2008 United States Senate election in Texas
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates | date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2008 United States Senate election in Texas
| country = Texas
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2002 United States Senate election in Texas
| previous_year = 2002
| next_election = 2014 United States Senate election in Texas
| next_year = 2014
| election_date = November 4, 2008
| image_size = 150x150px
| image1 = File:John Cornyn official portrait, 2009 (cropped).jpg
| nominee1 = John Cornyn
| party1 = Republican Party (United States)
| popular_vote1 = 4,337,469
| percentage1 = 54.82%
| image2 = File:NORIEGA (cropped).jpg
| nominee2 = Rick Noriega
| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)
| popular_vote2 = 3,389,365
| percentage2 = 42.84%
| map_image = 2008 United States Senate election in Texas results map by county.svg
| map_size = 310px
| map_caption = County results
Cornyn: {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}} {{legend0|#d72f30|70–80%}} {{legend0|#c21b18|80–90%}} {{legend0|#a80000|>90%}}
Noriega: {{legend0|#a5b0ff|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}} {{legend0|#3933e5|80–90%}}
| title = U.S. Senator
| before_election = John Cornyn
| before_party = Republican Party (United States)
| after_election = John Cornyn
| after_party = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Elections in Texas sidebar}}
The 2008 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican John Cornyn defeated Democratic nominee Rick Noriega, a member of the Texas House of Representatives, to win re-election to a second term in office.
Democratic primary
= Candidates =
- Gene Kelly, U.S. Air Force veteran and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2000
- Ray McMurrey, teacher at Mary Carroll High School
- Rick Noriega, State Representative
- Rhett Smith, U.S. Navy veteran and auditor at the Texas Department of Human Services
= Results =
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Democratic primary{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=294945|title=Our Campaigns - TX US Senate - D Primary Race - Mar 04, 2008|website=www.ourcampaigns.com|accessdate=19 December 2022}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Rick Noriega
| votes = 1,110,579
| percentage = 51.01%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Gene Kelly
| votes = 584,966
| percentage = 26.87%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Ray McMurrey
| votes = 269,402
| percentage = 12.37%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Rhett Smith
| votes = 213,305
| percentage = 9.75%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 2,178,252
|percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
Republican primary
= Candidates =
- John Cornyn, incumbent U.S. Senator
- Larry Kilgore, conservative/Secessionist activist
= Results =
{{Election box begin
| title = Republican Primary{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=294946|title=Our Campaigns - TX US Senate - R Primary Race - Mar 04, 2008|website=www.ourcampaigns.com|accessdate=19 December 2022}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = John Cornyn (incumbent)
| votes = 997,216
| percentage = 81.48%
| change = +4.17%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Larry Kilgore
| votes = 226,649
| percentage = 18.52%
| change = +0.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
General election
= Candidates =
- John Cornyn (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
- Rick Noriega (D), State Representative
- Yvonne Adams Schick (L), real estate entrepreneur{{Cite web |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=123C9994B0E36568&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=NewsBank |access-date=May 17, 2011 |archive-date=October 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025100727/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=123C9994B0E36568&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |url-status=dead }}
= Campaign =
Cornyn, running as an incumbent, had a 42% approval rating with a 43% disapproval rating in June 2007.{{Cite web|url=https://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=59e13048-8ca9-4fc8-9302-dc8681fe64b0|title=SurveyUSA News Poll #12245|website=www.surveyusa.com|accessdate=19 December 2022}} Texas is a red state, that Republican presidential nominee John McCain won with over 55% of the vote. Cornyn slightly underperformed McCain. However, Noriega underperformed both 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in Texas and Cornyn's 2002 opponent, Ron Kirk, with Noriega receiving just 42.8% of the vote.
= Predictions =
= Polling =
| class="wikitable" |
| valign=bottom
! Poll source ! Dates administered ! Rick Noriega (D) ! John Cornyn (R) |
| Rasmussen[http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/burkablog/2007/09/rasmussen-hillary-trailing-in-texas.php Rasmussen]
| September 18, 2007 | 30% | {{Party shading/Republican}} | 53% |
| Research 2000[http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/27/14642/2928 Research 2000]
| September 24–26, 2007 | 35% | {{Party shading/Republican}} | 51% |
| Rasmussen Reports
| May 1, 2008 | 43% | {{Party shading/Republican}} | 47% |
| Research 2000/Daily Kos[http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/8/163458/6653/565/512005 Research 2000/Daily Kos]
| May 5–7, 2008 | 44% | {{Party shading/Republican}} | 48% |
| Baselice & Associates[https://web.archive.org/web/20080910020225/http://www.pollster.com/blogs/May29%202008%20Texas%20Survey%20Release%20on%20US%20Senate%20Race.pdf Baselice & Associates]
| May 20–25, 2008 | 33% | {{Party shading/Republican}} | 49% |
| Rasmussen Reports
| June 2, 2008 | 35% | {{Party shading/Republican}} | 52% |
| Rasmussen Reports
| June 25, 2008 | 35% | {{Party shading/Republican}} | 48% |
| Rasmussen Reports
| July 30, 2008 | 39% | {{Party shading/Republican}} | 50% |
| Rasmussen Reports
| September 29, 2008 | 43% | {{Party shading/Republican}} | 50% |
| Rasmussen Reports
| October 21, 2008 | 40% | {{Party shading/Republican}} | 55% |
= Results =
{{Election box begin
| title = 2008 Texas U.S. Senate general election}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = John Cornyn (incumbent)
| votes = 4,337,469
| percentage = 54.82%
| change = −0.48%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Rick Noriega
| votes = 3,389,365
| percentage = 42.84%
| change = −0.50%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
| party = Libertarian Party (United States)
| candidate = Yvonne Adams Schick
| votes = 185,241
| percentage = 2.34%
| change = +1.55%
}}
{{Election box majority
| votes = 948,104
| percentage = 11.98%
| change =
}}
{{Election box turnout
| votes = 7,912,075
| percentage = 58.28%
| change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link
| winner = Republican Party (United States)
| swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
==Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic==
==Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican==
- Bee (Largest city: Beeville)
- Caldwell (Largest city: Lockhart)
- Fisher (Largest city: Rotan)
- Foard (Largest city: Crowell)
- Haskell (Largest city: Haskell)
- Marion (Largest city: Jefferson)
- Pecos (Largest city: Fort Stockton)
- Refugio (Largest city: Refugio)
- San Augustine (Largest city: San Augustine)
- San Patricio (Largest city: Portland)
- Terrell (Largest city: Sanderson)
- Morris (Largest city: Daingerfield)
- Newton (Largest city: Newton)
- Calhoun (Largest city: Port Lavaca)
- Robertson (Largest city: Hearne)
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/index.shtml Elections Division] from the Texas Secretary of State
- [http://www.votesmart.org/election_congress_state.php?state_id=TX&go33.x=13&go33.y=10 U.S. Congress candidates for Texas] at Project Vote Smart
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080918051555/http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=senate-TX Texas, U.S. Senate] from CQ Politics
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110615061251/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/cgi-bin/r.cgi/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=51778 Texas U.S. Senate] from OurCampaigns.com
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080725091100/http://www.2008racetracker.com/page/TX-Sen Texas Senate race] from 2008 Race Tracker
- [http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?id=TXS1&cycle=2008 Campaign contributions] from OpenSecrets
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080511160942/http://www.pollster.com/08-TX-Sen-GE-CvN.php Cornyn (R-i) vs Noriega (D)] graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
- Official campaign websites (Archived)
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20081031225353/http://www.johncornyn.com/ John Cornyn], Republican candidate
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20081031225352/http://www.ricknoriega.com/ Rick Noriega], Democratic candidate
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20081029215832/http://yvonneforsenate.com/ Yvonne Schick], Libertarian candidate
{{2008 United States elections}}
{{Elections in Texas footer}}