United States Senate election in Missouri, 2000

United States Senate election in Missouri, 2000

November 7, 2000

Nominee Mel Carnahan (deceased) John Ashcroft Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,191,812 1,142,852 Percentage 50.5% 48.4%

County results

U.S. Senator before election John Ashcroft Republican Elected U.S. Senator Mel Carnahan Democratic

The 2000 United States Senate election in Missouri was held on November 7, 2000, to select the next U.S. Senator from Missouri. Incumbent Senator John Ashcroft lost re-election to Mel Carnahan, despite the fact Carnahan had died in a plane crash several weeks before election day.

Background

In 1998, incumbent US Senator from Missouri John Ashcroft (R) briefly considered running for president but on January 5, 1999, he announced that he would not seek the presidency and would instead defend his Senate seat in his 2000 re-election.^[1] Ashcroft was first challenged in the Republican primary, defeating Marc Perkel.^[2]

Candidates

Major candidates

Democratic

• Mel Carnahan, Governor of Missouri (deceased)

Republican

• John Ashcroft, incumbent U.S. Senator

Other Candidates

Green

• Evaline Taylor

Libertarian

• Grant Samuel Stauffer

Reform

• Hugh Foley

Natural Law

• Charles Dockins

Campaign

In the general election, Ashcroft faced a challenge from then-Governor Mel Carnahan. In the midst of a tight race, Carnahan died in an plane crash only two weeks before the November general election. However, Carnahan's name remained on the ballot due to Missouri state election laws. Lieutenant Governor Roger B. Wilson became Governor upon Carnahan's death. He announced that, if Carnahan should be elected, he would appoint his widow Jean Carnahan to serve in his place, to which she agreed to this arrangement. Ashcroft suspended all campaigning after the plane crash in light of the tragedy.

Results

General election results[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Mel Carnahan (Deceased)	1,191,812	50.5
	Republican	John Ashcroft (Incumbent)	1,142,852	48.4
	Green	Evaline Taylor	10,612	0.5
	Libertarian	Grant Samuel Stauffer	10,198	0.4
	Reform	Hugh Foley	4,166	0.2
	Natural Law	Charles Dockins	1,933	0.1
	Write-ins	Write-in candidates	13
Turnout
	Democratic gain from Republican

Aftermath

Voters elected Mel Carnahan, although dead, by a narrow margin. No one had ever posthumously won election to the Senate, though voters on at least three occasions chose deceased candidates for the House (Nick Begich, Hale Boggs, and Patsy Mink).

This loss was despite Ashcroft having a larger budget than Carnahan that included controversial contributions from corporations such as Monsanto Company (headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri), which contributed five times more to Ashcroft than to any other congressional hopeful at the time. He thereby became the first Senate incumbent ever defeated for re-election by a dead man's name on the ballot (it was understood that Mel Carnahan's wife, Jean Carnahan, would assume the position if he won election).

References

1. Ashcroft decides not to jump into 2000 race - January 5, 1999
2. perkel.com
3. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/2000/2000Stat.htm