United States Senate election in Delaware, 2008

United States Senate election in Delaware, 2008
Delaware
November 4, 2008
 
Nominee Joe Biden Christine O'Donnell
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 257,539 140,595
Percentage 64.7% 35.3%

County results
U.S. Senator before election

Joe Biden
Democratic

 Elected U.S. Senator

Joe Biden
Democratic

Elections in Delaware

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. Biden took his oath of office in the Senate chamber with the rest of his colleagues but resigned his seat on January 15, 2009 and assumed the Vice Presidency five days later.

Major candidates

The candidates were:[1]

Democratic

Republican

Campaign

After ending his 2008 presidential bid in January 2008, Biden focused instead on running for a seventh Senate term. He was unopposed within his party.[2]

O'Donnell faced businessman Tim Smith at the Republican state party convention and won with more than 60 percent of the delegate vote.[3]

On August 23, 2008, Democratic Party presidential nominee Barack Obama announced that he had selected Joe Biden to serve as his vice presidential candidate.[4] Under Delaware law, Biden could run simultaneously for both his Senate seat and for Vice President, which Biden indeed decided to do.[5][6]

The statewide party primary elections were held September 9, 2008.[7] O'Donnell was uncontested in the Republican half, as was Biden in the Democratic.[2]

O'Donnell tried to make an issue of Biden's dual campaigns, claiming that serving his constituents was not important to him, and criticized his unwillingness to participate in debates and candidate forums.[8] Nevertheless, she was heavily outspent by Biden and her campaign failed to gain traction. Her campaign ended with $23,000 in debt.[9]

Minutes after the polls closed on November 4, NBC called the race for Biden, with other news organizations soon following.[10]

Polling

Poll Source Date Joe Biden (D) Christine O'Donnell (R)
Survey USA October 27 - 28, 2008 66% 32%
West Chester University/WHYY October 6 - 8, 2008 65% 29%
Survey USA September 22 - 23, 2008 64% 32%

Results

United States Senate election in Delaware, 2008[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joe Biden (inc.) 257,539 64.69% +6.47%
Republican Christine O'Donnell 140,595 35.31% -5.49%
Majority 116,944 29.37% +11.96%
Turnout 398,134
Democratic hold Swing

External links

References

  1. ↑ elections.delaware.gov
  2. 1 2 Giroux, Greg (2008-09-10). "Franken Primary Win One of Many Key Results From Tuesday’s Primaries". CQ Today Online News. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
  3. ↑ NPR and NewHour staff (2008-09-18). "Joseph Biden (D) is seeking a seventh term". NPR and NewsHour 2008 Election Map US Senate:Delaware (PBS). Retrieved 2010-0s9-18. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. ↑ Silverstein, Stuart and Johanna Neuman (August 23, 2008). "Joe Biden is Obama's running mate". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
  5. ↑ "Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr.", CQ Politics
  6. ↑ Chase, Randall (August 24, 2008). "Biden Wages 2 Campaigns At Once". Associated Press. Retrieved August 29, 2008.
  7. ↑ Calendar of Election Events Delaware Commissioner of Elections
  8. ↑ Libit, Daniel (2008-10-04). "Joe Biden's other female foe". The Politico. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
  9. ↑ Gibson, Ginger (2010-03-20). "Delaware politics: O'Donnell faces campaign debt, back-tax issues". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
  10. ↑ Nuckols, Ben (2008-11-04). "Biden wins 7th Senate term but may not serve". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  11. ↑ http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/2008/2008Stat.htm#stateDE
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