United States Senate special election in Delaware, 2010
Encyclopedia
The 2010 United States Senate special election in Delaware took place on November 2, 2010 concurrently with elections to the United States Senate
in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives
and various state and local elections. It was a special election
to fill Delaware's Class II Senate seat, then held by Ted Kaufman
, an appointee. The seat had been previously held by long-time Senator Joe Biden
, who vacated it when he became Vice President of the United States
in 2009.
The state primary election was September 14, 2010. U.S. Representative and former Governor Mike Castle was seen as the front-runner for the Republican nomination but was upset by Christine O'Donnell
in the primary in a contest that had national visibility. O'Donnell lost to the Democratic nominee Chris Coons by a vote of 57% to 40%. Coons immediately took office after the results were certified, and will complete the term scheduled to end in January 2015. The seat will next be up for election to a full six-year term in 2014.
, longtime Democratic
incumbent Joe Biden
defeated Republican
Christine O'Donnell
. However, Biden was also elected Vice President of the United States
in 2008 and was required to resign from the Senate by Article I, Section 6 of the United States Constitution
in order to assume the Vice Presidency. Although Biden was sworn in for a seventh term early in January 2009, he resigned from the Senate on January 15, 2009, and was succeeded by Kaufman the following day.
Those discussed as possible appointees to replace Joe Biden included Joe Biden's son, Delaware Attorney General
Beau Biden
, outgoing Lt. Gov. John C. Carney, Jr.
, Delaware Supreme Court
Chief Justice Myron T. Steele, Delaware Secretary of State Harriet Smith Windsor
, Delaware Correction Commissioner Carl C. Danberg, former Delaware House of Representatives
member Robert L. Byrd, and New Castle County Executive Chris Coons.
On November 24, 2008, after Biden's election to the vice presidency but before his resignation, outgoing Governor Ruth Ann Minner
announced that she would appoint Biden's former chief of staff, a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
named Ted Kaufman
, as Biden's temporary successor. Minner said, "I believe Ted Kaufman meets every test I set for this office. His political views are close to Sen. Biden's, and he has agreed to focus solely on doing the people's work, not seeking re-election." Biden resigned in January 2009; Minner formally appointed Kaufman to the seat shortly thereafter. Sen. Kaufman was succeeded by Chris Coons, who won the special election to fill the remainder of Vice President Biden's Senate term. Coons was sworn in November 15, 2010, and stepped down as New Castle County Executive.
loss to incumbent Democrat Joe Biden
, O'Donnell had indicated she would strongly consider running for the seat again in 2010, asking supporters on her web site to "save your yard sign!!" On February 12, 2009, O'Donnell had announced her candidacy. She reiterated that she was in the race even after Michael Castle announced his candidacy in October 2009, and formally launched her campaign on March 10, 2010. In her remarks, O'Donnell criticized excessive government spending, said that Castle was the most liberal Republican in the House, and said that the Tea Party movement
and grassroots anti-incumbent trends would be in her favor.
When a report from The News Journal in March 2010 detailed O'Donnell's fiscal difficulties, she attributed the problems to misunderstandings and errors, and said, "I think the fact that I have struggled financially is what makes me so sympathetic." Nevertheless, her financial problems became a focal point of establishment Republican attacks against her.
A July 2010 Rasmussen Reports
poll showed O'Donnell running ahead of Democratic Senate candidate Chris Coons by a margin of 41 to 39 percent in a hypothetical matchup, while a similar poll in August had her trailing Coons 46 to 36 percent. During this time she picked up the endorsements of the Susan B. Anthony List
, the Tea Party Express
, which called her a “strong voice for conservative constitutionalist principles”, and the Family Research Council
.
O'Donnell supporters were heartened by the late August primary victory in Alaska of little-known, Tea Party-backed insurgent Joe Miller over incumbent Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski
. The Tea Party Express said it might spend as much as $600,000 backing O'Donnell. The added 'buzz' about her campaign and the possibility that another establishment Republican figure might be defeated by an insurgent brought national attention to the race. The same attention also brought additional scrutiny on her record and financial history, including a contentious interview on WGMD
radio. She had claimed that she beat or tied Joe Biden in two of the state’s three counties in their 2008 campaign. Later, she admitted this was inaccurate, and that she had lost all three counties.
As September began, the nastiness of the tone of the race had increased, with Delaware Republican Party chair Tom Ross saying, "Is Christine O'Donnell actually this unhinged from reality? Or is she simply a liar, whose total lack of respect for Delaware voters leads her to deliberately and repeatedly deny the clear facts surrounding her many personal and professional failures?"
Ross also said, "She's not a viable candidate for any office in the state of Delaware. She could not be elected dog catcher."
The O'Donnell campaign generated some controversy in early September when a political consulting firm hired by O'Donnell released a Web video insinuating that her opponent, Mike Castle, was having a gay affair. O'Donnell quickly distanced herself from the claims, pointing out that the firm in question was no longer working for her campaign, though the manner in which she denied involvement in the rumor led some to suspect that she was intentionally engaging in a whisper campaign
by deliberately repeating the rumor while denying it. O'Donnell later appeared on Mark Levin's
radio show, where she blasted Castle's "unmanly tactics" during the campaign, saying, "this is not a bake-off, put your man-pants on."
Kristen Murray, O'Donnell's 2008 campaign manager, starred in a Delaware Republican Party-funded robocall
in which she accused O'Donnell of misusing campaign funds. Says Murray, "This is her third senate race in five years. As O'Donnell's manager, I found out she was living on campaign donations - using them for rent and personal expenses, while leaving her workers unpaid and piling up thousands in debt. She wasn't concerned about conservative causes. O'Donnell just wanted to make a buck."
O'Donnell denied most of what Murray said and stated that she had fired Murray.
WIth days to go before the primary, O'Donnell was bolstered by an endorsement from former Governor of Alaska and Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin
. A few days later, The Weekly Standard
broke new details of O'Donnell's 2005 $6.95 million gender discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit against her former employer, the conservative Intercollegiate Studies Institute
.
In the year preceding the primary, polls that considered the hypothetical match of Castle against Coons indicated that Castle would defeat Coons by a wide margin. Only one of those nine polls (a Rasmussen poll held two months before the primary) showed O'Donnell defeating Coons, and even then by less than the margin of error.
of Greenville
, who served as Biden's chief of staff and as a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
before being appointed to this seat, announced from the time of his appointment that he did not intend to be a candidate in the special election. Former Lieutenant Governor
John C. Carney of Wilmington
let his name be considered during the appointment process, but then announced his candidacy for the House seat held by Castle.
State Attorney General
Beau Biden
of Wilmington
was reportedly considered for the appointment to his father's Senate seat, but the Vice President's son was in the process of deploying to the Iraq War with the Delaware National Guard
and said he would not accept any appointment. In October 2009, after his deployment concluded, Biden stated that he was considering a run for the Senate seat. Most polls showed Biden and likely Republican opponent Castle neck-and-neck in a potential matchup. On January 25, 2010, Beau Biden confirmed that he would not run for the Senate seat.
Shortly after the Attorney General's statement, Chris Coons announced his candidacy.
Following her upset win over Castle, O'Donnell continued to face a split reaction from the leaders in the local, state, and national Republican Party.
Castle said he would not support O'Donnell.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee
similarly released a statement almost immediately following O'Donnell's primary win, stating that they would not spend money to support her or her campaign. However, Texas Senator John Cornyn
, chairman of the NRSC, released a statement later stating he did not know where the release from within his organization originated. He then offered the maximum $42,000 donation to her campaign; Cornyn acknowledged, however, that he was not sure if she could win. Former Massachusetts Governor and 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney
also contributed to O'Donnell's general election funds. However, former White House adviser and Republican strategist Karl Rove
said following O'Donnell's victory, "This is not a race we're going to be able to win." His remark triggered a fusillade of criticism from conservative talk radio.
The morning following the primary, Public Policy Polling
released a tweet
indicating that their polling found that primary voters who voted for Mike Castle supported Coons, the Democratic opponent, over O'Donnell 44 percent to 28 percent in a general election.
An October 19, 2010, debate between Coons and O'Donnell at Widener University School of Law
featured an exchange about separation of church and state in the United States
and whether it is explicitly in the U.S. constitution. O'Donnell said it was not; afterward her campaign manager said, “Christine O’Donnell was not questioning the concept of separation of church and state as subsequently established by the courts. She simply made the point that the phrase appears nowhere in the Constitution.” (That phrase was "substantively" read into the First Amendment in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Engel v. Vitale
in 1962 and does not appear in the Constitution.)
and Colorado where Tea Party-favored candidates had lost races against Democratic rivals. Party purists dismissed this concern, and said that running candidates who supported fundamentally conservative values was always worthwhile. For her own part, O'Donnell criticized divisions within the state Republican Party following her primary win and said the consequent lack of support had led to her defeat.
Official candidate websites
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...
in other states as well as elections to 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...
and various state and local elections. It was a special election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
to fill Delaware's Class II Senate seat, then held by Ted Kaufman
Ted Kaufman
Edward E. "Ted" Kaufman is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Delaware from 2009 to 2010. Since 2010, he has chaired the Congressional Oversight Panel in the United States federal government; he is the second person to hold that post, succeeding inaugural holder...
, an appointee. The seat had been previously held by long-time Senator Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
, who vacated it when he became Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
in 2009.
The state primary election was September 14, 2010. U.S. Representative and former Governor Mike Castle was seen as the front-runner for the Republican nomination but was upset by Christine O'Donnell
Christine O'Donnell
Christine Therese O'Donnell is an American Republican Party politician who founded two advocacy organizations. She has been an advocate for nonprofit clients and nonprofit causes for nearly 20 years. A Tea Party favorite, and with strong financial support from the Tea Party movement, she defeated...
in the primary in a contest that had national visibility. O'Donnell lost to the Democratic nominee Chris Coons by a vote of 57% to 40%. Coons immediately took office after the results were certified, and will complete the term scheduled to end in January 2015. The seat will next be up for election to a full six-year term in 2014.
Background
In the seat's most recent election in 2008United States Senate election in Delaware, 2008
The 2008 United States Senate election in Delaware was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Biden won re-election to a seventh term and won the Vice Presidency of the United States on the same day.-Campaign:...
, longtime 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...
incumbent Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
defeated 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...
Christine O'Donnell
Christine O'Donnell
Christine Therese O'Donnell is an American Republican Party politician who founded two advocacy organizations. She has been an advocate for nonprofit clients and nonprofit causes for nearly 20 years. A Tea Party favorite, and with strong financial support from the Tea Party movement, she defeated...
. However, Biden was also elected Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
in 2008 and was required to resign from the Senate by Article I, Section 6 of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
in order to assume the Vice Presidency. Although Biden was sworn in for a seventh term early in January 2009, he resigned from the Senate on January 15, 2009, and was succeeded by Kaufman the following day.
Those discussed as possible appointees to replace Joe Biden included Joe Biden's son, Delaware Attorney General
Delaware Attorney General
The Attorney General of Delaware is a constitutional officer of the U.S. state of Delaware, and is the chief law officer and the head of the State Department of Justice.-Description of the office:...
Beau Biden
Beau Biden
Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III is an American lawyer, Army JAG officer, and politician from Wilmington, Delaware. He serves as the Attorney General of Delaware and a Major in the Delaware Army National Guard...
, outgoing Lt. Gov. John C. Carney, Jr.
John C. Carney, Jr.
John Charles Carney, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Delaware from 2001 to 2009...
, Delaware Supreme Court
Delaware Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Delaware is the sole appellate court in the United States' state of Delaware. Because Delaware is a popular haven for corporations, the Court has developed a worldwide reputation as a respected source of corporate law decisions, particularly in the area of mergers and...
Chief Justice Myron T. Steele, Delaware Secretary of State Harriet Smith Windsor
Harriet Smith Windsor
Harriet Smith Windsor was the Delaware Secretary of State from 2001 through 2009. Windsor is a Democrat and currently services as the Vice Chair of the Delaware Democratic Party. In 2008 Windsor was an elector for Barack Obama.-External links:...
, Delaware Correction Commissioner Carl C. Danberg, former Delaware House of Representatives
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
member Robert L. Byrd, and New Castle County Executive Chris Coons.
On November 24, 2008, after Biden's election to the vice presidency but before his resignation, outgoing Governor Ruth Ann Minner
Ruth Ann Minner
Ruth Ann Minner is an American politician and businesswoman from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware. She is a member of the Democratic Party who served in the Delaware General Assembly, as the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Delaware and two terms as the first female Governor of Delaware.-Early life...
announced that she would appoint Biden's former chief of staff, a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
Broadcasting Board of Governors
The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for all non-military, international broadcasting sponsored by the U.S government. It was previously a department within the United States Information Agency until 1999.-Origins:Starting in...
named Ted Kaufman
Ted Kaufman
Edward E. "Ted" Kaufman is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Delaware from 2009 to 2010. Since 2010, he has chaired the Congressional Oversight Panel in the United States federal government; he is the second person to hold that post, succeeding inaugural holder...
, as Biden's temporary successor. Minner said, "I believe Ted Kaufman meets every test I set for this office. His political views are close to Sen. Biden's, and he has agreed to focus solely on doing the people's work, not seeking re-election." Biden resigned in January 2009; Minner formally appointed Kaufman to the seat shortly thereafter. Sen. Kaufman was succeeded by Chris Coons, who won the special election to fill the remainder of Vice President Biden's Senate term. Coons was sworn in November 15, 2010, and stepped down as New Castle County Executive.
Candidates
- Michael Castle, U.S. RepresentativeUnited 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...
and former Governor - Christine O'DonnellChristine O'DonnellChristine Therese O'Donnell is an American Republican Party politician who founded two advocacy organizations. She has been an advocate for nonprofit clients and nonprofit causes for nearly 20 years. A Tea Party favorite, and with strong financial support from the Tea Party movement, she defeated...
, Political commentator and 2008 Senate nomineeUnited States Senate election in Delaware, 2008The 2008 United States Senate election in Delaware was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Biden won re-election to a seventh term and won the Vice Presidency of the United States on the same day.-Campaign:...
Campaign
In April 2009, Castle stated “there’s probably a better chance I’ll run for the Senate than the House. [But] I said there’s a chance I won’t run at all.” On October 6, 2009, Castle announced that he would in fact run for the Senate seat. After the 2008 electionUnited States Senate election in Delaware, 2008
The 2008 United States Senate election in Delaware was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Biden won re-election to a seventh term and won the Vice Presidency of the United States on the same day.-Campaign:...
loss to incumbent Democrat Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
, O'Donnell had indicated she would strongly consider running for the seat again in 2010, asking supporters on her web site to "save your yard sign!!" On February 12, 2009, O'Donnell had announced her candidacy. She reiterated that she was in the race even after Michael Castle announced his candidacy in October 2009, and formally launched her campaign on March 10, 2010. In her remarks, O'Donnell criticized excessive government spending, said that Castle was the most liberal Republican in the House, and said that the Tea Party movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
and grassroots anti-incumbent trends would be in her favor.
When a report from The News Journal in March 2010 detailed O'Donnell's fiscal difficulties, she attributed the problems to misunderstandings and errors, and said, "I think the fact that I have struggled financially is what makes me so sympathetic." Nevertheless, her financial problems became a focal point of establishment Republican attacks against her.
A July 2010 Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen 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...
poll showed O'Donnell running ahead of Democratic Senate candidate Chris Coons by a margin of 41 to 39 percent in a hypothetical matchup, while a similar poll in August had her trailing Coons 46 to 36 percent. During this time she picked up the endorsements of the Susan B. Anthony List
Susan B. Anthony List
The Susan B. Anthony List, or simply SBA List, is a 501 non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to eliminate abortion in the U.S. by supporting pro-life politicians, primarily women, through its SBA List Candidate Fund political action committee...
, the Tea Party Express
Tea Party Express
The Tea Party Express is a California-based group founded in the summer of 2009 to support the Tea Party movement. Founded as a national bus tour to rally Tea Party activists, the group's leadership also endorses and promotes conservative candidates running for state and federal offices...
, which called her a “strong voice for conservative constitutionalist principles”, and the Family Research Council
Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
.
O'Donnell supporters were heartened by the late August primary victory in Alaska of little-known, Tea Party-backed insurgent Joe Miller over incumbent Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann Murkowski is the senior U.S. Senator from the State of Alaska and a member of the Republican Party. She was appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski. After losing a Republican primary in 2010, she became the second person ever to win a U.S...
. The Tea Party Express said it might spend as much as $600,000 backing O'Donnell. The added 'buzz' about her campaign and the possibility that another establishment Republican figure might be defeated by an insurgent brought national attention to the race. The same attention also brought additional scrutiny on her record and financial history, including a contentious interview on WGMD
WGMD
WGMD is a radio station licensed to serve Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The station is owned by Resort Broadcasting Company, LLC. It airs a talk radio format. The station has been assigned these call letters by the Federal Communications Commission since March 30, 1981.WGMD-FM is a commercial "Class...
radio. She had claimed that she beat or tied Joe Biden in two of the state’s three counties in their 2008 campaign. Later, she admitted this was inaccurate, and that she had lost all three counties.
As September began, the nastiness of the tone of the race had increased, with Delaware Republican Party chair Tom Ross saying, "Is Christine O'Donnell actually this unhinged from reality? Or is she simply a liar, whose total lack of respect for Delaware voters leads her to deliberately and repeatedly deny the clear facts surrounding her many personal and professional failures?"
Ross also said, "She's not a viable candidate for any office in the state of Delaware. She could not be elected dog catcher."
The O'Donnell campaign generated some controversy in early September when a political consulting firm hired by O'Donnell released a Web video insinuating that her opponent, Mike Castle, was having a gay affair. O'Donnell quickly distanced herself from the claims, pointing out that the firm in question was no longer working for her campaign, though the manner in which she denied involvement in the rumor led some to suspect that she was intentionally engaging in a whisper campaign
Whisper campaign
A whispering campaign or whisper campaign is a method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are spread about the target, while the source of the rumors seeks to avoid being detected while spreading them...
by deliberately repeating the rumor while denying it. O'Donnell later appeared on Mark Levin's
Mark Levin
Mark Reed Levin is a lawyer, author and the host of American syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show. Levin served in the cabinet of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese...
radio show, where she blasted Castle's "unmanly tactics" during the campaign, saying, "this is not a bake-off, put your man-pants on."
Kristen Murray, O'Donnell's 2008 campaign manager, starred in a Delaware Republican Party-funded robocall
Robocall
Robocall is a term for an automated phone call that uses both a computerized autodialer and a computer-delivered pre-recorded message. The implication is that a "robocall" resembles a telephone call from a robot...
in which she accused O'Donnell of misusing campaign funds. Says Murray, "This is her third senate race in five years. As O'Donnell's manager, I found out she was living on campaign donations - using them for rent and personal expenses, while leaving her workers unpaid and piling up thousands in debt. She wasn't concerned about conservative causes. O'Donnell just wanted to make a buck."
O'Donnell denied most of what Murray said and stated that she had fired Murray.
WIth days to go before the primary, O'Donnell was bolstered by an endorsement from former Governor of Alaska and Republican vice-presidential nominee 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...
. A few days later, The Weekly Standard
The Weekly Standard
The Weekly Standard is an American neoconservative opinion magazine published 48 times per year. Its founding publisher, News Corporation, debuted the title September 18, 1995. Currently edited by founder William Kristol and Fred Barnes, the Standard has been described as a "redoubt of...
broke new details of O'Donnell's 2005 $6.95 million gender discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit against her former employer, the conservative Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, Inc., or ', is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1953 as the Intercollegiate Society of Individualists...
.
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Mike Castle |
Christine O'Donnell | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | September 11–12, 2010 | 668 | ± 3.8% | 44% | 47% | –– | 8% |
In the year preceding the primary, polls that considered the hypothetical match of Castle against Coons indicated that Castle would defeat Coons by a wide margin. Only one of those nine polls (a Rasmussen poll held two months before the primary) showed O'Donnell defeating Coons, and even then by less than the margin of error.
Results
Candidates
- Chris Coons (D)
- Christine O'DonnellChristine O'DonnellChristine Therese O'Donnell is an American Republican Party politician who founded two advocacy organizations. She has been an advocate for nonprofit clients and nonprofit causes for nearly 20 years. A Tea Party favorite, and with strong financial support from the Tea Party movement, she defeated...
(R) - Glenn Miller (I)
- James Rash (L)
Campaign
Incumbent Senator Ted KaufmanTed Kaufman
Edward E. "Ted" Kaufman is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Delaware from 2009 to 2010. Since 2010, he has chaired the Congressional Oversight Panel in the United States federal government; he is the second person to hold that post, succeeding inaugural holder...
of Greenville
Greenville, Delaware
Greenville is a census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 2,326 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Greenville is located at ....
, who served as Biden's chief of staff and as a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
Broadcasting Board of Governors
The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for all non-military, international broadcasting sponsored by the U.S government. It was previously a department within the United States Information Agency until 1999.-Origins:Starting in...
before being appointed to this seat, announced from the time of his appointment that he did not intend to be a candidate in the special election. Former Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
The Lieutenant Governor of Delaware is the second ranking executive officer of the U.S. state of Delaware. Lieutenant Governors are elected for a term of four years in the same general election as the U.S. President and take office the following January....
John C. Carney of Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
let his name be considered during the appointment process, but then announced his candidacy for the House seat held by Castle.
State Attorney General
Delaware Attorney General
The Attorney General of Delaware is a constitutional officer of the U.S. state of Delaware, and is the chief law officer and the head of the State Department of Justice.-Description of the office:...
Beau Biden
Beau Biden
Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III is an American lawyer, Army JAG officer, and politician from Wilmington, Delaware. He serves as the Attorney General of Delaware and a Major in the Delaware Army National Guard...
of Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
was reportedly considered for the appointment to his father's Senate seat, but the Vice President's son was in the process of deploying to the Iraq War with the Delaware National Guard
Delaware National Guard
The Delaware National Guard consists of the:*Delaware Army National Guard*Delaware Air National Guard-External links:* compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History*...
and said he would not accept any appointment. In October 2009, after his deployment concluded, Biden stated that he was considering a run for the Senate seat. Most polls showed Biden and likely Republican opponent Castle neck-and-neck in a potential matchup. On January 25, 2010, Beau Biden confirmed that he would not run for the Senate seat.
Shortly after the Attorney General's statement, Chris Coons announced his candidacy.
Following her upset win over Castle, O'Donnell continued to face a split reaction from the leaders in the local, state, and national Republican Party.
Castle said he would not support O'Donnell.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee
National Republican Senatorial Committee
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is the Republican Hill committee for the United States Senate, working to elect Republicans to that body. The NRSC was founded in 1916 as the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee...
similarly released a statement almost immediately following O'Donnell's primary win, stating that they would not spend money to support her or her campaign. However, Texas Senator John Cornyn
John Cornyn
John Cornyn, III is the junior United States Senator for Texas, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 111th U.S. Congress....
, chairman of the NRSC, released a statement later stating he did not know where the release from within his organization originated. He then offered the maximum $42,000 donation to her campaign; Cornyn acknowledged, however, that he was not sure if she could win. Former Massachusetts Governor and 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
also contributed to O'Donnell's general election funds. However, former White House adviser and Republican strategist Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
said following O'Donnell's victory, "This is not a race we're going to be able to win." His remark triggered a fusillade of criticism from conservative talk radio.
The morning following the primary, Public Policy Polling
Public Policy Polling
Public Policy Polling is an American Democratic Party-affiliated polling firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina. PPP was founded in 2001 by businessman and Democratic pollster Dean Debnam, the firm's current president and chief executive officer...
released a tweet
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
indicating that their polling found that primary voters who voted for Mike Castle supported Coons, the Democratic opponent, over O'Donnell 44 percent to 28 percent in a general election.
An October 19, 2010, debate between Coons and O'Donnell at Widener University School of Law
Widener University School of Law
Widener University School of Law is the ABA accredited law school of Widener University. The school, founded in 1971 as the Delaware Law School, operates on two of Widener's campuses, one in Wilmington, Delaware, and the other in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania....
featured an exchange about separation of church and state in the United States
Separation of church and state in the United States
The phrase "separation of church and state" , attributed to Thomas Jefferson and others, and since quoted by the Supreme Court of the United States, expresses an understanding of the intent and function of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States...
and whether it is explicitly in the U.S. constitution. O'Donnell said it was not; afterward her campaign manager said, “Christine O’Donnell was not questioning the concept of separation of church and state as subsequently established by the courts. She simply made the point that the phrase appears nowhere in the Constitution.” (That phrase was "substantively" read into the First Amendment in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Engel v. Vitale
Engel v. Vitale
Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 , was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that determined that it is unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and require its recitation in public schools....
in 1962 and does not appear in the Constitution.)
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Cook Political Report Cook Political Report The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five... |
Likely D | October 30, 2010 |
| Rothenberg Stuart Rothenberg Stuart Rothenberg is an American editor, publisher, and political analyst best known for his Washington-based, biweekly, self-proclaimed non-partisan political newsletter The Rothenberg Political Report... |
D favored | October 28, 2010 |
| Swing State Project | Likely D | |
| RealClearPolitics RealClearPolitics RealClearPolitics is a political news and polling data aggregator based in Chicago, Illinois. The site's founders say their goal is to give readers "ideological diversity." They have described themselves as frustrated with what they perceive as anti-conservative, anti-Christian media bias, and... |
Likely D | October 30, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball Sabato's Crystal Ball Sabato’s Crystal Ball is a free, nonpartisan weekly online newsletter and comprehensive website in the United States that analyzes the current American political scene and predicts electoral outcomes for U.S House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, governors, and U.S. president races... |
Likely D | October 28, 2010 |
| CQ Politics Congressional Quarterly Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress... |
Likely D | October 30, 2010 |
| Rasmussen Reports Rasmussen 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... |
Solid D | October 27, 2010 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Michael Castle (R) |
Chris Coons (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research 2000 | October 12–14, 2009 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 51% | 39% | –– | 10% |
| Rasmussen Reports | January 25, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 56% | 27% | 5% | 13% |
| Rasmussen Reports | February 22, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 53% | 32% | 8% | 8% |
| Research 2000 | February 22–24, 2010 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 53% | 35% | –– | 12% |
| Rasmussen Reports | April 29, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 55% | 32% | 7% | 7% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 14, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 47% | 36% | 6% | 11% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 5, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 49% | 37% | 5% | 9% |
| Public Policy Polling | August 7–8, 2010 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 48% | 35% | –– | 17% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 2, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 48% | 37% | 6% | 9% |
| Public Policy Polling | September 11–12, 2010 | 958 | ± 3.2% | 45% | 35% | –– | 20% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Chris Coons (D) |
Christine O’Donnell (R) |
Michael Castle (I) |
Other | Undecided | Refused |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research 2000 | February 22–24, 2010 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 47% | 31% | –– | 22% | –– | |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 14, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 39% | 41% | –– | 7% | 12% | |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 5, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 46% | 36% | –– | 10% | 8% | |
| Public Policy Polling | August 7–8, 2010 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 44% | 37% | –– | –– | 19% | |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 2, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 47% | 36% | –– | 8% | 9% | |
| Public Policy Polling | September 11–12, 2010 | 958 | ± 3.2% | 50% | 34% | –– | –– | 16% | |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 16, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 53% | 42% | –– | 1% | 4% | |
| CNN | September 17–21, 2010 | 703 | ± 3.5% | 55% | 39% | –– | –– | –– | |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 26, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 49% | 40% | 5% | 0% | 5% | |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University's Public Mind | Sept. 27–Oct. 3, 2010 | 801 | ± 3.5% | 53% | 36% | –– | –– | 8% | 3% |
| FOX News/Pulse Opinion Research | October 9, 2010 | 1000 | ± 3.0% | 54% | 38% | –– | 3% | 5% | |
| Magellan | October 10, 2010 | 928 | ± 3.3% | 54% | 36% | –– | 3% | 7% | |
| Monmouth | October 8–11, 2010 | 790 | ± 3.5% | 57% | 38% | –– | 5% | –– | |
| Survey USA/University of Delaware | October 11–12, 2010 | 2,355 | ± 2.1% | 54% | 33% | –– | 5% | 9% | |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 14, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 51% | 40% | –– | 5% | 4% | |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | October 20–26, 2010 | 797 | ± 3.5% | 57% | 36% | –– | –– | –– | |
| Monmouth University | October 25–27, 2010 | 1,171 | ± 2.9% | 51% | 41% | –– | 4% | 4% |
Fundraising
| Candidate (Party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash On Hand | Debt | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Coons (D) | $4,207,479 | $3,479,819 | $727,660 | $250,000 | through 11/22/10 |
| Christine O'Donnell (R) | $7,340,167 | $6,406,246 | $924,745 | $2,692 | through 11/22/10 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission | |||||
Results
Aftermath
After O'Donnell's poor performance, there was considerable discussion within Republican circles regarding whether the party had lost a sure Senate seat by nominating her instead of Castle. Party pragmatists said that this had happened, and pointed to other races in NevadaUnited States Senate election in Nevada, 2010
-Tarkanian:-Angle:-Polling:Includes current candidates who have polled at least 2% in at least one poll.-Results:-Candidates:*Harry Reid , incumbent U.S...
and Colorado where Tea Party-favored candidates had lost races against Democratic rivals. Party purists dismissed this concern, and said that running candidates who supported fundamentally conservative values was always worthwhile. For her own part, O'Donnell criticized divisions within the state Republican Party following her primary win and said the consequent lack of support had led to her defeat.
External links
- Delaware Commissioner of Elections
- U.S. Congress candidates for Delaware 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...
- Delaware U.S. Senate - Special Election from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions from Open SecretsOpen SecretsOpen Secrets is a book of short stories by Alice Munro published by McClelland and Stewart in 1994. It was nominated for the 1994 Governor General's Award for English Fiction.-Stories:* "Carried Away"* "A Real Life"...
- 2010 Delaware Senate General Election: Christine O'Donnell (R) vs. Chris Coons (D) graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
- Election 2010: Delaware Senate from Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen ReportsRasmussen 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...
- Delaware Senate - Castle vs. Biden from Real Clear Politics
- 2010 Delaware Senate Race 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...
- Race profile from The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- Election 2010 at The News Journal
Official candidate websites