United States Senate election in Idaho, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 United States Senate election in Idaho was held on November 4, 2008. The primary elections were held on May 27th. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Larry Craig
decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican Jim Risch
won the open seat.
Larry Craig
announced his intent to resign following an incident where he solicited another man for gay sex in a public bathroom. Craig later decided not to resign; however, he announced that he would not seek re-election. The filing deadline for the election was March 21, 2008. A total of 13 candidates filed for the seat. Republican and Democratic candidates ran for their respective nominations in the May 27 primary.
Lieutenant Governor
Jim Risch
defeated a crowded field for the Republican
nomination, while former Congressman Larry LaRocco
won the Democratic
nomination in similar fashion. Conservative
independents
Rex Rammell and Pro-Life (formerly Marvin Richardson) also qualified for the general election ballot. Former Caldwell
city council member Kent Marmon secured the Libertarian
nomination. In the general election, Risch defeated LaRocco and the other candidates to keep the seat in Republican hands.
Larry Craig
Larry Edwin Craig is a former Republican politician from the U.S. state of Idaho. He served 18 years in the U.S. Senate , preceded by 10 years in the U.S. House, representing Idaho's first district . His 28 years in the Congress rank as the second-longest in Idaho history, trailing only William...
decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican Jim Risch
Jim Risch
James Elroy "Jim" Risch is a Republican politician, rancher, and attorney from Ada County, currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Idaho. He previously served as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Idaho.-Early life:Risch was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
won the open seat.
Background
IncumbentIncumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Larry Craig
Larry Craig
Larry Edwin Craig is a former Republican politician from the U.S. state of Idaho. He served 18 years in the U.S. Senate , preceded by 10 years in the U.S. House, representing Idaho's first district . His 28 years in the Congress rank as the second-longest in Idaho history, trailing only William...
announced his intent to resign following an incident where he solicited another man for gay sex in a public bathroom. Craig later decided not to resign; however, he announced that he would not seek re-election. The filing deadline for the election was March 21, 2008. A total of 13 candidates filed for the seat. Republican and Democratic candidates ran for their respective nominations in the May 27 primary.
Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Idaho
Lieutenant Governor of Idaho is a constitutional statewide elected office in the State of Idaho. According to the Idaho Constitution, the lieutenant governor is elected to a four-year term....
Jim Risch
Jim Risch
James Elroy "Jim" Risch is a Republican politician, rancher, and attorney from Ada County, currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Idaho. He previously served as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Idaho.-Early life:Risch was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
defeated a crowded field for the 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...
nomination, while former Congressman Larry LaRocco
Larry LaRocco
Larry LaRocco is a Democratic politician from the US state of Idaho, who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. LaRocco was defeated by Republican Jim Risch for the open U.S. Senate seat in Idaho in 2008....
won the 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...
nomination in similar fashion. Conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
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...
Rex Rammell and Pro-Life (formerly Marvin Richardson) also qualified for the general election ballot. Former Caldwell
Caldwell, Idaho
Caldwell is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 43,281, as of July 2009.Caldwell is the home of the College of Idaho. It is considered part of the Boise metropolitan area....
city council member Kent Marmon secured the Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
nomination. In the general election, Risch defeated LaRocco and the other candidates to keep the seat in Republican hands.
Candidates
- Larry LaRoccoLarry LaRoccoLarry LaRocco is a Democratic politician from the US state of Idaho, who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. LaRocco was defeated by Republican Jim Risch for the open U.S. Senate seat in Idaho in 2008....
former U.S. CongressmanUnited States House of RepresentativesThe 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... - David J. Archuleta
Results
Candidates
- Jim RischJim RischJames Elroy "Jim" Risch is a Republican politician, rancher, and attorney from Ada County, currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Idaho. He previously served as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Idaho.-Early life:Risch was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant Governor of IdahoLieutenant Governor of Idaho is a constitutional statewide elected office in the State of Idaho. According to the Idaho Constitution, the lieutenant governor is elected to a four-year term.... - Fred Adams
- Brian Hefner
- Bill Hunter
- Richard Phenneger, Businessman
- Hal James Styles
- Scott Syme, Iraq War veteran
- Neal Thompson
Results
Major
- Larry LaRoccoLarry LaRoccoLarry LaRocco is a Democratic politician from the US state of Idaho, who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. LaRocco was defeated by Republican Jim Risch for the open U.S. Senate seat in Idaho in 2008....
(D), former U.S. Congressman - Jim RischJim RischJames Elroy "Jim" Risch is a Republican politician, rancher, and attorney from Ada County, currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Idaho. He previously served as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Idaho.-Early life:Risch was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
(R), Lieutenant Governor
Minor
- Kent A. Marmon (L), former member of the Caldwell City Council.
- Pro-life (I)
- Rex Rammel (I)
Polling
| Poll Source | Dates administered | LaRocco | Risch | Rammel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports | September 9, 2008 | 30% | 58% | - |
| Greg Smith | August 18-22, 2008 | 30% | 41% | 3% |
| Research 2000 | July 28-30, 2008 | 32% | 42% | 5% |
| Celinda Lake | May 20-25, 2008 | 28% | 43% | 6% |
| Robinson Research | November 26-December 12, 2007 | 27% | 46% | - |
| Myers Research | November 13-November 19, 2007 | 34% | 48% | - |
| Survey USA | September 6-September 8, 2007 | 36% | 52% | - |
Results
External links
- U.S. Congress candidates for Idaho 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...
- Robinson Research
- Idaho, 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...
- Idaho U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com
- Idaho U.S. Senate race from 2008 Race Tracker
- Campaign contributions for Idaho 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
- Jim Risch, Republican nominee
- Larry LaRocco, Democratic nominee
- Kent Marmon, Libertarian nominee
- Rex Rammell, Independent candidate