, and was the 2008 Democratic candidate for Utah's 3rd congressional district running against Republican Jason Chaffetz.-Biographical background:...
and Constitution Party Candidate Jim Noorlander. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.
External links
- Campaign contributions for Utah congressional races from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- 2008 Utah General Election graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com