2008 United States Senate election in South Carolina
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Graham: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Conley: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in South Carolina |
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The 2008 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham won election to a second term.[1][2]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Bob Conley, pilot
- Michael Cone, attorney
Campaign
Conley stands for ending illegal immigration, protecting American workers, bringing our troops home from Iraq, increasing veterans' benefits, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, ending Wall Street bailouts, repealing the Patriot Act, cutting spending, and fidelity to the Constitution.[3] He is opposed to same-sex marriage.[4]
Michael Cone, Conley's primary opponent, criticized Conley for being too conservative, that "We've nominated a Republican in a Democratic primary." Conley was a Republican but left the party due to frustration over immigration, trade, and the Iraq War. Some have compared him to Republican Congressman Ron Paul, as Conley supported Republican Congressman Ron Paul in his presidential campaign.[3][5] Conley is considered to be a conservative Democrat.[3]
Results
Conley defeated Cone in the primary election on June 16, following a recount, by a margin of 1,058 votes.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Conley | 74,125 | 50.3% | ||
| Democratic | Michael Cone | 73,127 | 49.7% | ||
| Turnout | 147,252 | ||||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Lindsey Graham, incumbent U.S. Senator
- Buddy Witherspoon, former National Committeeman of the South Carolina Republican Party
Polling
| Source | Date | Graham | Witherspoon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | January 17, 2008 | 52% | 5% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lindsey Graham | 187,736 | 66.8% | ||
| Republican | Buddy Witherspoon | 93,125 | 33.2% | ||
| Turnout | 280,861 | ||||
General election
Candidates
- Bob Conley (D), pilot
- Lindsey Graham (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
Campaign
Conley, who had switched to the Democratic Party from the Republican Party,[7] was opposed by much of the Democratic establishment because of his controversial positions such as his vocal opposition to the immigration reform and same-sex marriage and his support of Ron Paul's presidential bid. A number of prominent Democratic figures in the state, including U.S. Congressman James Clyburn, supported Lindsey Graham over Conley in the general election.[8] Political scientist Bill Moore claimed "The bottom line is, by not paying attention to this race, they ended up embarrassed by what has transpired: a Republican getting the Democratic Party's nomination for U.S. Senate and a Republican who comes across as even more conservative than Lindsey Graham."
Graham had $3.8 million. In fact, he's spent more time on the campaign trail for John McCain than he has defending his own seat. Conley only raised $23,628 during the campaign. Conley was so unknown that even Graham admitted "Almost no one knows my opponent. The Democrats really didn't field a — make a serious challenge — in terms of trying to find an opponent for me."[9]
Predictions
The race was rated "Safe Republican" by Congressional Quarterly.
Polling
| Poll Source | Dates administered | Conley | Graham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | July 9–11, 2008 | 32% | 54% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 18, 2008 | 41% | 50% |
| Survey USA | September 21–22, 2008 | 40% | 54% |
| Survey USA | October 12–13, 2008 | 40% | 56% |
| Survey USA | October 28–29, 2008 | 39% | 58% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lindsey Graham | 1,076,534 | 57.52% | +3.1% | |
| Democratic | Bob Conley | 790,621 | 42.25% | −1.9% | |
| Write-ins | 4,276 | 0.23% | +0.1% | ||
| Majority | 285,913 | ||||
| Turnout | 1,871,431 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
See also
- United States Senate elections, 2008
- United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 2008
References
- ^ US Senate recount shows Conley to face Graham. WBTV 3 News. June 16, 2008. Accessed November 17, 2008
- ^ 2008 General election statewide results. South Carolina State Election Commission. Accessed November 17, 2008.
- ^ a b c Democrat Bob Conley offers conservatives a real choice in November June 18, 2008 Charleston City Paper
- ^ "aimhighwithbob.com". Aimhighwithbob.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Elonkey. Bob Conley: "The Ron Paul Democrat" Archived September 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine June 23, 2008
- ^ US Senate recount shows Conley to face Graham. WBTV 3 News.
- ^ Graham's Dem challenger was SC county GOP official. International Herald Tribune, June 20, 2008. Accessed November 17, 2008
- ^ Graham easily wins second term. The State, November 5, 2008. Accessed November 17, 2008.
- ^ Republican Graham aims to turn aside Dem challenge | SCNOW
- ^ "U.S. Senate: South Carolina". CNN. November 4, 2008. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
External links
- South Carolina State Election Commission
- U.S. Congress candidates for South Carolina at Project Vote Smart
- South Carolina, U.S. Senate from CQ Politics
- South Carolina U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Graham (R-i) vs Conley (D) graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
- Official campaign websites (Archived)