2008 United States Senate election in Iowa
November 4, 2008
 
Nominee Tom Harkin Christopher Reed
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 941,665 560,006
Percentage 62.66% 37.26%
County results
Harkin:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Reed:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
U.S. senator before election

Tom Harkin
Democratic

 Elected U.S. Senator

Tom Harkin
Democratic

The 2008 United States Senate election in Iowa was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Senator Tom Harkin sought re-election to a fifth term in office. Unlike Harkin's three previous reelection bids, he was not challenged by a sitting United States Congressman but instead faced small businessman Christopher Reed, who won the Republican primary by just a few hundred votes. Harkin defeated Reed in a landslide, winning 94 of Iowa's 99 counties. As of 2023, this is the last time that a Democrat has won a U.S. Senate election in Iowa.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Harkin (incumbent) 90,785 98.83%
Democratic Write-ins 1,074 1.17%
Total votes 91,859 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

  • George Eichhorn, former Iowa State Representative
  • Steve Rathje, construction company executive
  • Christopher Reed, small businessman

Results

Republican primary results by county
  Reed
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  Eichhorn
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   70–80%
  Rathje
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
Republican primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Christopher Reed 24,964 35.32%
Republican George Eichhorn 24,390 34.52%
Republican Steve Rathje 21,062 29.80%
Republican Write-ins 256 0.36%
Total votes 70,672 100.00%

General election

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[2] Safe D October 23, 2008
CQ Politics[3] Safe D October 31, 2008
Rothenberg Political Report[4] Safe D November 2, 2008
Real Clear Politics[5] Safe D November 4, 2008

Polling

then Secretary of State and future Governor Chet Culver campaigning for Senator Harkin
Poll source Dates administered Christopher
Reed (R)		 Tom
Harkin (D)
Survey USA April 21–23, 2008 20% 59%
Research 2000 June 10, 2008 37% 53%
Rasmussen Reports July 10, 2008 37% 55%
Rasmussen Reports August 7, 2008 36% 60%
Rasmussen Reports September 17–18, 2008 37% 60%
Survey USA October 23, 2008 41% 57%
Rasmussen Reports October 29, 2008 35% 61%

Results

United States Senate election in Iowa, 2008[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Tom Harkin (incumbent) 941,665 62.66% +8.48%
Republican Christopher Reed 560,006 37.26% -6.52%
Write-in 1,247 0.08% N/A
Majority 381,659 25.39% +15.00%
Turnout 1,502,918
Democratic hold Swing

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Official Results Report 2008 Primary Election" (PDF). Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  2. ↑ "2008 Senate Race ratings for October 23, 2008". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  3. ↑ Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics
  4. ↑ "2008 Senate ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  5. ↑ "2008 RCP Averages & Senate Results". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 2008" (PDF). Retrieved January 17, 2020.
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