2008 United States Senate election in Alabama

The 2008 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 4, 2008, to elect one of Alabama's members to the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions won re-election to a third term.

2008 United States Senate election in Alabama

← 2002 November 4, 2008 2014 →

Nominee Jeff Sessions Vivian Davis Figures Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,305,383 752,391 Percentage 63.36% 36.52%

County results Congressional district results Precinct results Sessions:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      90% Figures:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      90% Tie:      50%

U.S. senator before election Jeff Sessions Republican Elected U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions Republican

Background

Since 1980, Alabama voters have increasingly voted for Republican candidates at the Federal level, especially in Presidential elections. By contrast, Democratic candidates have been elected to many state-level offices and, until 2010, comprised a longstanding majority in the Alabama Legislature; see Dixiecrat.

In the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush won Alabama's nine electoral votes by a margin of 25 percentage points with 62.5% of the vote. The eleven counties that voted Democratic are part of the Black Belt counties, where African Americans are the majority racial group.

On January 10, 2007, Rep. Artur Davis announced that he would not run for the seat.^[1] Despite voting heavily for George W. Bush in 2004, Alabama still had a strong Democratic presence in 2008, and Democrats controlled majorities in both chambers in the Alabama Legislature. Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Ron Sparks appeared to be preparing for a run, but on June 12, 2007, he announced that he would not seek the Senate seat, in order to avoid a primary battle with State Senator Vivian Davis Figures.^[2]

Primary elections were held on June 3.^[3]

Republican primary

Sessions' approval rating was 56% in December 2007.^[4]

Candidates

• Earl Mack Gavin, perennial candidate
• Jeff Sessions, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1997

Results

Republican primary results^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jeff Sessions (incumbent)	199,690	92.27%
	Republican	Earl Mack Gavin	16,718	7.73%
Total votes			216,408	100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Vivian Davis Figures, State Senator from Mobile
• Johnny Swanson, Army veteran
• Mark Townsend, candidate for Governor in 2002

Results

County results

Democratic primary results^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Vivian Davis Figures	112,074	63.72%
	Democratic	Johnny Swanson	38,757	22.03%
	Democratic	Mark Townsend	25,058	14.25%
Total votes			175,889	100.00%

General election

Candidates

• Vivian Figures, State Senator from Mobile (Democratic)
• Darryl W. Perry (write-in), candidate for Pennsylvania State Treasurer in 2004 and candidate for Mayor of Birmingham in 2007^[7][8]
• Jeff Sessions, incumbent U.S. Senator (Republican)

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report[9]	Safe R	October 23, 2008
CQ Politics[10]	Safe R	October 31, 2008
Rothenberg Political Report[11]	Safe R	November 2, 2008
Real Clear Politics[12]	Safe R	November 4, 2008

Polling

Poll source	Dates administered	Vivian Davis Figures (D)	Jeff Sessions (R)
SurveyUSA[13]	August 25–27, 2007	37%	59%
Rasmussen Reports[14]	November 14, 2007	30%	62%
Rasmussen Reports[15]	April 2, 2008	36%	57%
Rasmussen Reports[16]	May 27, 2008	29%	62%
Rasmussen Reports[17]	June 30, 2008	34%	58%
Rasmussen Reports[18]	July 31, 2008	31%	58%
Survey USA[19]	September 16–17, 2008	31%	66%
Survey USA[20]	October 8–9, 2008	33%	64%
Survey USA[21]	October 27–28, 2008	32%	65%

Results

2008 United States Senate election in Alabama^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jeff Sessions (incumbent)	1,305,383	63.36%
	Democratic	Vivian Davis Figures	752,391	36.52%
	Write-in		2,417	0.12%
Total votes			2,060,191	100.00%
	Republican hold

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Marengo (largest municipality: Linden)
• Pickens (Largest city: Aliceville)
• Colbert (Largest city: Muscle Shoals)
• Lawrence (Largest city: Moulton)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Montgomery (largest municipality: Montgomery)

See also

• 2008 United States Senate elections