United States Senate elections, 2006
Encyclopedia
Elections for the United States Senate were held on November 7, 2006, with 33 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate
being contested. Senators are elected for six-year terms, with one third of the Senate seats up for a vote every two years. The term of office for those elected in 2006 runs from January 3, 2007, until January 3, 2013. Senators who were elected in 2000
(known as Class 1
) were seeking reelection or retiring in 2006.
The Senate election was part of the Democratic sweep of the 2006 elections
, in which no Congressional or gubernatorial seat held by a Democrat
was won by a Republican
. Democratic candidates defeated six Republican incumbents: Rick Santorum
(Penn.
), Mike DeWine
(Ohio
), Lincoln Chafee
(R.I.
), Jim Talent
(Mo.
), Conrad Burns
(Mont.
), and George Allen
(Va.
). Incumbent Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman
(Conn.
) lost an August Democratic primary
challenge but won re-election as an independent. Democrats kept their two open seats in Minnesota
and Maryland
, and Republicans held onto their lone open seat in Tennessee
. In Vermont
, Bernie Sanders
, an independent, was elected to the seat left open by independent Senator Jim Jeffords
.
In the 2006 election, two new female Senators (Claire McCaskill
and Amy Klobuchar
) were elected to seats previously held by men. This brought the total number of female senators
to an all-time high of 16.
Following the elections, the party balance for the Senate stood at 51-49 in favor of the Democrats (including independent Bernie Sanders and Independent Democrat
Joe Lieberman, who caucused with the Democrats). The Democrats needed 51 seats to control the Senate because the Vice President of the United States
, Republican Dick Cheney
, would have broken a 50-50 tie in favor of the Republicans.
of Missouri
, who was narrowly elected in a 2002 special election
for the remaining four years of one term, faced a strong Democratic challenge for his seat. Missouri did not hold an election for governor in 2006, making this the only major statewide race in a traditional battleground state. Talent faced state Auditor Claire McCaskill
, a former Jackson County
Prosecutor and the 2004 Democratic gubernatorial
nominee.
McCaskill carried some political baggage from her 2004 loss; however, Talent was elected to the Senate after a nearly successful gubernatorial bid, the same position McCaskill was in for the 2006 election. McCaskill went out of her way to appeal to rural voters, who had largely favored her opponent in the gubernatorial race. She also benefited from talking up her support of embryonic stem cell
research, which a slight majority of Missourians supported but which Talent opposed. A related constitutional amendment
was also on the ballot and narrowly passed.
The race was among the most competitive in the nation. McCaskill and Talent exchanged small leads in various polls throughout the campaign. In the end, McCaskill defeated Talent 50%-47%.
Senator Conrad Burns
of Montana
faced a strong challenge from Brian Schweitzer
(who later became governor) in 2000, but was re-elected by a mere 3% in a state that went for Bush twice by margins of over 20%. This, combined with the increasing strength of the state Democratic Party and accusations of ethical issues related to the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal
, made this a highly competitive race. Burns faced Democratic primary winner and state Senate President Jon Tester
, an organic farmer from Big Sandy.
Burns has long had a history of verbal missteps, and 2006 was no exception. On July 27, he was forced to apologize after he verbally attacked out-of-state firefighters who were preparing to leave Montana after helping contain a summer forest fire and directly questioned their competence and skill; Burns was strongly criticized.
For much of the campaign, Tester led by substantial margins. Burns narrowed the gap by attacking Tester as a liberal extremist. November 2, Mason-Dixon polled Tester and Burns tied at 47% with 5% undecided. On November 4th, Rasmussen Reports had Tester leading 50% to 48%.
Shortly before noon Mountain time November 8, Tester was declared the victor by a slim margin, 198,032 votes to 194,904. The race was the closest Senate election of 2006 in terms of absolute vote difference; the closest race by percentage difference was the Virginia senate election
.
of Ohio
had uninspiring approval ratings and the current Coingate scandal involving the Ohio Republican Party
and the widespread unpopularity of Governor Bob Taft
were thought to be hurting his re-election chances months before the election. He faced primary challenges from several more conservative Republicans, such as William G. Pierce, who were unhappy with his relatively centrist stances including his role as one of the Gang of 14
who intervened to stop a showdown over judicial nominations.
Lawyer
and Iraq War veteran
Paul Hackett, who narrowly lost to Jean Schmidt
in the 2nd congressional district on August 2, 2005, said in October 2005 he would seek the Democratic nomination to challenge DeWine. Rep. Sherrod Brown
announced his candidacy that same month. Hackett withdrew from the race on February 14, 2006. Both DeWine and Brown won their primaries easily. An October 12 Rasmussen Reports poll had Brown leading DeWine 46% to 41%. An October 30th Reuters/Zogby poll had Brown leading DeWine 49% to 42%. A Rasmussen poll released November 4th showed Brown pulling away from DeWine with a 53% to 41% lead.
Brown comfortably won the election, garnering 56% of the vote to DeWine's 44%.
of Pennsylvania
, then the third-highest ranking member of the Republican caucus, was the Democrats' top target in 2006. He was a very conservative
member of the Senate in a state that last voted for a Republican presidential nominee in 1988.
In his last election in the year 2000, Santorum received 7,706 more votes than Al Gore
, the Democratic candidate for President, who won Pennsylvania by 4.5 percent. That year, Santorum ran against U.S. Rep. Ron Klink
, a pro-life
Democrat who wasn't supported by party contributors and was heavily outspent. Democrats thus saw Santorum's seat as extremely vulnerable and made it a priority for a pick-up in 2006. Popular pro-life State Treasurer
Bob Casey, Jr.
was the Democratic nominee and was fully supported by the party establishment.
Santorum did not benefit from his recent controversial book, It Takes a Family
, in which he criticized public schools and questioned whether or not both parents in a family should work, alleging that women who work are making a selfish decision and only do so because they find it "empowering". These stances were seized on by the Casey campaign as proof that Santorum was too conservative for Pennsylvania voters. Santorum also suffered from controversy concerning both his residency and a charter school
his children were enrolled in. He also voiced many social views that some thought extreme, including arguing that homosexual relationships were no more deserving of legal endorsement than bestiality.
Every public poll taken during the campaign showed Casey ahead. Most polling done after Labor Day showed Casey with a double-digit lead. On election night, Casey defeated Santorum 59%-41%. Polls conducted in the final closing days of the campaign showed Casey leading 52%-39% and 48%-40%, meaning that the Democrat had performed much better than what the polls showed. This was the largest margin of defeat for an incumbent Senator since George McGovern
's loss to James Abdnor
in 1980
.
of Rhode Island
, a liberal Republican, faced a primary challenge from conservative Cranston
Mayor Steve Laffey
. Former state Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse
, who narrowly lost the gubernatorial nomination in 2002, faced token opposition in the Democratic primary.
The Republican primary was contentious. Laffey ran as a conservative, but he came under fire from other conservatives for supporting tax increases as Mayor and increasing spending. It was widely believed that the more liberal Chafee would have an easier time winning in the general election due to his appeal to independents. Laffey received support from the conservative Club for Growth
. Although he was the most liberal Republican in the Senate and was repeatedly accused of being a RINO
by members of his own party, the NRSC
spent a large amount of money backing Chafee, and, in an unprecedented move, announced that they would abandon the race if Laffey won. Chafee prevailed in the September 12 primary 54%-46%, and Laffey endorsed him for re-election. Chafee, however, may have been damaged by the contentious primary that potentially alienated Republican voters.
Chafee faced a complicated situation due to his political beliefs. He was unpopular with conservative Republicans whose votes he would need in order to win the primary, yet represented a heavily Democratic constituency that overwhelmingly disapproved of George W. Bush
and the Republican-controlled Congress. As a liberal Democrat running in a liberal, Democratic stronghold, Whitehouse did not face these problems. The Whitehouse campaign sought to characterize the election as a referendum on Bush and the Republican Congress; critics argued that Whitehouse was simply casting himself as a proxy vote for a Democratic majority in the Senate.
Polls showed a close race, with Whitehouse holding a narrow lead going into the election. In the end, however, voters seemed to place more emphasis on party control than their personal affection for Chafee. Whitehouse prevailed over Chafee on election night winning by a vote of 53%-47%.
held a double-digit lead in nearly all polls, and had positioned himself as a potential presidential candidate in 2008. That status was seriously jeopardized by a series of controversial events occurring during Allen's re-election campaign, culminating in his loss to his Democratic opponent, former Secretary of the Navy
and decorated combat veteran Jim Webb
. Retired Air Force officer Gail Parker
ran as the Independent Green party candidate.
Among the most bitter Senate contests of the year, Allen's approval rating had dropped in statewide polls due in part to a series of embarrassing incidents during the campaign. In mid-August at a campaign stop in southwest Virginia, Allen called S. R. Sidarth, a Webb volunteer of Indian descent, "macaca
" and welcomed him to America, although he was born in Virginia. Controversy surrounding Allen continued into September following his reaction to questions about his Jewish heritage. Additional reports surfaced in late September that Allen uttered the N-word
on a frequent basis while a student at the University of Virginia
, according to former college football teammates. Allen fired back by pointing out remarks that Webb made during the 1980s that were demeaning to female veterans. He struck again when he released excerpts of graphic sexual scenes from some of the books Webb had penned, portraying the writing as misogynistic and pornography. Webb responded that these were based on events that he personally witnessed while in the military and while working as a journalist.
As controversy and allegations on both sides increased, the gap between the candidates tightened significantly. On October 30, Reuters/Zogby had Webb leading Allen 45% to 44%. A November 2 Rasmussen Reports poll had Allen and Webb tied at 49%. A November 3 Mason-Dixon poll had Webb leading 46% to 45% with 7% undecided.
As polls closed on November 7, 2006, the margin of votes between Webb and Allen was approximately 7,000 votes, or less than 0.5% of all votes cast, a margin eligible to trigger a recount per Virginia election law. On the evening of November 8, 2006, NBC
and the Associated Press
declared Webb the winner. Following recanvassing, the Virginia Board of Elections declared Webb the winner by 9,162 votes, a margin of 0.38%.
On the afternoon of November 9, 2006, Allen gave a speech conceding the election to Webb, stating "The people of Virginia have spoken and I respect their decision. The Bible teaches us there is a time and place for everything, and today I called and congratulated Jim Webb."
of Connecticut
was originally thought to be a shoo-in, but his reelection prospects were complicated by political cross-currents. Lieberman drew fire from the more anti-war elements within the Democratic party for his continual support for the foreign policy of President
George W. Bush
and for statements in which he has criticized other Democrats for "undermining the President" during a time of war. Greenwich
telecom-networking businessman Ned Lamont
declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in March, and while the Democratic state convention in May overwhelmingly endorsed Lieberman, Lamont's 33.4% support was more than twice the 15% needed to force a primary.
Lamont defeated Lieberman for the Democratic nomination in the August 8 primary 52%-48%. Lieberman decided to remain in the race as a "petitioning candidate," having announced on July 3, 2006, that he would begin collecting the necessary signatures to run as an independent
in case he lost the primary. He also filed to create a new independent party, "Connecticut for Lieberman
."
Challenging Lamont and Lieberman in the general election was Republican Alan Schlesinger
, former mayor of Derby
and a former state representative. Schlesinger had a history of winning crossover Democratic voters, but he had never run in a large constituency. Schlesinger was embarrassed when it was revealed that he was thrown out of a casino for counting cards under an assumed name.
Lieberman went on to win the election with 50% of the vote to Lamont's 40%. Schlesinger trailed far behind with only 10%, in part due to Lieberman receiving support from only 33% of Democrats but a commanding 70% of Republicans. While Lieberman won as the CFL
nominee, he decided to serve as an Independent Democrat
in the current Congress and continue to caucus with Senate Democrats.
announced on March 11, 2005, that he would retire rather than run for re-election in 2006. Sarbanes' seat had been considered safe, considering Maryland
's Democratic voting tendencies and the overall pro-Democratic undercurrents of the 2006 elections. Representative Ben Cardin
bested former Representative and NAACP President Kweisi Mfume
and others in the Democratic primary. Lieutenant Governor
Michael S. Steele
, a Republican, announced his candidacy on October 25, 2005, and won the Republican nomination over token opposition. Democrats had a natural advantage in Maryland, with its large number of African-American voters and government workers, but Steele's personal popularity and potential appeal with fellow blacks kept the race somewhat competitive. On November 7, Cardin was victorious over Steele by a vote of 54%-44%.
announced that he would not seek a second term in the Senate. Hennepin County
Attorney Amy Klobuchar
was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
(DFL) nominee.
Republican
Representative Mark Kennedy secured major GOP endorsements in early 2005 and defeated nominal opposition in the primary. Kennedy benefited from high-profile Republicans coming to do fundraisers for him, including Vice President
Dick Cheney
in July 2005 and President
George W. Bush
in December 2005. An October 30th Mason-Dixon poll had Klobuchar leading Kennedy 50% to 40%. On November 7, 2006, Amy Klobuchar won the race with 58% of the vote to Mark Kennedy's 38%.
, elected to the Senate in 2000, was elected Governor of New Jersey
in 2005
. Corzine appointed Rep. Bob Menendez to serve the last year of the Senate term, and Menendez was sworn in to fill Corzine's vacancy on January 18,
2006. Republican State Senator Thomas Kean, Jr. (the son of former Governor and 9/11 Commission
Chairman Thomas Kean
) announced on March 25, 2005, that he would run for the U.S. Senate. Both nominees had problems within their own parties; Menendez alienated many fellow Democrats with his aggressiveness and abrasiveness, while Kean was unpopular with party conservatives who considered him to be too liberal.
Menendez had an approval rating of 38%, which was thought to be a sign of vulnerability for the incumbent, especially since his disapproval was at 50%. Although incumbents approval ratings below 50% are generally considered vulnerable, this standard perhaps did not apply to Menendez as he had just been appointed at the start of 2006 and was not well known statewide, a far different situation from most incumbents. President George W. Bush
was highly unpopular in the state, but Governor Corzine's early performance in office met with widespread disapproval, contributing to the large number of undecided voters. The campaign became increasingly aggressive, with Menendez calling Kean a Bush lackey while Kean repeatedly attacked Menendez as corrupt.
An October 16 Zogby poll had Kean leading Menendez 47% to 45%. An October 23 LA Times/Bloomberg poll had Menendez leading Kean 45% to 41%. A Rasmussen Reports poll from October 25 had Kean leading Menendez 43% to 41%. A November 2 poll by Zogby/Reuters showed a 49% to 37% Menendez lead. Another November 2 poll by Rutgers showed Menendez up 46% to 42% and a third by Public Mind showed a 48% to 38% Menendez edge. A November 3rd poll by [Rasmussen] showed a 48% to 43% Menendez lead. A Monmouth University November 3 had Menendez leading Kean 45% to 42% with 10% undecided.
On election night Menendez defeated Kean Jr. by a vote of 53% to 45%.
of Vermont
left the Republican Party to become an independent soon after being reelected as a Republican in the 2000 election. On April 20, 2005, he declared he would not seek another term. The national Democratic Party put independent Representative Bernie Sanders
on their party's ballot in order to keep other Democrats from having a possible "spoiler" effect on the general election results. Sanders won both the Democratic line and an independent line on the ballot.
Richard Tarrant
was the Republican nominee, after winning the primary election on September 12. Sanders, a popular political figure in Vermont, won with 65% of the vote.
declared his intention to challenge Senator Jon Kyl
of Arizona
on September 14, 2005. Pederson served as Arizona Democratic Party Chairman from 2001 to 2005 while spending millions of his own money to help Democrats modernize and to elect Janet Napolitano
as governor. Kyl got an unexpected boost when TIME
listed him as one of the Ten Best Senators. While polling in October showed Pederson catching up, Kyl was re-elected 53%-44%.
of Tennessee
, the current Majority Leader, had previously promised to leave the Senate when his second term ended in January 2007, and was widely considered to have presidential
aspirations for 2008 (however, he announced in late November, 2006, that he would not pursue a Presidential run).
Although Tennessee's electoral votes went to George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, a majority of the state offices are held by Democrats. Tennessee also has more registered Democratic voters than Republican voters and was at the time one of two states in the south to send more Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives than Republicans, the other being Arkansas.
The Democratic nominee was Representative Harold Ford, Jr.
and the Republican nominee was Bob Corker
, both of whom won primaries on August 3. Corker, former mayor of Chattanooga
and 1994 Senate candidate, was well funded and advertised heavily in the western portion of the state during his primary campaign, where he was relatively unknown before this race. Ford was the representative from Tennessee's 9th congressional district
in the United States House of Representatives. Like Corker, Ford showed exceptional fundraising prowess, and the race was an expensive one for both parties.
The candidates exchanged leads in the polls, and there were a number of negative charges. Ford attacked Corker's business dealings. Corker portrayed Ford as a hyper-political Washington insider with nothing in common with Tennessee residents. The campaign made headlines when the Republican National Committee ran an ad that, among other things, ridiculed Ford for attending a party thrown by the Playboy corporation. It featured a fictional blond Playboy Bunny
squealing, "I met Harold at the Playboy Party!" and then winking and saying, "Harold, call me." Democrats called the ad an attempt to play on racial prejudice, and Corker distanced himself from the ad.
Corker won the election 51%-48%.
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...
being contested. Senators are elected for six-year terms, with one third of the Senate seats up for a vote every two years. The term of office for those elected in 2006 runs from January 3, 2007, until January 3, 2013. Senators who were elected in 2000
United States Senate elections, 2000
In 2000, elections for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate occurred In 2000, elections for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate occurred In 2000, elections for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate occurred (they coincided with the election of George W....
(known as Class 1
Classes of United States Senators
The three classes of United States Senators are currently made up of 33 or 34 Senate seats. The purpose of the classes is to determine which Senate seats will be up for election in a given year. The three groups are staggered so that one of them is up for election every two years.A senator's...
) were seeking reelection or retiring in 2006.
The Senate election was part of the Democratic sweep of the 2006 elections
United States general elections, 2006
The 2006 United States midterm elections were held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. All United States House of Representatives seats and one third of the United States Senate seats were contested in this election, as well as 36 state governorships, many state legislatures, four territorial...
, in which no Congressional or gubernatorial seat held by a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
was won by a 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...
. Democratic candidates defeated six Republican incumbents: Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
(Penn.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
), Mike DeWine
Mike DeWine
Richard Michael "Mike" DeWine is the Attorney General for the state of Ohio. He has held numerous offices on the state and federal level, including Ohio State Senator, four terms as a U.S. Congressman, Ohio Lt. Governor, and was a two-term U.S. Senator, serving from 1995 to 2007.- Biography :Born...
(Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
), Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate as a Republican from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon...
(R.I.
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
), Jim Talent
Jim Talent
James Matthes "Jim" Talent is an American politician and former senator from Missouri. He is a Republican and resided in the St. Louis area while serving in elected office. He identifies with the conservative wing of the Republican party, being particularly outspoken on judicial appointments,...
(Mo.
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
), Conrad Burns
Conrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
(Mont.
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
), and George Allen
George Allen (U.S. politician)
George Felix Allen is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former NFL head coach George Allen. Allen served Virginia in the state legislature, as the 67th Governor, and in both bodies of the U.S. Congress, winning election to the Senate in 2000...
(Va.
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
). Incumbent Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
(Conn.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
) lost an August Democratic primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
challenge but won re-election as an independent. Democrats kept their two open seats in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, and Republicans held onto their lone open seat in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. In Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
, an independent, was elected to the seat left open by independent Senator Jim Jeffords
Jim Jeffords
James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont. He served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2006.-Background:...
.
In the 2006 election, two new female Senators (Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill
Claire Conner McCaskill is the senior United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. She defeated Republican incumbent Jim Talent in the 2006 U.S. Senate election, by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri in her own...
and Amy Klobuchar
Amy Klobuchar
Amy Jean Klobuchar is the senior United States Senator from Minnesota. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, an affiliate of the Democratic Party...
) were elected to seats previously held by men. This brought the total number of female senators
Women in the United States Senate
There have been 39 women in the United States Senate since the establishment of that body in 1789. The first woman served in 1922, but women were first elected in number in 1992. As of 2011, 17 of the 100 senators are women...
to an all-time high of 16.
Following the elections, the party balance for the Senate stood at 51-49 in favor of the Democrats (including independent Bernie Sanders and Independent Democrat
Independent Democrat
Independent Democrat is a term occasionally adopted by American politicians to refer to their party affiliation. Several elected officials, including members of Congress, have identified as " Independent Democrats."...
Joe Lieberman, who caucused with the Democrats). The Democrats needed 51 seats to control the Senate because the Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
, Republican Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
, would have broken a 50-50 tie in favor of the Republicans.
Change in composition
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Complete list of races
| State (Linked to detailed election article) |
Incumbent | Party | Result | Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Jon Kyl Jon Kyl Jon Llewellyn Kyl is the junior U.S. Senator from Arizona and the Senate Minority Whip, the second-highest position in the Republican Senate leadership. In 2010 he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for his persuasive role in the Senate.The son... |
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... |
Incumbent re-elected, 53.3% | Jim Pederson Jim Pederson James "Jim" Pederson , is an American businessman, co-founder of the commercial development firm The Pederson Group, and was the Chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party from 2001 to 2005... (Democratic) 43.5% Richard Mack Richard Mack Richard Ivan Mack, popularly known as Sheriff Mack, is a former sheriff of Graham County, Arizona and Libertarian candidate for United States Senate election in Arizona, 2006. He is also a member of the Oath Keepers.... (Libertarian) 3.2% |
| California | Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 59.4% | Dick Mountjoy Dick Mountjoy Richard L. "Dick" Mountjoy is a Republican politician from Monrovia, California.-Personal life:Mountjoy was born in Los Angeles and graduated from Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte High School. He was married to Earline Winnett until her death in 2009. He has two sons, Michael and Dennis Lee, and one... (Republican) 35.2% Don Grundmann (American Independent American Independent Party The American Independent Party is a right-wing political party of the United States that was established in 1967 by Bill and Eileen Shearer. In 1968, the American Independent Party nominated George C. Wallace as its presidential candidate and retired Air Force General Curtis E. LeMay as the vice... ) 1.8% Todd Chretien Todd Chretien Todd Chretien , an American activist. Chretien is a leading member of the International Socialist Organization. He was the Green Party candidate for United States Senate in California in 2006.-Background:... (Green) 1.7% Michael Metti (Libertarian) 1.6% Marsha Feinland Marsha Feinland Marsha Feinland was a third-party candidate for President of the United States in the 1996 U.S. presidential election. Her running mate was Kate McClatchy; they were only on the ballot in California and received 25,332 votes... (Peace and Freedom) 1.3% |
| Connecticut United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2006 The 2006 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman lost the August 8th Democratic primary to Ned Lamont. Lieberman formed his own third party and won in the general election to a fourth term.-Democratic primary:The... |
Joe Lieberman Joe Lieberman Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,... |
Connecticut for Lieberman Connecticut for Lieberman Connecticut for Lieberman is a Connecticut political party created by twenty-five supporters of Senator Joe Lieberman. The party was created to enable Lieberman to run for re-election following his defeat in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic primary... |
Lost renomination as Democrat Re-elected as Connecticut for Lieberman Connecticut for Lieberman Connecticut for Lieberman is a Connecticut political party created by twenty-five supporters of Senator Joe Lieberman. The party was created to enable Lieberman to run for re-election following his defeat in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic primary... , 49.7% |
Ned Lamont Ned Lamont Edward Miner "Ned" Lamont, Jr. is a businessman and heir and most recently an unsuccessful candidate for the 2010 Democratic nomination for Governor of Connecticut. On May 22, 2010, Lamont received more than fifteen percent of the vote at the state Democratic convention, and appeared on the... (Democratic) 39.7% Alan Schlesinger Alan Schlesinger Alan Schlesinger is an attorney, former Derby, Connecticut mayor, former Connecticut State Representative, and three-time unsuccessful Congressional candidate who received the Republican nomination for the seat representing Connecticut that is currently held by U.S... (Republican) 9.6% Ralph Ferrucci (Green Green Party (United States) The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties... ) 0.5% Timothy Knibbs (Concerned Citizens Concerned Citizens Party The Concerned Citizens Party is the Connecticut affiliate of the Constitution Party. The party's name is related to ballot access issues in Connecticut which have made it advantageous for the group to retain a name differing from the national organization with which they are affiliated... ) 0.4% |
| Delaware | Tom Carper Thomas R. Carper Thomas Richard "Tom" Carper is the senior United States Senator from Delaware and a member of the Democratic Party. He was previously the 71st Governor of Delaware and a United States Representative.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 70.2% | Jan Ting (Republican) 28.7% William E. Morris William E. Morris (politician) William E. "Bill" Morris founded the Libertarian Party of Delaware in 1975 and the advocacy group SAFE as an alternative to the AARP in 1997. In 2004, Morris first ran for political office as the Delaware Libertarian candidate for a United States House of Representatives seat... (Libertarian) 1.1% |
| Florida | Bill Nelson Bill Nelson Clarence William "Bill" Nelson is the senior United States Senator from the state of Florida and a member of the Democratic Party. He is a former U.S. Representative and former Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner of Florida... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 60.3% | Katherine Harris Katherine Harris Katherine Harris is an American Republican politician, former Secretary of State of Florida, and former member of the United States House of Representatives. Harris won the 2002 election to represent Florida's 13th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. She held that post... (Republican) 38.1% Belinda Noah (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.5% Brian Moore Brian Moore (politician) Brian Patrick Moore is an United States politician and founder of antiwar organization Nature Coast Coalition for Peace & Justice. He was the presidential nominee of the Socialist Party USA for the 2008 United States presidential election. He waged several campaigns for mayor and city council in... (Green Green Party (United States) The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties... ) 0.4% Floyd Ray Frazier (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.3% Roy Tanner (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.3% |
| Hawaii | Daniel Akaka Daniel Akaka Daniel Kahikina Akaka is the junior U.S. Senator from Hawaii and a member of the Democratic Party. He is the first U.S. Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry and is currently the only member of the Senate who has Chinese ancestry.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 61.4% | Cynthia Thielen Cynthia Thielen Cynthia Thielen, is a Republican member of the Hawaii House of Representatives and was the Republican nominee for United States Senate in 2006, challenging incumbent Democrat Daniel Akaka. She lost to Akaka, 62% to 38%, in the general election.... (Republican) 36.8% Lloyd Mallan (Libertarian) 1.9% |
| Indiana | Richard Lugar | 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... |
Re-elected, 87.3% | Steve Osborn (Libertarian) 12.6% |
| Maine | Olympia Snowe Olympia Snowe Olympia Jean Snowe , née Bouchles, is the senior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence the outcome of close votes, including whether to end filibusters. She and her fellow Senator from Maine, Susan Collins,... |
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... |
Incumbent re-elected, 74.4% | Jean Hay Bright Jean Hay Bright Jean Hay Bright is an American politician from Maine. Originally a member of the Maine Democratic Party, Hay Bright re-registered as "unenrolled" in December 2009 following the announcement of the Afghanistan War troop surge of 2009... (Democratic) 20.5% Bill Slavick Bill Slavick Bill Slavick is a peace activist who ran for the U.S. Senate in Maine as an independent in the 2006 election. He came in third place, receiving 5.2% of the vote.-Background:... (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 5.2% |
| Maryland | Paul Sarbanes Paul Sarbanes Paul Spyros Sarbanes , a Democrat, is a former United States Senator who represented the state of Maryland. Sarbanes was the longest-serving senator in Maryland history, having served from 1977 until 2007. He did not seek re-election in 2006, when he was succeeded by fellow Democrat Ben Cardin... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Retired Democratic hold |
Ben Cardin Ben Cardin Benjamin Louis "Ben" Cardin is the junior United States Senator from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election to the Senate, Cardin was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1987 to 2007.Cardin was elected to succeed Paul Sarbanes in... (Democratic) 54.2% Michael Steele Michael S. Steele Michael Stephen Steele is an American politician who served as the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee from January 2009 until January 2011. From 2003 to 2007, he was the seventh Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, the first African American elected to statewide... (Republican) 44.2% Kevin Zeese Kevin Zeese Kevin Zeese is an American political activist who has been a leader in the drug policy reform and peace movements and in efforts to ensure a voter verified paper audit trail. He was on the ballot as the nominee of the Maryland Green Party for a U.S. Senate seat during the 2006 election, receiving... (Green) 1.5% |
| Massachusetts United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 2006 The 2006 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 7, 2006 with the incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy winning over little-known Republican challenger Kenneth Chase. Kennedy captured every county in the state, winning at least 62% in each region... |
Ted Kennedy Ted Kennedy Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 69.5% | Kenneth Chase (Republican) 30.5% |
| Michigan | Debbie Stabenow Debbie Stabenow Deborah Ann Greer "Debbie" Stabenow is the junior United States Senator from Michigan and a member of the Democratic Party. Before her election to the U.S. Senate, she was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Michigan's 8th congressional district from 1997 to 2001... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 56.9% | Mike Bouchard Mike Bouchard Michael J."Mike" Bouchard was a Republican candidate for governor of Michigan and is the sheriff of Oakland County... (Republican) 41.3% Leonard Schwartz (Libertarian Libertarian Party (United States) The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration... ) 0.7% David Sole (Green Green Party (United States) The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties... ) 0.6% W. Dennis FitzSimons (Constitution Constitution Party (United States) The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections... ) 0.5% |
| Minnesota | Mark Dayton Mark Dayton Mark Brandt Dayton is an American politician, the 40th and current Governor of the state of Minnesota. Dayton previously served as United States Senator from Minnesota from 2001 to 2007 in the 107th, 108th, and 109th Congresses... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Retired Democratic hold |
Amy Klobuchar Amy Klobuchar Amy Jean Klobuchar is the senior United States Senator from Minnesota. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, an affiliate of the Democratic Party... (Democratic-Farmer-Labor Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party... ) 58.1% Mark Kennedy (Republican) 37.9% Robert Fitzgerald (Independence Independence Party of Minnesota The Independence Party of Minnesota , formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party . It is the political party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura , and endorsed former U.S... ) 3.2% Michael Cavlan Michael Cavlan Michael Cavlan is a Minnesota political activist and registered nurse from Apple Valley, Minnesota. Cavlan is running as an independent candidate for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District against incumbent Keith Ellison.-Personal life:... (Green Green Party (United States) The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties... ) 0.5% Ben Powers (Constitution Constitution Party (United States) The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections... ) 0.3% |
| Mississippi | Trent Lott Trent Lott Chester Trent Lott, Sr. , is a former United States Senator from Mississippi and has served in numerous leadership positions in the House of Representatives and the Senate.... |
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... |
Incumbent re-elected, 63.6% | Erik Fleming (Democratic) 34.8% Harold Taylor (Libertarian) 1.5% |
| Missouri | Jim Talent Jim Talent James Matthes "Jim" Talent is an American politician and former senator from Missouri. He is a Republican and resided in the St. Louis area while serving in elected office. He identifies with the conservative wing of the Republican party, being particularly outspoken on judicial appointments,... |
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... |
Incumbent lost re-election, 47.3% Democratic gain |
Claire McCaskill Claire McCaskill Claire Conner McCaskill is the senior United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. She defeated Republican incumbent Jim Talent in the 2006 U.S. Senate election, by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri in her own... (Democratic) 49.6% Frank Gilmour (Libertarian) 1.2% Lydia Lewis (Green Green Party (United States) The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties... ) 0.9% |
| Montana | Conrad Burns Conrad Burns Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in... |
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... |
Incumbent lost re-election, 48.3% Democratic gain |
Jon Tester Jon Tester Jon Tester is the junior U.S. Senator for Montana, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as President of the Montana Senate.-Early life, education, and farming career:... (Democratic) 49.2% Stan Jones (Libertarian) 2.6% |
| Nebraska | Ben Nelson Ben Nelson Earl Benjamin "Ben" Nelson is the senior U.S. Senator from Nebraska. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 63.9% | Pete Ricketts Pete Ricketts John Peter "Pete" Ricketts is the former Chief Operating Officer of Ameritrade. He was the Republican nominee for the 2006 U.S. Senate race in Nebraska which he lost to incumbent Ben Nelson.-Biography:... (Republican) 36.1% |
| Nevada | John Ensign John Ensign John Eric Ensign is a former United States Senator from Nevada, serving from January 2001 until he resigned amid an investigation of an ethics violation in May 2011... |
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... |
Incumbent re-elected, 55.4% | Jack Carter Jack Carter (politician) John William "Jack" Carter, , is an American businessman and politician who unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate in Nevada in 2006. Carter is the eldest child of former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.... (Democratic) 41% None of These Candidates None of These Candidates None of These Candidates is a voting option for Nevada voters for President of the United States and for state constitutional positions. This is listed along with the names of individuals running for the position.... 1.4% David Schumann (Constitution) 1.3% Brendan Trainor (Libertarian Libertarian Party (United States) The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration... ) 0.9% |
| New Jersey | Bob Menendez | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Elected to full term after appointment, 53.4% | Thomas Kean Jr. Thomas Kean Jr. Thomas Howard "Tom" Kean Jr. is an American Republican politician, serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 2003. He represents the 21st Legislative District, which covers parts of Union, Morris, Somerset and Essex Counties... (Republican) 44.3% Len Flynn (Libertarian Libertarian Party (United States) The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration... ) 0.7% Ed Forchion (Marijuana US Marijuana Party The United States Marijuana Party is a cannabis political party in the United States founded in 2002 by Loretta Nall specifically to end the war on drugs and to legalize cannabis. Their policies also include other socially libertarian positions... ) 0.5% J.M. Carter (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.4% N. Leonard Smith N. Leonard Smith N. Leonard "Len" Smith is an American politician from New Jersey. He was a 2006 independent candidate for the United States Senate, a former member of the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and is a pro-life activist.-Biography:Smith was born in Philadelphia on March 13, 1929... (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.3% Daryl Brooks (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.2% Angela Lariscy (Socialist Workers Socialist Workers Party (United States) The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba... ) 0.2% Gregory Pason (Socialist Socialist Party USA The Socialist Party USA is a multi-tendency democratic-socialist party in the United States. The party states that it is the rightful continuation and successor to the tradition of the Socialist Party of America, which had lasted from 1901 to 1972.The party is officially committed to left-wing... ) 0.1% |
| New Mexico | Jeff Bingaman Jeff Bingaman Jesse Francis "Jeff" Bingaman, Jr. , is the senior U.S. Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 70.6% | Allen McCulloch (Republican) 29.3% |
| New York | Hillary Clinton | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 67.0% | John Spencer John Spencer (politician) John Spencer is the former Mayor of Yonkers, New York . He was the 2006 Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from New York and lost to incumbent Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.-Early life, military service and education:... (Republican) 31.0% Howie Hawkins Howie Hawkins Howie Hawkins is an American politician and activist with the Green Party of the United States and Socialist Party USA. He co-founded the anti-nuclear Clamshell Alliance in 1976 and the Green Party in the United States in 1984. He was New York's Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in the... (Green) 1.2% Jeff Russell (Libertarian Libertarian Party (United States) The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration... ) 0.4% Bill Van Auken Bill Van Auken Bill Van Auken is a politician and activist for the Socialist Equality Party and was a presidential candidate in the U.S. election of 2004, announcing his candidacy on January 27, 2004. His running mate was Jim Lawrence. He came in 15th for the popular vote, receiving 1,857 votes. In November... (Socialist Equality Socialist Equality Party (US) The Socialist Equality Party is a Trotskyist political party in the United States, one of several Socialist Equality Parties around the world affiliated to the International Committee of the Fourth International . The ICFI publishes daily news articles, perspectives and commentaries on the World... ) 0.2% Roger Calero Róger Calero Róger Calero is a Nicaraguan American journalist and one of the leaders of the Socialist Workers Party. He was SWP candidate for President of the United States in 2004 and 2008, and for the United States Senate in New York in 2006.... (Socialist Workers Socialist Workers Party (United States) The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba... ) 0.2% |
| North Dakota | Kent Conrad Kent Conrad Kent Conrad is the senior United States Senator from North Dakota. He is a member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, the North Dakota affiliate of the Democratic Party... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 68.8% | Dwight Grotberg Dwight Grotberg Dwight Grotberg is a North Dakota politician and a former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in North Dakota. He ran against the Democratic-NPL incumbent, Kent Conrad, on November 7, 2006, but did not defeat him... (Republican) 29.5% Roland Riemers (Independent) 1.0% James Germalic (Independent) 0.6% |
| Ohio | Mike DeWine Mike DeWine Richard Michael "Mike" DeWine is the Attorney General for the state of Ohio. He has held numerous offices on the state and federal level, including Ohio State Senator, four terms as a U.S. Congressman, Ohio Lt. Governor, and was a two-term U.S. Senator, serving from 1995 to 2007.- Biography :Born... |
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... |
Incumbent lost re-election, 43.8% Democratic gain |
Sherrod Brown Sherrod Brown Sherrod Campbell Brown is the senior United States Senator from Ohio and a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election to the U.S. Senate, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Ohio's 13th congressional district from 1993 to 2007... (Democratic) 56.2% |
| Pennsylvania | Rick Santorum Rick Santorum Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social... |
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... |
Incumbent lost re-election, 41.3% Democratic gain |
Bob Casey, Jr. Bob Casey, Jr. Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Jr. is the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Pennsylvania Treasurer, and Pennsylvania Auditor General. He is the son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr..He is the first Democrat elected to a full term in... (Democratic) 58.7% |
| Rhode Island | Lincoln Chafee Lincoln Chafee Lincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate as a Republican from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon... |
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... |
Incumbent lost re-election, 46.5% Democratic gain |
Sheldon Whitehouse Sheldon Whitehouse Sheldon Whitehouse is the junior U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party... (Democratic) 53.5% |
| Tennessee | Bill Frist Bill Frist William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing... |
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... |
Retired Republican hold |
Bob Corker Bob Corker Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker, Jr. is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, he served as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee from 2001 to 2005. Corker was a businessman prior to holding public office.-Early life and family:Born in Orangeburg, South... (Republican) 50.7% Harold Ford, Jr. Harold Ford, Jr. Harold Eugene Ford, Jr. is an American politician and was the last chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Leadership Council . He was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from , centered in Memphis, from 1997 to 2007... (Democratic) 48.0% Ed Choate (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.6% David Gatchell (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.2% Emory "Bo" Heyward (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.2% H. Gary Keplinger (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.2% Chris Lugo (Green Green Party (United States) The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties... ) 0.1% |
| Texas | Kay Bailey Hutchison Kay Bailey Hutchison Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S.... |
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... |
Incumbent re-elected, 61.7% | Barbara Ann Radnofsky Barbara Ann Radnofsky Barbara Ann Radnofsky is a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Texas. She is the first woman to have won the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas.-Early life and career:... (Democratic) 36.0% Scott Jameson (Libertarian) 2.3% |
| Utah | Orrin Hatch Orrin Hatch Orrin Grant Hatch is the senior United States Senator for Utah and is a member of the Republican Party. Hatch served as the chairman or ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1993 to 2005... |
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... |
Incumbent re-elected, 62.6% | Pete Ashdown Pete Ashdown Peter Lynn "Pete" Ashdown is the founder and CEO of Utah's first independent and oldest Internet service provider, XMission. In 2006 he challenged and lost to incumbent U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, running as the Democratic candidate.... (Democratic) 30.8% Scott Bradley (Constitution) 3.8% Roger Price (Personal Choice Personal Choice Party The Personal Choice Party is a United States political party whose presidential candidate for 2004 qualified for the ballot in the state of Utah.... )1.6% Dave Seely (Libertarian Libertarian Party (United States) The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration... ) 0.8% Julian Hatch (Green Green Party (United States) The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties... ) 0.4% |
| Vermont | Jim Jeffords Jim Jeffords James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont. He served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2006.-Background:... |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Retired Independent hold |
Bernie Sanders Bernie Sanders Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives... (Independent) 65.4% Richard Tarrant Richard Tarrant Richard Edward Tarrant, is an American businessman, and politician. Most recently, he was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from the state of Vermont in 2006, but lost the election to Representative Bernie Sanders... (Republican) 32.3% Cris Ericson (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.6% Craig Hill (Green Green Party (United States) The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties... ) 0.5% Peter Moss (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.5% Peter Diamondstone (Liberty Union Liberty Union Party The Liberty Union Party of Vermont, founded in 1970 by former Congressman William H. Meyer, Peter Diamondstone and others, originated in the anti-war and People's Party movements of the late 1960s and defines itself as a nonviolent socialist party.-History:... ) 0.3% |
| Virginia | George Allen | 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... |
Incumbent lost re-election, 49.2% Democratic gain |
Jim Webb Jim Webb James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party.... (Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... ) 49.6% Gail Parker (Independent Green Independent Green Party of Virginia The Independent Greens of Virginia, , is the state affiliate of the Independence Party of America in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It became a state party around 2003 when a faction of the Arlington local chapter of the Green Party of Virginia split from the main party... ) 1.1% |
| Washington | Maria Cantwell Maria Cantwell Maria E. Cantwell is the junior United States Senator from the state of Washington and a member of the Democratic Party.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 56.85% | Mike McGavick Mike McGavick Michael S. "Mike" McGavick is an American business executive and a graduate of the University of Washington.... (Republican) 39.93% Bruce Guthrie Bruce Guthrie Bruce Guthrie is an American politician and lecturer in the Department of Management at Western Washington University. He is also a competitive speed skater, and a coach in the Whatcom Speed Skating Club and developmentally disabled adults through NW Washington Special Olympics... (Libertarian) 1.41% Aaron Dixon Aaron Dixon Aaron Dixon is an American activist and a former captain of the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party for its initial four years. In 2006, he ran for the United States Senate in Washington state on the Green Party ticket.... (Green) 1.02% Robin Adair (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 0.79% |
| West Virginia | Robert Byrd Robert Byrd Robert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 64.4% | John Raese John Raese John R. Raese is an American business owner and politician. He has lost campaigns to represent West Virginia in the U.S. Senate in 1984, 2006 and 2010, and a campaign for Governor of West Virginia in 1988.... (Republican) 33.7% Jesse Johnson Jesse Johnson (politician) Jesse C. Johnson, Jr. is an Executive Committee member and former chair of the environmentalist Mountain Party, the West Virginia affiliate of the Green Party. He has twice been his party's candidate for Governor of West Virginia, and once for a Senate seat... (Mountain Mountain Party The Mountain Party is a political party in the state of West Virginia that on July 8, 2007, at its state convention, voted to become the West Virginia affiliate of the Green Party. At the 2007 Green Party National Meeting the party was admitted to the Green Party as a state affiliate. It is a... ) 1.9% |
| Wisconsin | Herb Kohl Herb Kohl Herbert H. "Herb" Kohl is the senior U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and a member of the Democratic Party. He is also a philanthropist and the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks National Basketball Association team... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Incumbent re-elected, 67.31% | Robert Lorge (Republican) 29.48% Rae Vogeler (Green) 1.98% Ben Glatzel (Independent) 1.17% |
| Wyoming | Craig L. Thomas | 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... |
Incumbent re-elected, 69.99% | Dale Groutage Dale Groutage Dale Groutage is an engineer who unsuccessfully ran in 2006 as the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate in Wyoming against incumbent Senator Craig Thomas... (Democratic) 29.86% |
List of close races, open seats, and party switches
"Close races" are those in which a candidate won by less than 10 points.Missouri
Senator Jim TalentJim Talent
James Matthes "Jim" Talent is an American politician and former senator from Missouri. He is a Republican and resided in the St. Louis area while serving in elected office. He identifies with the conservative wing of the Republican party, being particularly outspoken on judicial appointments,...
of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, who was narrowly elected in a 2002 special election
United States Senate elections, 2002
The 2002 United States Senate election featured a series of fiercely contested elections that resulted in a victory for the Republican Party, which gained two seats and thus a narrow majority from the Democratic Party in the United States Senate. Senators who were elected in 1996, known as Senate...
for the remaining four years of one term, faced a strong Democratic challenge for his seat. Missouri did not hold an election for governor in 2006, making this the only major statewide race in a traditional battleground state. Talent faced state Auditor Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill
Claire Conner McCaskill is the senior United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. She defeated Republican incumbent Jim Talent in the 2006 U.S. Senate election, by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri in her own...
, a former Jackson County
Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...
Prosecutor and the 2004 Democratic gubernatorial
United States gubernatorial elections, 2004
The United States gubernatorial elections of 2004 were held on November 2, 2004. Eleven states voted to select a governor . There was no net gain in seats for either party.-Election results:...
nominee.
McCaskill carried some political baggage from her 2004 loss; however, Talent was elected to the Senate after a nearly successful gubernatorial bid, the same position McCaskill was in for the 2006 election. McCaskill went out of her way to appeal to rural voters, who had largely favored her opponent in the gubernatorial race. She also benefited from talking up her support of embryonic stem cell
Embryonic stem cell
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, an early-stage embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells...
research, which a slight majority of Missourians supported but which Talent opposed. A related constitutional amendment
Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2006)
Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 is a state constitutional amendment initiative that concerns stem cell research and human cloning in Missouri...
was also on the ballot and narrowly passed.
The race was among the most competitive in the nation. McCaskill and Talent exchanged small leads in various polls throughout the campaign. In the end, McCaskill defeated Talent 50%-47%.
Montana
Conrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
faced a strong challenge from Brian Schweitzer
Brian Schweitzer
Brian David Schweitzer is an American politician from the U.S. state of Montana. Schweitzer is its 23rd and current governor, serving since January 2005. Schweitzer currently has one of the highest approval ratings among governors in the nation, with polls regularly showing a rating of above 60...
(who later became governor) in 2000, but was re-elected by a mere 3% in a state that went for Bush twice by margins of over 20%. This, combined with the increasing strength of the state Democratic Party and accusations of ethical issues related to the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal
Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal
The Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal is a United States political scandal relating to the work performed by political lobbyists Jack Abramoff, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., Grover Norquist and Michael Scanlon on Indian casino gambling interests for an estimated $85 million in fees. Abramoff and Scanlon...
, made this a highly competitive race. Burns faced Democratic primary winner and state Senate President Jon Tester
Jon Tester
Jon Tester is the junior U.S. Senator for Montana, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as President of the Montana Senate.-Early life, education, and farming career:...
, an organic farmer from Big Sandy.
Burns has long had a history of verbal missteps, and 2006 was no exception. On July 27, he was forced to apologize after he verbally attacked out-of-state firefighters who were preparing to leave Montana after helping contain a summer forest fire and directly questioned their competence and skill; Burns was strongly criticized.
For much of the campaign, Tester led by substantial margins. Burns narrowed the gap by attacking Tester as a liberal extremist. November 2, Mason-Dixon polled Tester and Burns tied at 47% with 5% undecided. On November 4th, Rasmussen Reports had Tester leading 50% to 48%.
Shortly before noon Mountain time November 8, Tester was declared the victor by a slim margin, 198,032 votes to 194,904. The race was the closest Senate election of 2006 in terms of absolute vote difference; the closest race by percentage difference was the Virginia senate election
Virginia United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator George Allen ran for re-election to a second term, but lost to Democrat Jim Webb.-Background:...
.
Ohio
Senator Mike DeWineMike DeWine
Richard Michael "Mike" DeWine is the Attorney General for the state of Ohio. He has held numerous offices on the state and federal level, including Ohio State Senator, four terms as a U.S. Congressman, Ohio Lt. Governor, and was a two-term U.S. Senator, serving from 1995 to 2007.- Biography :Born...
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
had uninspiring approval ratings and the current Coingate scandal involving the Ohio Republican Party
Ohio Republican Party
The Ohio Republican Party is the Ohio state affiliate of the United States Republican Party. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio on February 13, 1854. Kevin DeWine has been chairman of the Ohio GOP since 2009...
and the widespread unpopularity of Governor Bob Taft
Bob Taft
Robert Alphonso "Bob" Taft II is an Ohio Republican Party politician. He was elected to two terms of office as the 67th Governor of the U.S. state of Ohio between 1999-2007. After leaving office, Taft started working for the University of Dayton beginning August 15, 2007.-Personal background:Taft...
were thought to be hurting his re-election chances months before the election. He faced primary challenges from several more conservative Republicans, such as William G. Pierce, who were unhappy with his relatively centrist stances including his role as one of the Gang of 14
Gang of 14
The Gang of 14 was a term coined to describe the bipartisan group of Senators in the 109th United States Congress who successfully negotiated a compromise in the spring of 2005 to avoid the deployment of the so-called nuclear option over an organized use of the filibuster by Senate...
who intervened to stop a showdown over judicial nominations.
Lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and Iraq War veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
Paul Hackett, who narrowly lost to Jean Schmidt
Jean Schmidt
Jeannette Marie Hoffman Schmidt, is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. She is a member of the Republican Party. The district stretches from eastern Cincinnati to Portsmouth....
in the 2nd congressional district on August 2, 2005, said in October 2005 he would seek the Democratic nomination to challenge DeWine. Rep. Sherrod Brown
Sherrod Brown
Sherrod Campbell Brown is the senior United States Senator from Ohio and a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election to the U.S. Senate, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Ohio's 13th congressional district from 1993 to 2007...
announced his candidacy that same month. Hackett withdrew from the race on February 14, 2006. Both DeWine and Brown won their primaries easily. An October 12 Rasmussen Reports poll had Brown leading DeWine 46% to 41%. An October 30th Reuters/Zogby poll had Brown leading DeWine 49% to 42%. A Rasmussen poll released November 4th showed Brown pulling away from DeWine with a 53% to 41% lead.
Brown comfortably won the election, garnering 56% of the vote to DeWine's 44%.
Pennsylvania
Senator Rick SantorumRick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, then the third-highest ranking member of the Republican caucus, was the Democrats' top target in 2006. He was a very conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
member of the Senate in a state that last voted for a Republican presidential nominee in 1988.
In his last election in the year 2000, Santorum received 7,706 more votes than Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
, the Democratic candidate for President, who won Pennsylvania by 4.5 percent. That year, Santorum ran against U.S. Rep. Ron Klink
Ron Klink
Ronald "Ron" Klink is a Democratic politician and former United States Representative from Pennsylvania.Klink was born in Canton, Ohio, and graduated from Meyersdale High School in Pennsylvania in 1969. Klink originally worked behind the scenes at WTAJ-TV in Altoona, Pennsylvania...
, a pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
Democrat who wasn't supported by party contributors and was heavily outspent. Democrats thus saw Santorum's seat as extremely vulnerable and made it a priority for a pick-up in 2006. Popular pro-life State Treasurer
State Treasurer
In the state governments of the United States, 49 of the 50 states have the executive position of treasurer. Texas abolished the position of Texas State Treasurer in 1996....
Bob Casey, Jr.
Bob Casey, Jr.
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Jr. is the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Pennsylvania Treasurer, and Pennsylvania Auditor General. He is the son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr..He is the first Democrat elected to a full term in...
was the Democratic nominee and was fully supported by the party establishment.
Santorum did not benefit from his recent controversial book, It Takes a Family
It Takes a Family
It Takes a Family is a 2005 book by then Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. The title is a response to the 1996 book It Takes a Village by then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. In the book, Santorum states that the family structure is necessary...
, in which he criticized public schools and questioned whether or not both parents in a family should work, alleging that women who work are making a selfish decision and only do so because they find it "empowering". These stances were seized on by the Casey campaign as proof that Santorum was too conservative for Pennsylvania voters. Santorum also suffered from controversy concerning both his residency and a charter school
Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School
The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, also known as PA Cyber, is a public virtual charter school based out of Midland, Pennsylvania. Enrollment is open to Pennsylvania students in grades PreK-12.-Origins:...
his children were enrolled in. He also voiced many social views that some thought extreme, including arguing that homosexual relationships were no more deserving of legal endorsement than bestiality.
Every public poll taken during the campaign showed Casey ahead. Most polling done after Labor Day showed Casey with a double-digit lead. On election night, Casey defeated Santorum 59%-41%. Polls conducted in the final closing days of the campaign showed Casey leading 52%-39% and 48%-40%, meaning that the Democrat had performed much better than what the polls showed. This was the largest margin of defeat for an incumbent Senator since George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
's loss to James Abdnor
James Abdnor
James Abdnor is a Republican politician from the state of South Dakota.-Personal:He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1945 where he became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. He served in the United States Army during World War II and from 1957 to 1969 was a member of the South Dakota...
in 1980
United States Senate elections, 1980
The 1980 U.S. Senate elections coincided with Ronald Reagan's election to the Presidency. Reagan's large margin of victory over incumbent Jimmy Carter pulled in many Democratic voters and gave a huge boost to Republican senate candidates....
.
Rhode Island
Senator Lincoln ChafeeLincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate as a Republican from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon...
of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, a liberal Republican, faced a primary challenge from conservative Cranston
Cranston, Rhode Island
Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. With a population of 80,387 at the 2010 census, it is the third largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston...
Mayor Steve Laffey
Steve Laffey
Stephen Laffey was the Republican mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island with his term ending in 2007.-Background:Laffey was born in 1962 in Warwick, Rhode Island, one of five children born to John and Mary Laffey. When he was four years old, his family moved to Cranston, where his father worked as a...
. Former state Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon Whitehouse is the junior U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, who narrowly lost the gubernatorial nomination in 2002, faced token opposition in the Democratic primary.
The Republican primary was contentious. Laffey ran as a conservative, but he came under fire from other conservatives for supporting tax increases as Mayor and increasing spending. It was widely believed that the more liberal Chafee would have an easier time winning in the general election due to his appeal to independents. Laffey received support from the conservative Club for Growth
Club for Growth
The Club for Growth is a politically conservative 527 organization active in the United States of America, with an agenda focussed on taxation and other economic issues, and with an affiliated political action committee . The Club advocates lower taxes, limited government, less government spending,...
. Although he was the most liberal Republican in the Senate and was repeatedly accused of being a RINO
Republican In Name Only
Republican In Name Only is a pejorative term that refers to a member of the Republican Party of the United States whose political views or actions are considered insufficiently conservative or otherwise not conforming to party positions...
by members of his own party, the NRSC
National Republican Senatorial Committee
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is the Republican Hill committee for the United States Senate, working to elect Republicans to that body. The NRSC was founded in 1916 as the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee...
spent a large amount of money backing Chafee, and, in an unprecedented move, announced that they would abandon the race if Laffey won. Chafee prevailed in the September 12 primary 54%-46%, and Laffey endorsed him for re-election. Chafee, however, may have been damaged by the contentious primary that potentially alienated Republican voters.
Chafee faced a complicated situation due to his political beliefs. He was unpopular with conservative Republicans whose votes he would need in order to win the primary, yet represented a heavily Democratic constituency that overwhelmingly disapproved of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and the Republican-controlled Congress. As a liberal Democrat running in a liberal, Democratic stronghold, Whitehouse did not face these problems. The Whitehouse campaign sought to characterize the election as a referendum on Bush and the Republican Congress; critics argued that Whitehouse was simply casting himself as a proxy vote for a Democratic majority in the Senate.
Polls showed a close race, with Whitehouse holding a narrow lead going into the election. In the end, however, voters seemed to place more emphasis on party control than their personal affection for Chafee. Whitehouse prevailed over Chafee on election night winning by a vote of 53%-47%.
Virginia
Early in the 2006 campaign, freshman incumbent Republican George Allen of VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
held a double-digit lead in nearly all polls, and had positioned himself as a potential presidential candidate in 2008. That status was seriously jeopardized by a series of controversial events occurring during Allen's re-election campaign, culminating in his loss to his Democratic opponent, former Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
and decorated combat veteran Jim Webb
Jim Webb
James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
. Retired Air Force officer Gail Parker
Independent Green Party of Virginia
The Independent Greens of Virginia, , is the state affiliate of the Independence Party of America in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It became a state party around 2003 when a faction of the Arlington local chapter of the Green Party of Virginia split from the main party...
ran as the Independent Green party candidate.
Among the most bitter Senate contests of the year, Allen's approval rating had dropped in statewide polls due in part to a series of embarrassing incidents during the campaign. In mid-August at a campaign stop in southwest Virginia, Allen called S. R. Sidarth, a Webb volunteer of Indian descent, "macaca
Macaca (slur)
Macaca is a word used by George Allen in 2006 that began a controversy because it sounds similar to the French word "macaque". It was reported by journalists to be a racial slur against African immigrants in some European cultures; and by Zairian painter Tshibumba Kanda Matulu to be a pejorative...
" and welcomed him to America, although he was born in Virginia. Controversy surrounding Allen continued into September following his reaction to questions about his Jewish heritage. Additional reports surfaced in late September that Allen uttered the N-word
N-word
N-word may refer to:* Nigger – Common euphemism for "nigger" or "nigga": viz., variant forms of a word commonly used in a derogatory way meaning or relating to black people, the latter form a colloquial reference typically utilized without malice and within the black community itself*The...
on a frequent basis while a student at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, according to former college football teammates. Allen fired back by pointing out remarks that Webb made during the 1980s that were demeaning to female veterans. He struck again when he released excerpts of graphic sexual scenes from some of the books Webb had penned, portraying the writing as misogynistic and pornography. Webb responded that these were based on events that he personally witnessed while in the military and while working as a journalist.
As controversy and allegations on both sides increased, the gap between the candidates tightened significantly. On October 30, Reuters/Zogby had Webb leading Allen 45% to 44%. A November 2 Rasmussen Reports poll had Allen and Webb tied at 49%. A November 3 Mason-Dixon poll had Webb leading 46% to 45% with 7% undecided.
As polls closed on November 7, 2006, the margin of votes between Webb and Allen was approximately 7,000 votes, or less than 0.5% of all votes cast, a margin eligible to trigger a recount per Virginia election law. On the evening of November 8, 2006, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
declared Webb the winner. Following recanvassing, the Virginia Board of Elections declared Webb the winner by 9,162 votes, a margin of 0.38%.
On the afternoon of November 9, 2006, Allen gave a speech conceding the election to Webb, stating "The people of Virginia have spoken and I respect their decision. The Bible teaches us there is a time and place for everything, and today I called and congratulated Jim Webb."
Connecticut
Democratic Senator Joe LiebermanJoe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
was originally thought to be a shoo-in, but his reelection prospects were complicated by political cross-currents. Lieberman drew fire from the more anti-war elements within the Democratic party for his continual support for the foreign policy of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and for statements in which he has criticized other Democrats for "undermining the President" during a time of war. Greenwich
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
telecom-networking businessman Ned Lamont
Ned Lamont
Edward Miner "Ned" Lamont, Jr. is a businessman and heir and most recently an unsuccessful candidate for the 2010 Democratic nomination for Governor of Connecticut. On May 22, 2010, Lamont received more than fifteen percent of the vote at the state Democratic convention, and appeared on the...
declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in March, and while the Democratic state convention in May overwhelmingly endorsed Lieberman, Lamont's 33.4% support was more than twice the 15% needed to force a primary.
Lamont defeated Lieberman for the Democratic nomination in the August 8 primary 52%-48%. Lieberman decided to remain in the race as a "petitioning candidate," having announced on July 3, 2006, that he would begin collecting the necessary signatures to run as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
in case he lost the primary. He also filed to create a new independent party, "Connecticut for Lieberman
Connecticut for Lieberman
Connecticut for Lieberman is a Connecticut political party created by twenty-five supporters of Senator Joe Lieberman. The party was created to enable Lieberman to run for re-election following his defeat in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic primary...
."
Challenging Lamont and Lieberman in the general election was Republican Alan Schlesinger
Alan Schlesinger
Alan Schlesinger is an attorney, former Derby, Connecticut mayor, former Connecticut State Representative, and three-time unsuccessful Congressional candidate who received the Republican nomination for the seat representing Connecticut that is currently held by U.S...
, former mayor of Derby
Derby, Connecticut
Derby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,391 at the 2000 census. With of land area, Derby is Connecticut's smallest municipality.The city has a Metro-North railroad station called Derby – Shelton.-History:...
and a former state representative. Schlesinger had a history of winning crossover Democratic voters, but he had never run in a large constituency. Schlesinger was embarrassed when it was revealed that he was thrown out of a casino for counting cards under an assumed name.
Lieberman went on to win the election with 50% of the vote to Lamont's 40%. Schlesinger trailed far behind with only 10%, in part due to Lieberman receiving support from only 33% of Democrats but a commanding 70% of Republicans. While Lieberman won as the CFL
Connecticut for Lieberman
Connecticut for Lieberman is a Connecticut political party created by twenty-five supporters of Senator Joe Lieberman. The party was created to enable Lieberman to run for re-election following his defeat in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic primary...
nominee, he decided to serve as an Independent Democrat
Independent Democrat
Independent Democrat is a term occasionally adopted by American politicians to refer to their party affiliation. Several elected officials, including members of Congress, have identified as " Independent Democrats."...
in the current Congress and continue to caucus with Senate Democrats.
Maryland
Senator Paul SarbanesPaul Sarbanes
Paul Spyros Sarbanes , a Democrat, is a former United States Senator who represented the state of Maryland. Sarbanes was the longest-serving senator in Maryland history, having served from 1977 until 2007. He did not seek re-election in 2006, when he was succeeded by fellow Democrat Ben Cardin...
announced on March 11, 2005, that he would retire rather than run for re-election in 2006. Sarbanes' seat had been considered safe, considering Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
's Democratic voting tendencies and the overall pro-Democratic undercurrents of the 2006 elections. Representative Ben Cardin
Ben Cardin
Benjamin Louis "Ben" Cardin is the junior United States Senator from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election to the Senate, Cardin was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1987 to 2007.Cardin was elected to succeed Paul Sarbanes in...
bested former Representative and NAACP President Kweisi Mfume
Kweisi Mfume
Kweisi Mfume is the former President/CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , as well as a five-term Democratic Congressman from Maryland's 7th congressional district, serving in the 100th through 104th Congress...
and others in the Democratic primary. Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
The Lieutenant Governor of Maryland is the second highest ranking official in the executive branch of the state government of Maryland in the United States. He or she is elected on the same ticket as the Governor of Maryland and must meet the same qualifications.The current Lieutenant Governor is...
Michael S. Steele
Michael S. Steele
Michael Stephen Steele is an American politician who served as the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee from January 2009 until January 2011. From 2003 to 2007, he was the seventh Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, the first African American elected to statewide...
, a Republican, announced his candidacy on October 25, 2005, and won the Republican nomination over token opposition. Democrats had a natural advantage in Maryland, with its large number of African-American voters and government workers, but Steele's personal popularity and potential appeal with fellow blacks kept the race somewhat competitive. On November 7, Cardin was victorious over Steele by a vote of 54%-44%.
Minnesota
On February 9, 2005, Senator Mark DaytonMark Dayton
Mark Brandt Dayton is an American politician, the 40th and current Governor of the state of Minnesota. Dayton previously served as United States Senator from Minnesota from 2001 to 2007 in the 107th, 108th, and 109th Congresses...
announced that he would not seek a second term in the Senate. Hennepin County
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...
Attorney Amy Klobuchar
Amy Klobuchar
Amy Jean Klobuchar is the senior United States Senator from Minnesota. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, an affiliate of the Democratic Party...
was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
(DFL) nominee.
Republican
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
Representative Mark Kennedy secured major GOP endorsements in early 2005 and defeated nominal opposition in the primary. Kennedy benefited from high-profile Republicans coming to do fundraisers for him, including Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
in July 2005 and President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in December 2005. An October 30th Mason-Dixon poll had Klobuchar leading Kennedy 50% to 40%. On November 7, 2006, Amy Klobuchar won the race with 58% of the vote to Mark Kennedy's 38%.
New Jersey
Jon CorzineJon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
, elected to the Senate in 2000, was elected Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
in 2005
New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2005
The New Jersey gubernatorial election of 2005 was a race for the Governor of New Jersey. It was held on November 8, 2005. Incumbent Democratic Governor Richard Codey, who replaced Governor Jim McGreevey in 2004 after his resignation, did not run for election for a full term of office.The primary...
. Corzine appointed Rep. Bob Menendez to serve the last year of the Senate term, and Menendez was sworn in to fill Corzine's vacancy on January 18,
2006. Republican State Senator Thomas Kean, Jr. (the son of former Governor and 9/11 Commission
9/11 Commission
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up on November 27, 2002, "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks", including preparedness for and the immediate response to...
Chairman Thomas Kean
Thomas Kean
Thomas Howard Kean is an American Republican Party politician, who served as the 48th Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. Kean is best known globally, however, for his 2002 appointment as Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, widely known as the...
) announced on March 25, 2005, that he would run for the U.S. Senate. Both nominees had problems within their own parties; Menendez alienated many fellow Democrats with his aggressiveness and abrasiveness, while Kean was unpopular with party conservatives who considered him to be too liberal.
Menendez had an approval rating of 38%, which was thought to be a sign of vulnerability for the incumbent, especially since his disapproval was at 50%. Although incumbents approval ratings below 50% are generally considered vulnerable, this standard perhaps did not apply to Menendez as he had just been appointed at the start of 2006 and was not well known statewide, a far different situation from most incumbents. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
was highly unpopular in the state, but Governor Corzine's early performance in office met with widespread disapproval, contributing to the large number of undecided voters. The campaign became increasingly aggressive, with Menendez calling Kean a Bush lackey while Kean repeatedly attacked Menendez as corrupt.
An October 16 Zogby poll had Kean leading Menendez 47% to 45%. An October 23 LA Times/Bloomberg poll had Menendez leading Kean 45% to 41%. A Rasmussen Reports poll from October 25 had Kean leading Menendez 43% to 41%. A November 2 poll by Zogby/Reuters showed a 49% to 37% Menendez lead. Another November 2 poll by Rutgers showed Menendez up 46% to 42% and a third by Public Mind showed a 48% to 38% Menendez edge. A November 3rd poll by [Rasmussen] showed a 48% to 43% Menendez lead. A Monmouth University November 3 had Menendez leading Kean 45% to 42% with 10% undecided.
On election night Menendez defeated Kean Jr. by a vote of 53% to 45%.
Vermont
Senator Jim JeffordsJim Jeffords
James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont. He served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2006.-Background:...
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
left the Republican Party to become an independent soon after being reelected as a Republican in the 2000 election. On April 20, 2005, he declared he would not seek another term. The national Democratic Party put independent Representative Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
on their party's ballot in order to keep other Democrats from having a possible "spoiler" effect on the general election results. Sanders won both the Democratic line and an independent line on the ballot.
Richard Tarrant
Richard Tarrant
Richard Edward Tarrant, is an American businessman, and politician. Most recently, he was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from the state of Vermont in 2006, but lost the election to Representative Bernie Sanders...
was the Republican nominee, after winning the primary election on September 12. Sanders, a popular political figure in Vermont, won with 65% of the vote.
Republican holds
Arizona
Wealthy real estate developer Jim PedersonJim Pederson
James "Jim" Pederson , is an American businessman, co-founder of the commercial development firm The Pederson Group, and was the Chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party from 2001 to 2005...
declared his intention to challenge Senator Jon Kyl
Jon Kyl
Jon Llewellyn Kyl is the junior U.S. Senator from Arizona and the Senate Minority Whip, the second-highest position in the Republican Senate leadership. In 2010 he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for his persuasive role in the Senate.The son...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
on September 14, 2005. Pederson served as Arizona Democratic Party Chairman from 2001 to 2005 while spending millions of his own money to help Democrats modernize and to elect Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano is the third and current United States Secretary of Homeland Security, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She is the fourth person to hold the position, which was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the 21st...
as governor. Kyl got an unexpected boost when TIME
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
listed him as one of the Ten Best Senators. While polling in October showed Pederson catching up, Kyl was re-elected 53%-44%.
Tennessee
Senator Bill FristBill Frist
William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, the current Majority Leader, had previously promised to leave the Senate when his second term ended in January 2007, and was widely considered to have presidential
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
aspirations for 2008 (however, he announced in late November, 2006, that he would not pursue a Presidential run).
Although Tennessee's electoral votes went to George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, a majority of the state offices are held by Democrats. Tennessee also has more registered Democratic voters than Republican voters and was at the time one of two states in the south to send more Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives than Republicans, the other being Arkansas.
The Democratic nominee was Representative Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Eugene Ford, Jr. is an American politician and was the last chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Leadership Council . He was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from , centered in Memphis, from 1997 to 2007...
and the Republican nominee was Bob Corker
Bob Corker
Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker, Jr. is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, he served as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee from 2001 to 2005. Corker was a businessman prior to holding public office.-Early life and family:Born in Orangeburg, South...
, both of whom won primaries on August 3. Corker, former mayor of Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
and 1994 Senate candidate, was well funded and advertised heavily in the western portion of the state during his primary campaign, where he was relatively unknown before this race. Ford was the representative from Tennessee's 9th congressional district
Tennessee's 9th congressional district
The 9th Congressional District of Tennessee is a Congressional district in southwestern Tennessee. The district is located entirely within Shelby County, and includes most of the city of Memphis...
in the United States House of Representatives. Like Corker, Ford showed exceptional fundraising prowess, and the race was an expensive one for both parties.
The candidates exchanged leads in the polls, and there were a number of negative charges. Ford attacked Corker's business dealings. Corker portrayed Ford as a hyper-political Washington insider with nothing in common with Tennessee residents. The campaign made headlines when the Republican National Committee ran an ad that, among other things, ridiculed Ford for attending a party thrown by the Playboy corporation. It featured a fictional blond Playboy Bunny
Johanna Goldsmith
Johanna Cardona-Goldsmith is an American actress from Austin, Texas most widely known for her involvement in the Tennessee Senate election of 2006 when she appeared in the controversial "Call Me" political advertisement created by the Republican National Committee for Republican candidate and...
squealing, "I met Harold at the Playboy Party!" and then winking and saying, "Harold, call me." Democrats called the ad an attempt to play on racial prejudice, and Corker distanced himself from the ad.
Corker won the election 51%-48%.
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2006
- United States gubernatorial elections, 2006United States gubernatorial elections, 2006The U.S. 2006 gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2006 in 36 states, with 22 of the seats held by Republicans and 14 by Democrats....
- United States Senate elections, 2004United States Senate elections, 2004The United States Senate election, 2004 was an election for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate which coincided with the re-election of George W. Bush as president and the United States House election, as well as many state and local elections. Senators who were elected in 1998,...
- United States Senate elections, 2008United States Senate elections, 2008Elections for the United States Senate were held on November 4, 2008, with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested. Thirty-three seats were regular elections; the winners were eligible to serve six-year terms from January 3, 2009, to January 3, 2015, as members of Senate Class II...