The Green Papers: 2008 General Election
 
Copyright www.flags.net/UNST.htm 110th Congress
Senate Seats by State

This is a list of the current Senate seats and the incumbents occupying them. 34 Senate Seats are up for election in 2008.

There has been 1 death, 1 resignation, and 0 changes re: party breakdown in the 110th Senate.

  • Senator Craig L. Thomas (Republican, Wyoming) passed away Monday 4 June 2007 at the age of 74. Senator Thomas was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in November 2006.
  • Senator John Barrasso (Republican, Wyoming) was appointed to fill the vacant Class 1 Seat by Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal on 22 June 2007. A Special Election will be held Tuesday 4 November 2008 to fill the seat through January 2013. The next regular election is Tuesday 6 November 2012.
  • Senator Barack Obama (Democrat, Illinois) was elected to the Presidency on 4 November 2008. He resigned from the Senate 16 November 2008.

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Legislative Links     Senate Electoral Classes

           

Arkansas  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Democratic

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator Mark Lunsford Pryor
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 2002; re-elected: 2008
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 20 May 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Senator Mark Lunsford Pryor
  Elected Democratic 804,678 74.00% Senator Mark Lunsford Pryor
FEC S0AR00028: $4,998,992
  Candidate Green 207,076 19.04% Rebekah Jean Kennedy
FEC S8AR00179: $13,745
  Candidate Scattering 75,463 6.94% Total Under Votes
  Candidate Scattering 123 0.01% Total Over Votes
Total 1,087,340 100.00%  

Delaware  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Democratic

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr.
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1972; re-elected: 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 9 September 2008 Primary
23 August 2008: Nominated for Vice President by Senator Barack Hussein Obama of Illinois. Elected to the Vice Presidency 4 November 2008.
 Polls: Democratic Senator Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr.
  Elected Democratic 257,539 64.69% Senator Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr.
FEC S8DE00012: $1,453,307
  Candidate Republican 140,595 35.31% Christine T. O'Donnell
Received her party's nomination at the 3 May 2008 State Convention

FEC S6DE00131: $116,471
  

24 November 2008: Governor Ruth Ann Minner (D-Delaware) has announced that she will appoint Ted Kaufman, a long-time aide to Senator (now Vice President-elect) Joseph Biden, to the seat Biden will have to vacate prior to Noon Eastern Time next 20 January, when he is scheduled to be sworn in as the Nation's new Vice-President. Senator Biden won re-election to his seat (as well as the Vice-Presidency) in the 4 November Elections; Kaufman would be appointed to serve until a successor is chosen by the People of the State of Delaware in a Special Election in November 2010.

Total 398,134 100.00%  

Illinois  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic, 1 Vacancy

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator Richard J. "Dick" Durbin
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1996; re-elected: 2002, 2008
[also served in U.S. House- elected: 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994]
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 5 February 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Senator Richard J. "Dick" Durbin
  Elected Democratic 3,615,844 67.84% Senator Richard J. "Dick" Durbin
FEC S6IL00151: $8,116,764
  Candidate Republican 1,520,621 28.53% Steven Kenneth Sauerberg
Endorsed by the Illinois Republican Central Committee

FEC S8IL00165: $2,027,158
  Candidate Green 119,135 2.24% Kathleen J. "Kathy" Cummings
FEC S8IL00199: Financial report not available
  Candidate Libertarian 50,224 0.94% Larry A. Stafford
FEC S8IL00181: Financial report not available
  Candidate Constitution 24,059 0.45% Chad N. Koppie
FEC S2IL00044: $20,340
  Candidate Write-in 1 0.00% Patricia Elaine Beard
  Candidate Write-in; (Socialist Workers Party)     Betsy Farley
Total 5,329,884 100.00%  

Iowa  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic, 1 Republican

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1984; re-elected: 1990, 1996; 2002, 2008
[also served in U.S. House- elected: 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982]
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 3 June 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Senator Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin
  Elected Democratic 941,665 61.36% Senator Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin
FEC S4IA00020: $6,358,882
  Candidate Republican 560,006 36.49% Christopher Reed
Received 35.26% in the 3 June primary.

FEC S8IA00104: $59,087
  Candidate Scattering 31,500 2.05% UNDER VOTES
  Candidate Write-in 1,247 0.08% SCATTERING
  Candidate Scattering 344 0.02% OVER VOTES
    Write-in; (Socialist Workers Party)     Diana Newberry - apparently not a candidate
Total 1,534,762 100.00%  

Louisiana  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic, 1 Republican

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator Mary L. Landrieu
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1996; re-elected: 2002, 2008
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 4 October 2008 Primary
 Polls: Leans Democratic - Leans Democratic Senator Mary L. Landrieu
  Elected Democratic 988,298 52.11% Senator Mary L. Landrieu
FEC S6LA00227: $9,210,825
  Candidate Republican 867,177 45.72% Treasurer John Neely Kennedy
FEC S4LA00065: $4,828,982
  Candidate Libertarian 18,590 0.98% Richard Fontanesi
FEC S4LA00081: Financial report not available
  Candidate No Party Affiliation 13,729 0.72% Jay Patel
FEC S8LA00090: Financial report not available
  Candidate Other-party nominee 8,780 0.46% Robert Julius Stewart
FEC S8LA00082: Financial report not available
Total 1,896,574 100.00%  

Massachusetts  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Democratic

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator John F. Kerry
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1984; re-elected: 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 16 September 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Senator John F. Kerry
  Elected Democratic 1,971,974 63.55% Senator John F. Kerry
FEC S4MA00069: $16,116,152
  Candidate Republican 926,044 29.84% Jeffrey K. "Jeff" Beatty
FEC S8MA00219: $2,078,533
  Candidate Scattering 108,748 3.50% Blanks
  Candidate Libertarian 93,713 3.02% Robert Joseph Underwood
FEC S8MA00235: Financial report not available
  Candidate Scattering 2,516 0.08% All Others
Total 3,102,995 100.00%  

Michigan  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Democratic

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator Carl Levin
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1978; re-elected: 1984, 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 5 August 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Senator Carl Levin
  Elected Democratic 3,038,386 62.66% Senator Carl Levin
FEC S8MI00158: $8,276,479
  Candidate Republican 1,641,070 33.85% state Representative Jack Hoogendyk, Jr.
FEC S8MI00299: $302,747
  Candidate Libertarian 76,347 1.57% Scott Avery "Scotty" Boman
FEC S8MI00315: Financial report not available
  Candidate Green 43,440 0.90% Harley G. Mikkelson
FEC S8MI00331: Financial report not available
  Candidate U.S. Taxpayers 30,827 0.64% Michael N. Nikitin
FEC S8MI00307: Financial report not available
  Candidate Natural Law 18,550 0.38% Doug Dern
FEC S2MI00144: Financial report not available
Total 4,848,620 100.00%  

Montana  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Democratic

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator Max Baucus
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1978; re-elected: 1984, 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 3 June 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Senator Max Baucus
  Elected Democratic 348,289 72.92% Senator Max Baucus
FEC S8MT00010: $8,433,751
  Candidate Republican 129,369 27.08% Bob Kelleher
Previously affiliated with the Green and Democratic Parties.

FEC S6MT00212: Financial report not available
Total 477,658 100.00%  

New Jersey  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Democratic

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator Frank R. Lautenberg
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 2002; re-elected: 2008
Previously served in the Class 1 NJ Senate seat to which he was first elected: 1982 and re-elected: 1988, 1994-- was not a candidate for his Party's nomination for the Class 1 seat in 2000
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 3 June 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Senator Frank R. Lautenberg
  Elected Democratic 1,951,218 56.03% Senator Frank R. Lautenberg
FEC S2NJ00080: $7,219,668
  Candidate Republican 1,461,025 41.95% former Congressman Richard "Dick" Zimmer
FEC S6NJ00131: $1,542,809
  Candidate Libertarian 18,810 0.54% Jason Scheurer
FEC S8NJ00434: Financial report not available
  Candidate Independent 15,935 0.46% J. M. Carter, Jr.
Slogan: God We Trust

FEC S8NJ00145: Financial report not available
  Candidate Independent 15,925 0.46% Daryl Mikell Brooks
Slogan: Poor People's Campaign

FEC S6NJ00313: Financial report not available
  Candidate Independent 10,345 0.30% Jeffrey Harlan Boss
Slogan: Boss For Senate.
Also running for President.

FEC S8NJ00418: Financial report not available
  Candidate Socialist Workers Party 9,187 0.26% Sara J. Lobman
FEC S8NJ00426: Financial report not available
Total 3,482,445 100.00%  

Rhode Island  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Democratic

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator John F. "Jack" Reed
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1996; re-elected: 2002, 2008
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 9 September 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Senator John F. "Jack" Reed
  Elected Democratic 320,644 73.20% Senator John F. "Jack" Reed
FEC S6RI00163: $3,962,443
  Candidate Republican 116,174 26.52% Robert G. "Bob" Tingle
FEC S2RI00063: Financial report not available
  Candidate Write-in 809 0.18% The Jockey
  Candidate Write-in 262 0.06% Christopher Young
FEC S0RI00042: Financial report not available
  Candidate Write-in 67 0.02% Blank
  Candidate Write-in 33 0.01% Lincoln Chaffee
  Candidate Write-in 13 0.00% None of the Above
  Candidate Write-in 10 0.00% Robert Healey
  Candidate Write-in 10 0.00% Mickey Mouse
  Candidate Write-in 9 0.00% Buddy Cianci
  Candidate Write-in 8 0.00% Michael Brown
  Candidate Write-in 7 0.00% Donald Duck
  Candidate Write-in 5 0.00% Steve Laffey
Total 438,051 100.00%  

South Dakota  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic, 1 Republican

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator Tim Johnson
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1996; re-elected: 2002; re-elected: 2008
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 3 June 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Senator Tim Johnson
  Elected Democratic 237,889 62.49% Senator Tim Johnson
FEC S6SD00051: $4,928,182
  Candidate Republican 142,784 37.51% state Representative Joel Dean Dykstra
FEC S8SD00107: $906,630
Total 380,673 100.00%  

West Virginia  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Democratic

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller, IV
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1984; re-elected: 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 13 May 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Senator John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller, IV
  Elected Democratic 447,560 63.73% Senator John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller, IV
FEC S4WV00027: $5,189,461
  Candidate Republican 254,629 36.26% Matthew Jay "Jay" Wolfe
FEC S8WV00093: $123,862
  Candidate Write-in 83 0.01% John R. "Rick" Bartlett
  Candidate Write-in 36 0.01% Chad Shaffer
Total 702,308 100.00%  

Political Parties    Parties appear in parenthesis and italics when a candidate receives the endorsement of a given Party and/or official sources indicate a candidate's association with a particular Party but only where the Party in question does not appear on the actual ballot as such.

Major Parties
  Democratic
  Democratic-Farmer Labor
  Republican
Major Third Parties
  Green
  Libertarian
  Reform
Other Third Parties
  Alaskan Independence
  American Constitution
  Boston Tea
  Constitution
  Independence
  Independent Greens
  Independent Party of Oregon
  Natural Law
  Nebraska
  Socialist Workers Party
  U.S. Taxpayers
  Veterans Party of America
Independents
  Independent
  Independent Democrat
  No Party Affiliation
  Nominated By Petition
  Other-party nominee
  Unenrolled
Write-in/Scattered/otherwise not readily classifiable
  Scattering
  Write-in
 

Notes

Candidates for office appear on this page in italics where 'The Green Papers' does not yet have independent confirmation from an election authority that the person so listed will actually appear on the ballot.

FEC indicates the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Campaign Finance Summary "Total Receipts" for candidates for Federal Office.


Senate Class

Class 1 seats begin their current terms at noon on 3 January 2007... next regular election for these seats is in 2012.
Class 2 seats end their current terms at noon on 3 January 2009... next regular election for these seats is 2008.
Class 3 seats end their current terms at noon on 3 January 2011... next regular election for these seats is 2010.

For more information on Senate Classes refer to UNITED STATES SENATE: Electoral "Classes".


Article I, Section 3, clause 2 of the Constitution of the United States reads as follows:

"Immediately after [the Senate of the United States] shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year..."

Pursuant to this Constitutional provision, a three-Senator Committee was appointed by the Senate on 11 May 1789 to come up with a plan to carry out the requirements of that provision; this Committee reported to the Senate on 14 May 1789 a plan to divide the then 20 Senators (there were 10 of the 13 original States represented in the Senate at the time- each having 2 Senators: North Carolina and Rhode Island had yet to ratify the U.S. Constitution, while New York had so ratified but had failed to elect Senators as of that date) into the requisite three electoral Classes: under this plan, three groups of Senators (set up in such a way so as no State had its two Senators in the same group) were to be listed and the first Senator on each list (a list which was set up geographically north-to-south in the manner in which the Electoral Vote for President was counted before Congress at that time, so that two of the first Senators on these lists were from New Hampshire and the third was the first Senator in alphabetical order from Massachusetts) was to each blindly draw a piece of paper numbered either "1", "2" or "3" out of a box in the possession of the Secretary of the Senate. This plan being agreeable to the Senate and so approved, the drawing of lots in this manner was carried out the following day (15 May 1789)- such lot drawing ultimately determining that, to start with, Classes 1 and 2 were to have 7 Senators each and Class 3 was to have only 6 Senators.

When New York finally seated its two Senators during the ensuing Summer, there was another lot drawing (actually a double-lot drawing) on 28 July 1789 to determine the Classes for these seats: since one of the seats had to be Class 3 to make it equal in number to that of the other two Classes so far, the two New York Senators each blindly drew between two pieces of paper, one marked "3", the other which was blank- after this, there was a second lot drawing in which the New York Senator who had drawn the blank paper blindly drew again between two pieces of paper marked "1" and "2": he drew "1" so that New York would henceforth have Senators of electoral Classes 1 and 3.

When North Carolina seated its two Senators after ratifying the Constitution on 21 November 1789, there was yet another lot drawing (on 29 January 1790) in which North Carolina's two Senators each blindly drew between pieces of paper marked "2" and "3" (since there were now 12 States and, thus, 24 Senators: 24 being equally divisible by 3, there would now have to be 8 Senators in each of the three Classes to fulfill the Constitutional provision that, as nearly as was practicable, one third of the Senate be elected every second year).

After Rhode Island- the last of the 13 original States- finally ratified the Constitution on 29 May 1790 and subsequently seated its two Senators that Summer, there was yet one more lot drawing in the First Congress (on 25 June 1790) in which Rhode Island's two Senators blindly drew between pieces of paper marked "1", "2" and "3": one Senator drew "2", the other drew "1"- thereby determining electoral Classes 1 and 2 as those for the Senators from this State. When Vermont was admitted to the Union as the 14th state on 4 March 1791, there was again a double lot drawing as there had been for New York. From that day until this, whenever a new State has been admitted to the Union, these types of lot drawings (the type determined by the necessity of keeping the number of Senators in each electoral Class as close to one third as possible at the time of said lot drawing) between the new State's first Senators is held before the Senate to determine in just which of the three electoral Classes that State's Senate seats will be placed from then on.


 


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