United States general elections, 2004
Encyclopedia
The 2004 United States general elections were held on November 2, with George W. Bush
being re-elected to a second term as President
. Riding Bush's coattails
, the Republicans
picked up net gains of 4 Senate
seats and 3 House
seats, increasing their majorities in both House in Congress. In the state governorships up for election, there was no net gain in seats for either party. Foreign policy
was the dominant theme throughout the election campaign, particularly Bush's conduct of the War on Terrorism
and the 2003 invasion of Iraq
.
was re-elected to a second term.
.
Class 3
were up for election. Republicans had a net gain of 4 seats.
(though some were voted for on the same ticket as the gubernatorial nominee), Secretary of state
, state Treasurer
, state Auditor
, state Attorney General
, state Superintendent of Education, Commissioners of Insurance
, Agriculture or, Labor, and etc.) and state judicial branch offices (seats on state Supreme Court
s and, in some states, state appellate courts).
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....
being re-elected to a second term as 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....
. Riding Bush's coattails
Coattail effect
The coattail effect is the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election...
, the Republicans
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...
picked up net gains of 4 Senate
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...
seats and 3 House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
seats, increasing their majorities in both House in Congress. In the state governorships up for election, there was no net gain in seats for either party. Foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
was the dominant theme throughout the election campaign, particularly Bush's conduct of the War on Terrorism
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
and the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
President
George W. BushGeorge 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 re-elected to a second term.
United States House of Representatives
Republicans gained a couple of seats in the House, mainly due to the 2003 Texas redistricting2003 Texas redistricting
The 2003 Texas redistricting refers to a controversial mid-decade congressional redistricting plan appealed to the United States Supreme Court in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry...
.
United States Senate
The 34 seats in the United States SenateUnited 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...
Class 3
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 up for election. Republicans had a net gain of 4 seats.
Governors
Eleven of the fifty United States governors were up for re-election, as were the governorships of two U.S. territories. The final results were a net change of zero between the political parties. The Democrats picked up the governorships in Montana and New Hampshire, but the Republicans picked up the ones in Indiana and Missouri.Other state-wide Officer elections
In many states where if the following positions were elective offices, voters casted votes for candidates for state executive branch offices of Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant governor (United States)
In the United States, 43 of the 50 states have a separate, full-time office of lieutenant governor. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when he or she is absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated...
(though some were voted for on the same ticket as the gubernatorial nominee), Secretary of state
Secretary of State (U.S. state government)
Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the Secretary of the Commonwealth...
, 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....
, state Auditor
State auditor
State auditors are executive officers of U.S. states who serve as auditors and comptrollers for state funds....
, state Attorney General
State Attorney General
The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states and territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those...
, state Superintendent of Education, Commissioners of Insurance
Insurance commissioner
Insurance commissioner is an executive office in many U.S. states, some in the state cabinet. The office differs state by state:...
, Agriculture or, Labor, and etc.) and state judicial branch offices (seats on state Supreme Court
State supreme court
In the United States, the state supreme court is the highest state court in the state court system ....
s and, in some states, state appellate courts).
State Legislative elections
Many states across the nation held elections for their state legislatures.Mayoral elections
Some major American cities held their mayoral elections in 2004.- San Diego- Incumbent Mayor Dick MurphyDick MurphyRichard M. Murphy is a former U.S. politician. He served as the 33rd Mayor of San Diego, California from 2000 to 2005-Early life:...
(R) was re-elected, but resigned five months later. San Diego was the most populous city to hold a mayoral election in 2004.