United States Senate election in Alabama, 2010
Encyclopedia
The 2010 United States Senate election in Alabama took place on November 2, 2010 alongside other elections to the United States Senate
in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives
and various state and local elections. Incumbent
Republican
United States Senator Richard Shelby
won re-election to a fifth term.
, the first Republican elected to the Senate from Alabama since Reconstruction. He won a very close race as the Democrats regained control of the Senate. He was easily re-elected in 1992 even as Bill Clinton
lost Alabama's electoral votes.
On November 9, 1994, Shelby switched his party affiliation to Republican, one day after the Republicans won control of both houses in the midterm elections, giving the Republicans a 53-47 majority in the Senate. He won his first full term as a Republican in 1998 by a large margin, and faced no significant opposition in 2004 and 2010.
Shelby remains popular in Alabama
. A September 2009 poll showed he had a 58% approval rating, with 35% disapproving.
In May, Shelby told reporters "I don't even know who my opponent is."
Official candidate websites
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and various state and local elections. Incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
United States Senator Richard Shelby
Richard Shelby
Richard Craig Shelby is the senior U.S. Senator from Alabama. First elected to the Senate in 1986, he is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007....
won re-election to a fifth term.
Background
In 1986, Shelby won the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat held by Republican Jeremiah DentonJeremiah Denton
Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. is a retired United States Navy rear admiral, naval aviator and a former Republican U.S. senator, for the state of Alabama...
, the first Republican elected to the Senate from Alabama since Reconstruction. He won a very close race as the Democrats regained control of the Senate. He was easily re-elected in 1992 even as Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
lost Alabama's electoral votes.
On November 9, 1994, Shelby switched his party affiliation to Republican, one day after the Republicans won control of both houses in the midterm elections, giving the Republicans a 53-47 majority in the Senate. He won his first full term as a Republican in 1998 by a large margin, and faced no significant opposition in 2004 and 2010.
Shelby remains popular in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. A September 2009 poll showed he had a 58% approval rating, with 35% disapproving.
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Williams Barnes |
Simone De Moore |
Other | Unde- cided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research 2000 | May 10–12, 2010 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 39% | 11% | 3% | 47% |
Results
Candidates
- Richard ShelbyRichard ShelbyRichard Craig Shelby is the senior U.S. Senator from Alabama. First elected to the Senate in 1986, he is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007....
, incumbent U.S. Senator - Clint Moser, tea partyTea Party movementThe Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Richard Shelby |
Clint Moser |
Other | Unde- cided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research 2000 | May 10–12, 2010 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 63% | 14% | — | 23% |
Results
Candidates
- William G. Barnes (D), attorney and Vietnam war veteran (campaign site, PVS, OnTheIssues)
- Richard ShelbyRichard ShelbyRichard Craig Shelby is the senior U.S. Senator from Alabama. First elected to the Senate in 1986, he is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007....
(R), incumbent U.S. Senator
Campaign
Shelby, who switched from Democrat to Republican in the mid 1990s, has been a popular senator in Alabama for three decades, first elected in 1986. He has over $17 million in the bank, one of the highest of any candidate in the country. Recently, he has become even more popular in his opposition to the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and the federal bailouts, as the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee.In May, Shelby told reporters "I don't even know who my opponent is."
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Cook Political Report Cook Political Report The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five... |
Solid R | October 7, 2010 |
| Rothenberg Stuart Rothenberg Stuart Rothenberg is an American editor, publisher, and political analyst best known for his Washington-based, biweekly, self-proclaimed non-partisan political newsletter The Rothenberg Political Report... |
Safe R | October 1, 2010 |
| Swing State Project | Safe R | |
| RealClearPolitics RealClearPolitics RealClearPolitics is a political news and polling data aggregator based in Chicago, Illinois. The site's founders say their goal is to give readers "ideological diversity." They have described themselves as frustrated with what they perceive as anti-conservative, anti-Christian media bias, and... |
Safe R | |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball Sabato's Crystal Ball Sabato’s Crystal Ball is a free, nonpartisan weekly online newsletter and comprehensive website in the United States that analyzes the current American political scene and predicts electoral outcomes for U.S House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, governors, and U.S. president races... |
Safe R | September 30, 2010 |
| CQ Politics Congressional Quarterly Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress... |
Safe R | October 7, 2010 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Richard Shelby (R) |
William G. Barnes (D) |
Other | Unde- cided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports (report) | September 21, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 58% | 30% | 4% | 8% |
| Rasmussen Reports (report) | August 19, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 60% | 28% | 2% | 10% |
| Rasmussen Reports (report) | July 22, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 59% | 29% | 6% | 6% |
| Rasmussen Reports (report) | June 3, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 58% | 31% | 3% | 7% |
| Rasmussen Reports (report) | May 25, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 58% | 31% | 3% | 8% |
| Research 2000 ( report) | May 17–19, 2010 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 57% | 33% | 3% | 7% |
| Rasmussen Reports (report) | March 29, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 59% | 32% | 3% | 6% |
Fundraising
| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Shelby (R) | $5,103,288 | $1,456,041 | $17,028,219 | $0 |
| William Barnes (D) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission | ||||
Results
External links
- Alabama Secretary of State - Elections
- U.S. Congress candidates for Alabama at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- Alabama U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions from Open SecretsOpen SecretsOpen Secrets is a book of short stories by Alice Munro published by McClelland and Stewart in 1994. It was nominated for the 1994 Governor General's Award for English Fiction.-Stories:* "Carried Away"* "A Real Life"...
- Alabama Polls graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
- Election 2010: Alabama Senate from Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
- 2010 Alabama Senate Race from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Race profile from The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Official candidate websites