The Green Papers: Kentucky 2008 General Election
This page is for offices up for election in 2008. Find 2009 elections here.
 
Flag images courtesy of The World Flag Database. Copyright http://www.flags.net/ Kentucky
Elections for Statewide offices and Congress
Primary: Tuesday 20 May 2008
General Election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Electoral Votes:8(1.49% of 538)
Governor:1 
Senators:2(Electoral Classes 2 and 3)
2002-2010 Representatives:6(1.38% of 435)
2000 Census:4,049,431 (1.44% of 281,998,273)
Estimated Voting age population (November 2000):2,993,000
Registered Voters (November 2000):2,556,815
Capital:Frankfort
Tuesday 20 May 2008 polling hours 6:00a EDT (1000 UTC) / 6:00a CDT (1100 UTC) to 6:00p EDT (2200 UTC) / 6:00p CDT (2300 UTC). Poll closing time could be rather problematic in KENTUCKY. A large chunk of the state is in CDT [but the networks consider that "most of the polls have closed" in KENTUCKY by 6 PM EDT and so, if they can, project at the same time they project INDIANA]. CDT voters in KENTUCKY may note the networks' willingness/eagerness to project a winner as early as 6 PM EDT.
Tuesday 4 November 2008 polling hours 6:00a EST (1100 UTC) / 6:00a CST (1200 UTC) to 6:00p EST (2300 UTC) / 6:00p CST (0000 UTC). Poll closing time could be rather problematic in KENTUCKY. A large chunk of the state is in CST [but the networks consider that "most of the polls have closed" in KENTUCKY by 6 PM EST and so, if they can, project at the same time they project INDIANA]. CST voters in KENTUCKY may note the networks' willingness/eagerness to project a winner as early as 6 PM EST.
 

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Kentucky State and Local Government

Kentucky 2008 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions:
Democrats, Republicans, Third Parties


10 December 2008: Commonwealth of Kentucky - 2008 General Election Results and Statistics


18 September 2008: Synchronized with Kentucky Secretary of State. The last day to file a write-in candidate is 24 October.


20 May 2008 results from an official source.

 
           

President  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime. Electors: 8 (Winner-take-all), How Appointed, Meeting Place, Duly Appointed Presidential Electors, List of Presidential Candidates.
Up for election in 2008
  Elected Republican 1,048,462 57.40% Senator John Sidney McCain, III
(8 Electoral Votes)
Vice President: Governor Sarah H. Palin

FEC P80002801: $399,826,076
  Candidate Democratic 751,985 41.17% Senator Barack Hussein Obama
Vice President: Senator Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr.

FEC P80003338: $778,642,047
  Candidate Independent 15,378 0.84% Ralph Nader
Vice President: Matt Gonzalez

FEC P20000527: $4,520,160
  Candidate Libertarian 5,989 0.33% former Congressman Bob Barr
Vice President: Wayne Allyn Root

FEC P80005580: $1,405,899
  Candidate Constitution 4,694 0.26% Charles Obadiah "Chuck" Baldwin
Vice President: Robert E. Thornsberry

FEC P80005499: $262,010
  Candidate Write-in     Leonard C. Habermehl
Vice President: Steven K. Miller
  Candidate Write-in     Keith Russell Judd
Vice President: Morty Wayne Judd

FEC P60003530: $532,837
  Candidate Write-in; (America's Independent)     former Ambassador Alan L. Keyes
Vice President: Brian Rohrbough

FEC P60003076: $481,991
  Candidate Write-in; (Green)     former Congressman Cynthia A. McKinney
Vice President: Rosa A. Clemente

FEC P80004930: $240,360
  Candidate Write-in     William Louis "Billy" Mills, Jr.
Vice President: David Hinton

FEC P80005127: $175
  Candidate Write-in     Shelley Renêe Upchurch
Vice President: Billy Joe Upchurch
Total 1,826,508 100.00%  

U.S. Senate  6 year term. No Term Limit. 110th Senate  Senate Electoral Classes

Class 2
Seat up for election
Republican Senator Mitch McConnell
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1984; re-elected: 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 20 May 2008 Primary
 Polls: Leans Republican - Republican Senator Mitch McConnell
  Elected Republican 953,816 52.97% Senator Mitch McConnell
FEC S2KY00012: $18,681,961
  Candidate Democratic 847,005 47.03% Bruce Lunsford
FEC S8KY00233: $10,883,172
Total 1,800,821 100.00%  

Class 3 Republican Senator Jim Bunning
First elected: 1998; re-elected: 2004.
[also served in U.S. House-elected: 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996]
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
  Candidate Independent     Darlene Fitzgerald Price

Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2007, 2011. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms, All Governors

  Democratic Governor Steven L. "Steve" Beshear
First elected: 2007
Chair up for election: Tuesday 8 November 2011
The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.
 

The runoff was removed from [KSR 118.245 (2)] effective 15 July 2008. The old law: "If no Gubernatorial Slate receives 40% of the vote in the their party's primary, the top two slates advance to a run-off". The new law: "The slate of candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor receiving the highest number of votes in a primary shall be the nominees"


Lieutenant Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2007, 2011. Elected on a ticket with Governor; no separate Primary for Lt Gov from Gov

  Democratic Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo
First elected: 2007
Seat up for election: Tuesday 8 November 2011

110th U.S. House of Representatives  2 year term, Election Cycle 2006, 2008. No Term Limit. 110th House
Partisan Composition (primary disposition):
4 Republican (3 Renominated, 1 Open);
2 Democratic (2 Renominated)

CD 1
{map}
Seat up for election
Republican Congressman Edward "Ed" Whitfield
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1994
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 20 May 2008 Primary
 Polls: Republican Congressman Edward "Ed" Whitfield
  Elected Republican 178,107 64.35% Congressman Edward "Ed" Whitfield
FEC H4KY01040: $1,020,193
  Candidate Democratic 98,674 35.65% Heather Ann Ryan
FEC H8KY01041: $27,939
Total 276,781 100.00%  

CD 2
{map}
Seat up for election
Open
Republican Congressman Ron Lewis
First elected: in Special Election, 24 May 1994, re: death of Congressman William Natcher, 29 March 1994
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Open Seat - 29 January 2008: Withdrew
 Polls: Republican state Senator Steven Brett "Brett" Guthrie
 ** Open Seat (no incumbent) **
  Elected Republican 158,936 52.57% state Senator Steven Brett "Brett" Guthrie
FEC H8KY02031: $1,282,672
  Candidate Democratic 143,379 47.43% state Senator David E. Boswell
FEC H8KY02049: $916,853
Total 302,315 100.00%  

CD 3
{map}
Seat up for election
Democratic Congressman John A. Yarmuth
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 2006
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 20 May 2008 Primary
 Polls: Leans Democratic - Democratic Congressman John A. Yarmuth
  Elected Democratic 203,843 59.37% Congressman John A. Yarmuth
FEC H6KY03124: $2,136,760
  Candidate Republican 139,527 40.63% former Congressman Anne M. Northup
FEC H6KY03090: $1,705,223
    Libertarian; (Republican) 0 0.00% Edward Anthony "Ed" Martin - apparently not a candidate
Removed from the ballot 9 October 2008 by the the Kentucky State Court of Appeals. Because the ballots have been printed, the Court instructed elections officials to post notices at the polls stating that votes cast for Mr. Martin would not be counted.

FEC H8KY03179: Financial report not available
Total 343,370 100.00%  

CD 4
{map}
Seat up for election
Republican Congressman Geoffrey C. "Geoff" Davis
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 2004
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 20 May 2008 Primary
 Polls: Republican Congressman Geoffrey C. "Geoff" Davis
  Elected Republican 190,210 63.03% Congressman Geoffrey C. "Geoff" Davis
FEC H2KY04071: $2,100,351
  Candidate Democratic 111,549 36.97% Michael J. Kelley
FEC H8KY04094: $20,492
Total 301,759 100.00%  

CD 5
{map}
Seat up for election
Republican Congressman Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1980
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 20 May 2008 Primary
 Polls: Republican Congressman Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers
  Elected Republican 177,024 84.11% Congressman Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers
FEC H0KY05015: $611,926
  Candidate Independent 33,444 15.89% James E. "Jim" Holbert
FEC H8KY05042: Financial report not available
Total 210,468 100.00%  

CD 6
{map}
Seat up for election
Democratic Congressman A.B. "Ben" Chandler, III
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected 17 February 2004 in a special election, replacing Congressman Ernie Fletcher [Republican], who resigned on 9 December 2003, having been elected Governor of Kentucky. Elected to a first full term: 2004
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 20 May 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Congressman A.B. "Ben" Chandler, III
  Elected Democratic 203,764 64.66% Congressman A.B. "Ben" Chandler, III
FEC H4KY06072: $1,034,153
  Candidate Republican 111,378 35.34% Jon Larson
FEC H8KY06131: Financial report not available
Total 315,142 100.00%  

Secretary of State  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2007, 2011

  Republican Secretary of State C. M. "Trey" Grayson
First elected: 2003; re-elected: 2007
Seat up for election: Tuesday 8 November 2011

Attorney General  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2007, 2011

  Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway
First elected: 2007
Seat up for election: Tuesday 8 November 2011

Treasurer  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2007, 2011

  Democratic Treasurer L.J. "Todd" Hollenbach
First elected: 2007
Seat up for election: Tuesday 8 November 2011

Auditor of Public Accounts  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2007, 2011

  Democratic Auditor of Public Accounts Crit Luallen
First elected: 2003; re-elected: 2007
Seat up for election: Tuesday 8 November 2011

Commissioner of Agriculture  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2007, 2011

  Republican Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer
First elected: 2003; re-elected: 2007
Seat up for election: Tuesday 8 November 2011

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 (affiliates): 7 incumbents, 7 candidates
  Republican: 8 incumbents, 8 candidates
Major Third Parties
  Green (affiliates): 1 candidate
  Libertarian: 1 candidate
Other Third Parties
  America's Independent (affiliates): 1 candidate
  Constitution (affiliates): 1 candidate
Independents
  Independent: 3 candidates
Write-in/Scattered/otherwise not readily classifiable
  Write-in: 6 candidates
 
Candidates running under the banner of more than one party are counted towards each party's total. A candidate who has lost a primary or is apparently no longer a candidate is not counted.

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.

 


  2008 General Election Home  
 
  U.S. Senate Popular Vote and FEC Total Receipts by Party  
  Gubernatorial Popular Vote by Party  
  U.S. House Popular Vote and FEC Total Receipts by Party  
  Close Contests Summary - Decision by 2% or less  
  Contests Where No Candidate Received a Majority  
 
Electoral College
  Allocation       How Appointed       Meeting Place (15 December)  
  Duly Appointed Electors       Tabulation by Congress (8 January 2009)  
  THE "FAITHLESS ELECTORS" - Presidential Electors who have defected in the past  
  May Electors Defect?  
  DATES OF U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION "EVENTS": 1789 to the present  
  "APPARENT" ELECTORAL VOTE for President of the United States: 1856 to present  
  ELECTORAL VOTE for President of the United States (as pledged and as officially counted)  
  ELECTORAL VOTE for Vice President of the United States (as pledged and as officially counted)  
 
  Contests to Watch and Polling Data  
 
2008 Primaries and Runoffs for Statewide offices/Congress
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  Gubernatorial Primaries at a Glance   --   Senatorial Primaries at a Glance  
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  Open Governor's Chairs, Senate and House Seats (the incumbent is not running for re-election)  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with no incumbent running for them  
  Uncontested Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats (one candidate running for office)  
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  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with only one major party candidate running for office  
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  2008 Partisan Composition by State  
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  Political Parties  
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  Senate Electoral Classes  
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  1976-2004 Presidential Election State Voting Trends  
  Relative Political Party Strength in each State per Federal/State Elections  
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  Explanation of the Debate Scoring System