2008 United States Senate election in Wyoming
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November 4, 2008
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  Enzi: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Rothfuss: 50–60% 60–70% Tie: 50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Wyoming |
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The 2008 United States Senate election in Wyoming was held on November 4, 2008, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Wyoming. Republican incumbent Mike Enzi won re-election to a third term, defeating Democratic nominee Chris Rothfuss.
In the August 19 primary elections, Enzi secured the Republican nomination unopposed. Rothfuss defeated Al Hamburg, a perennial candidate, in the Democratic primary with 62% of the vote.
Background
[edit]Wyoming voted for Republican nominee George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election by a 40-point margin—the state last voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in the 1964 election.[1] Senator Enzi, first elected in 1996, was reelected in 2002 by a 46-point margin.[citation needed]
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Enzi (incumbent) | 69,195 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 69,195 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Chris Rothfuss, university professor[4]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Al Hamburg, perennial candidate[5]
Endorsements
[edit]Chris Rothfuss
- Newspapers
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Chris Rothfuss | 14,221 | 62.38 | |
| Democratic | Al Hamburg | 8,578 | 37.62 | |
| Total votes | 22,799 | 100.00 | ||
General election
[edit]Predictions
[edit]| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[8] | Solid R | October 23, 2008 |
| Congressional Quarterly[9] | Safe R | October 31, 2008 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[10] | Safe R | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[11] | Solid R | November 4, 2008 |
Post-primary endorsements
[edit]Mike Enzi (R)
- Executive branch officials
- Dick Cheney, 46th vice president of the United States (2001–2009)[12]
- Newspapers
Declined to endorse
- Statewide officials
- David Freudenthal, governor of Wyoming (2003–2011) (Democratic)[15]
Fundraising
[edit]| Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Mike Enzi (R) | $2,369,093 | $2,129,834 | $581,791 |
| Chris Rothfuss (D) | $32,326 | $27,258 | $5,266 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[16] | |||
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Mike Enzi (R) |
Chris Rothfuss (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research 2000[17][A] | October 14–16, 2008 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.5% | 61% | 34% | 5% |
| Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy[18][B] | October 13–14, 2008 | 625 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 72% | 20% | 8% |
| Research 2000[19][A] | September 22–24, 2008 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.5% | 59% | 35% | 6% |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Enzi (incumbent) | 189,046 | 75.63 | +2.68 | |
| Democratic | Chris Rothfuss | 60,631 | 24.26 | −2.79 | |
| Write-in | 269 | 0.11 | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 249,946 | 100.00 | N/A | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
By county
[edit]| County[20] | Mike Enzi Republican |
Chris Rothfuss Democratic |
Write-in |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Albany | 10,481 | 62.85% | 6,170 | 37.00% | 25 | 0.15% | 4,311 | 25.85% | 16,676 |
| Big Horn | 4,590 | 86.96% | 682 | 12.92% | 6 | 0.11% | 3,908 | 74.04% | 5,278 |
| Campbell | 14,191 | 87.90% | 1,938 | 12.00% | 16 | 0.10% | 12,253 | 75.90% | 16,145 |
| Carbon | 4,951 | 73.69% | 1,760 | 26.19% | 8 | 0.12% | 3,191 | 47.50% | 6,719 |
| Converse | 5,393 | 84.46% | 990 | 15.51% | 2 | 0.03% | 4,403 | 68.95% | 6,385 |
| Crook | 3,202 | 87.80% | 437 | 11.98% | 8 | 0.22% | 2,765 | 75.82% | 3,647 |
| Fremont | 12,927 | 75.36% | 4,212 | 24.55% | 15 | 0.09% | 8,715 | 50.81% | 17,154 |
| Goshen | 4,603 | 79.16% | 1,210 | 20.81% | 2 | 0.03% | 3,393 | 58.35% | 5,815 |
| Hot Springs | 2,097 | 83.12% | 423 | 16.77% | 3 | 0.12% | 1,674 | 66.35% | 2,523 |
| Johnson | 3,733 | 86.43% | 577 | 13.36% | 9 | 0.21% | 3,156 | 73.07% | 4,319 |
| Laramie | 28,871 | 70.83% | 11,845 | 29.06% | 44 | 0.11% | 17,026 | 41.77% | 40,760 |
| Lincoln | 7,001 | 82.92% | 1,430 | 16.94% | 12 | 0.14% | 5,571 | 65.98% | 8,443 |
| Natrona | 24,724 | 75.83% | 7,848 | 24.07% | 34 | 0.10% | 16,876 | 51.76% | 32,606 |
| Niobrara | 1,107 | 86.21% | 177 | 13.79% | 0 | 0.00% | 930 | 72.42% | 1,284 |
| Park | 12,105 | 81.98% | 2,645 | 17.91% | 16 | 0.11% | 9,460 | 64.07% | 14,766 |
| Platte | 3,418 | 75.55% | 1,104 | 24.40% | 2 | 0.04% | 2,314 | 51.15% | 4,524 |
| Sheridan | 11,674 | 78.96% | 3,105 | 21.00% | 6 | 0.04% | 8,569 | 57.96% | 14,785 |
| Sublette | 3,555 | 83.77% | 680 | 16.02% | 9 | 0.21% | 2,875 | 67.75% | 4,244 |
| Sweetwater | 11,479 | 69.83% | 4,937 | 30.03% | 22 | 0.13% | 6,542 | 30.80% | 16,438 |
| Teton | 6,348 | 52.85% | 5,423 | 46.00% | 18 | 0.15% | 925 | 6.85% | 11,789 |
| Uinta | 6,305 | 76.41% | 1,941 | 23.52% | 6 | 0.07% | 4,364 | 52.89% | 8,252 |
| Washakie | 3,427 | 84.97% | 602 | 14.93% | 4 | 0.10% | 2,825 | 70.04% | 4,033 |
| Weston | 2,864 | 85.21% | 495 | 14.73% | 2 | 0.06% | 2,369 | 70.48% | 3,361 |
| Totals | 189,046 | 75.63% | 60,631 | 24.26% | 269 | 0.11% | 128,415 | 51.37% | 249,946 |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ↑ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
Partisan and media clients
- 1 2 Poll sponsored by Daily Kos
- ↑ Poll commissioned by the Casper Star-Tribune
References
[edit]- ↑ 270toWin 2026.
- ↑ Reilly 2008.
- ↑ Republican Primary 2008.
- ↑ UW instructor runs against Enzi 2008.
- ↑ Race could be a 1994 rerun 2008.
- ↑ U.S. Senate, 6-year seat, Democrat recommendation 2008.
- ↑ Democratic Primary 2008.
- ↑ Cook Political Report 2008.
- ↑ CQ Politics 2008.
- ↑ Rothenberg 2008.
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball 2008.
- ↑ Joyce 2008.
- ↑ Star-Tribune Editorial Board 2008.
- ↑ Editorial: Mike Enzi is quiet but effective in U.S. Senate 2008.
- ↑ Governor stumps for Obama 2008.
- ↑ 2008 Elections United States Senate - Wyoming 2008.
- ↑ WY-AL: Still tied up 2008.
- ↑ Miller 2008.
- ↑ WY-AL, Pres Polling: Race Tightens for Trauner 2008.
- 1 2 General Election 2008.
Works cited
[edit]Election reports
[edit]- Republican Statewide Candidates Official Summary | Wyoming Primary Election - August 19, 2008 (PDF) (Report). Wyoming Secretary of State. August 19, 2008. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- Democratic Statewide Candidates Official Summary | Wyoming Primary Election - August 19, 2008 (PDF) (Report). Wyoming Secretary of State. August 19, 2008. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 22, 2025. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- Statewide Candidates Official Summary | Wyoming General Election - November 4, 2008 (PDF) (Report). Wyoming Secretary of State. November 4, 2008. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
News
[edit]- Reilly, Daniel W. (April 28, 2008). "Enzi will seek reelection". Politico. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- "UW instructor runs against Enzi". Associated Press. March 24, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2026 – via Casper Star-Tribune.
- Barron, Joan (February 10, 2008). "Race could be a 1994 rerun". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
Since perennial candidate Al Hamburg of Torrington decided to seek the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate...
- "U.S. Senate, 6-year seat, Democrat recommendation". Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. August 18, 2008. Archived from the original on August 4, 2026. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
- Joyce, Matt (November 1, 2008). "VP Cheney rallies Republicans in Laramie". Associated Press. Retrieved June 30, 2026 – via Casper Star-Tribune.
- Star-Tribune Editorial Board (November 2, 2008). "Effective Enzi has earned a third term". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- "Editorial: Mike Enzi is quiet but effective in U.S. Senate". Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. November 3, 2008. Archived from the original on August 22, 2026. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
- Barron, Joan (October 8, 2008). "Governor stumps for Obama". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- "WY-AL: Still tied up". Daily Kos. October 17, 2008. Archived from the original on October 22, 2008. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
- Miller, Jared (October 18, 2008). "Incumbent senators poll strongly". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- "WY-AL, Pres Polling: Race Tightens for Trauner". Daily Kos. September 26, 2008. Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
Web
[edit]- "Wyoming Presidential Election Voting History". 270toWin. Archived from the original on September 3, 2026. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- "2008 Senate Race Ratings". The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- "Race Ratings Chart: Senate". Congressional Quarterly. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
- Gonzales, Nathan L. "2008 Senate ratings". Rothenberg Political Report. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- "Senate Outlook for 2008 | Wyoming Races". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Archived from the original on July 15, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
- "2008 Election United States Senate - Wyoming". Federal Election Commission. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
External links
[edit]Official campaign websites
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