United States Senate election in Georgia, 2008
Encyclopedia
Results
Democratic
Jim MartinJim Martin (Georgia politician)
James Francis "Jim" Martin is an American politician and former member of the Georgia General Assembly. He is a Democrat. Martin opposed incumbent U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss in the 2008 election...
, a former State Representative, former State Human Resources Commissioner, Vietnam War veteran, and 2006 nominee for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
The Lieutenant Governor of Georgia is a constitutional officer of the state, elected to a 4-year term by popular vote. Unlike some states, the lieutenant governor is elected on a separate ticket from the state Governor....
, is challenging Chambliss for his seat. He has made his support for PeachCare
PeachCare
PeachCare for Kids is a low-cost health insurance program for children of uninsured, low-income families in the state of Georgia who do not qualify for Medicaid...
and other social services a signature issue in the campaign. He has made his opposition to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Division A of , commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, is a law enacted in response to the subprime mortgage crisis...
an issue in the run off.
Libertarian
Allen BuckleyAllen Buckley
Allen Buckley is an attorney and CPA, who in 2008 ran for one of Georgia's United States Senate seats as a member of the Libertarian Party. He was the party's candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia in 2006, where he drew 3.6% of the vote, and for Senator in 2004, where he took 2% of the...
- Attorney, Accountant, 2004 gubernatorial nominee, and 2006 nominee for lieutenant governor. He was eliminated in the general election, but his endorsement was sought by both the Martin and Chambliss campaigns.
Republican
Sen. Saxby ChamblissSaxby Chambliss
Clarence Saxby Chambliss, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a U.S. Representative ....
running for re-election for the first time, is a member of the Republican Party
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...
. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994 and had only one serious election challenge while in the House. He maintains high ratings from conservative interest groups such as the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
, and the National Right to Life Committee, and correspondingly low marks from liberal interest groups such as the NAACP and ACLU. He has sponsored legislation while in the Senate to replace the income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
with a national sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
.
Predictions
CQ Politics rated this race as 'Tossup'. The Cook Political Report considered it 'Lean Republican'.The Rothenberg Political Report considered it a 'Narrow Advantage for Incumbent Party'.
Chambliss vs. Martin
| Source | Date | Chambliss (R) | Martin (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | November 2, 2008 | 48% | 46% |
| Survey USA | November 2, 2008 | 48% | 44% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 30, 2008 | 48% | 43% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 22, 2008 | 47% | 45% |
| Survey USA | October 12, 2008 | 46% | 43% |
| Insider Advantage | October 9, 2008 | 45% | 45% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 7, 2008 | 50% | 44% |
| Research 2000 Research 2000 Research 2000 is a U.S. opinion polling and marketing research company based in Olney, Maryland. It began doing research on upcoming elections in 1999 after its President, Del Ali, moved on from Mason-Dixon Political Media Research... |
September 29 - October 1, 2008 | 45% | 44% |
| Survey USA | September 29, 2008 | 46% | 44% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 16, 2008 | 50% | 43% |
| Survey USA | September 14 - 16, 2008 | 53% | 36% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 14, 2008 | 50% | 44% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 21, 2008 | 51% | 40% |
| Strategic Vision | June 29, 2008 | 57% | 28% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 26, 2008 | 52% | 39% |
Chambliss vs. Jones (Hypothetical)
| Source | Date | Chambliss (R) | Jones (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports | July 21, 2008 | 59% | 29% |
| Strategic Vision | June 29, 2008 | 57% | 27% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 26, 2008 | 57% | 30% |
| Strategic Vision | December 12, 2007 | 57% | 27% |
| Rasmussen Report | November 13, 2007 | 55% | 32% |
| Rasmussen Report | September 23, 2007 | 53% | 28% |
| Strategic Vision | June 24, 2007 | 55% | 31% |
| Rasmussen Report | September 23, 2007 | 53% | 28% |
| Strategic Vision | June 24, 2007 | 55% | 31% |
| Insider Advantage | May 23, 2007 | 48% | 31% |
| Strategic Vision | April 7, 2007 | 57% | 29% |
Results
As no candidate reached a majority on November 4, a runoff election was held on December 2, which Chambliss won.Campaign
Both qualifying candidates' runoff campaigns began in earnest on November 10, when election returns made it clear that a runoff would be required. With an election date of December 2, candidates were given only 3 weeks for additional campaigning.The Libertarian nominee did not endorse either candidate in the run-off, though both campaigns reportedly inquired about getting Buckley's endorsement. Major political figures such as former President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, Republican Senator and 2008 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 his former running mate Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
campaigned in Georgia, because of the election's potential to determine whether the Democratic Party
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...
could block filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
s in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Historically, run-off elections in Georgia have had significantly lowerturn out than have general elections.
Chambliss's campaign verified that former Republican presidential candidates 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 Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
would be campaigning in Georgia on the Senator's behalf, and former Democratic Governor and former U.S Senator himself Zell Miller
Zell Miller
Zell Bryan Miller is an American politician from the US state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as Lieutenant Governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as United States Senator from 2000 to 2005....
endorsed Chambliss. Former President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
campaigned on Martin's behalf. Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
campaigned for the Chambliss campaign on December 1, the eve of the run-off election. President-elect 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...
had also been invited by the Democratic campaign but decided against making a stop.
The results of the runoff election were of particular interest to both parties. Subsequent to the November 4 general elections, Democrats had captured 58 seats in the Senate, two shy of a filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
-proof supermajority
Supermajority
A supermajority or a qualified majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level or type of support which exceeds a simple majority . In some jurisdictions, for example, parliamentary procedure requires that any action that may alter the rights of the minority has a supermajority...
. The result of Georgia's runoff election, as well as the results of an extremely close race and recount in Minnesota, would determine whether or not the required majority of 60 seats would be met.
Polling
| Source | Date | Chambliss (R) | Martin (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | November 30, 2008 | 53% | 46% |
| Public Policy Polling | November 23, 2008 | 52% | 46% |
| Rasmussen Reports | November 18, 2008 | 50% | 46% |
Results
External links
- Elections Division from the Georgia Secretary of State
- U.S. Congress candidates for Georgia at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- Georgia, U.S. Senate from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Georgia U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com
- Georgia U.S. Senate race from 2008 Race Tracker
- Campaign contributions for Georgia 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...
- Official campaign websites
- Saxby Chambliss, Republican incumbent nominee
- Dale Cardwell, Democratic candidate
- Vernon Jones, Democratic candidate
- Rand Knight, Democratic candidate
- Josh Lanier, Democratic candidate
- Jim Martin, Democratic nominee
- Allen Buckley, Libertarian nominee