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2008 United States Senate election in Idaho

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2008 United States Senate election in Idaho

← 2002
November 4, 2008
2014 →
 
Nominee Jim Risch Larry LaRocco Rex Rammell
Party Republican Democratic Independent
Popular vote 371,744 219,903 34,510
Percentage 57.65% 34.11% 5.35%

Risch:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
LaRocco:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Rammell:      70–80%
Marmon:      >90%
Tie:      40–50%      No data

U.S. senator before election

Larry Craig
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Jim Risch
Republican

The 2008 United States Senate election in Idaho was held on November 4, 2008, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Idaho. Incumbent Republican U.S. senator Larry Craig decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Fellow Republican incumbent lieutenant governor and former governor Jim Risch won the open seat. Primary elections were held on May 27.[1]

Background

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Incumbent Larry Craig announced his intent to resign following an incident where he allegedly solicited another man for gay sex in a public restroom.[2] Craig later decided not to resign but did announce that he would not seek re-election. The filing deadline for the election was March 21, 2008. A total of 13 candidates filed for the seat.[3] Republican and Democratic candidates ran for their respective nominations in the May 27 primary.

Lieutenant Governor Jim Risch defeated a crowded field for the Republican nomination, while former Congressman Larry LaRocco won the Democratic nomination in similar fashion. Conservative independents Rex Rammell and Pro-Life (formerly Marvin Richardson) also qualified for the general election ballot. Former Caldwell city council member Kent Marmon secured the Libertarian nomination. In the general election, Risch defeated LaRocco and the other candidates to keep the seat in Republican hands.

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Nominee

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Eliminated in primary

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  • Fred Adams
  • Brian Hefner
  • Bill Hunter
  • Richard Phenneger, Businessman
  • Hal James Styles
  • Scott Syme, Iraq War veteran[4]
  • Neal Thompson

Results

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Results by county
  Risch
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
Republican primary results[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Risch 80,743 65.34%
Republican Scott Syme 16,660 13.48%
Republican Richard Phenneger 6,532 5.29%
Republican Neal Thompson 5,375 4.35%
Republican Fred M. Adams 4,987 4.04%
Republican Bill Hunter 4,280 3.46%
Republican Brian E. Hefner 2,915 2.36%
Republican Hal James Styles, Jr. 2,082 1.68%
Total votes 123,574 100.00%

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Nominee

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Eliminated in primary

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  • David J. Archuleta

Results

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Results by county
  LaRocco
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  Archuleta
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
Democratic Primary results[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Larry LaRocco 29,023 72.35%
Democratic David J. Archuleta 11,074 27.60%
Democratic Write-ins 20 0.05%
Total votes 40,117 100.00%

General election

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Predictions

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Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[7] Safe R October 23, 2008
CQ Politics[8] Safe R October 31, 2008
Rothenberg Political Report[9] Safe R November 2, 2008
Real Clear Politics[10] Safe R November 4, 2008

Polling

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Aggregate polls

Source of poll
aggregation
Dates
administered
Dates
updated
Jim
Risch (R)
Larry
LaRocco (D)
Other/Undecided
[a]
Margin
RealClearPolitics[11] August 18–September 17, 2008 September 17, 2008 51.7% 30.7% 17.6% Risch +21.0%
Rasmussen Reports[12] September 9, 2008 September 9, 2008 58.0% 30.0% 12.0% Risch +28.0%
Average 54.9% 30.4% 14.7% Risch +24.5%
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size[b]
Margin
of error
Jim
Risch (R)
Larry
LaRocco (D)
Rex
Rammell (I)
Other Undecided
Research 2000[13][A] September 16–17, 2008 500 (LV) ± 4.0% 56% 33% 3% 3% 5%
Rasmussen Reports[12] September 9, 2008 500 (LV) ± 4.0% 58% 30% 2% 9%
Greg Smith Polling[14] August 18–22, 2008 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 41% 30% 3% 26%
Research 2000[15][B] July 28–30, 2008 500 (LV) ± 4.5% 42% 32% 5% 4% 17%
Celinda Lake (D)[16][C] May 20–25, 2008 500 (LV) ± 4.5% 43% 28% 5% 24%
Robinson Research[17][permanent dead link] November 27–December 12, 2007 46% 27% 27%
Myers Research (D)[18] November 13–19, 2007 600 (LV) 48% 34% 18%
SurveyUSA[19] September 6, 2007 534 (RV) ± 4.3% 52% 36% 13%
Hypothetical polling

Generic Republican vs. Generic Democrat

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size[b]
Margin
of error
Generic
Republican
Generic
Democrat
Other Undecided
Myers Research (D)[18] November 13–19, 2007 600 (LV) 36% 42% 1% 21%

Dirk Kempthorne vs. Larry LaRocco

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size[b]
Margin
of error
Dirk
Kempthorne (R)
Larry
LaRocco (D)
Other Undecided
SurveyUSA[19] September 6, 2007 534 (RV) ± 4.3% 55% 36% 9%

David Leroy vs. Larry LaRocco

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size[b]
Margin
of error
David
Leroy (R)
Larry
LaRocco (D)
Other Undecided
SurveyUSA[19] September 6, 2007 534 (RV) ± 4.3% 42% 39% 19%

Mike Simpson vs. Larry LaRocco

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size[b]
Margin
of error
Mike
Simpson(R)
Larry
LaRocco (D)
Other Undecided
SurveyUSA[19] September 6, 2007 534 (RV) ± 4.3% 54% 34% 12%

Lawrence Wasden vs. Larry LaRocco

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size[b]
Margin
of error
Lawrence
Wasden (R)
Larry
LaRocco (D)
Other Undecided
SurveyUSA[19] September 6, 2007 534 (RV) ± 4.3% 46% 36% 17%

Dane Watkins vs. Larry LaRocco

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size[b]
Margin
of error
Dane
Watkins (R)
Larry
LaRocco (D)
Other Undecided
SurveyUSA[19] September 6, 2007 534 (RV) ± 4.3% 40% 41% 19%

Results

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General election results[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jim Risch 371,744 57.65% −7.51%
Democratic Larry LaRocco 219,903 34.11% +1.56%
Independent Rex Rammell 34,510 5.35%
Libertarian Kent Marmon 9,958 1.54% −0.75%
Independent Pro-Life 8,662 1.35%
Write-in 3 0.00%
Majority 151,841 23.55% −9.06%
Turnout 644,780
Republican hold

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Calculated by taking the difference of 100% and all other candidates combined.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

Partisan clients

  1. ^ Poll sponsored by Daily Kos
  2. ^ Poll sponsored by Daily Kos
  3. ^ Poll sponsored by Rocco's campaign

References

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  1. ^ Elections, Campaign Disclosure and Lobbyists Archived August 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Idaho Secretary of State
  2. ^ "Craig to Announce Resignation Saturday". Archived from the original on September 3, 2007.
  3. ^ "LIST OF FEDERAL, STATEWIDE, AND JUDICIAL CANDIDATES" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 19, 2008.
  4. ^ "Iraq vet announces bid in GOP Senate primary".
  5. ^ a b "2008 Primary Results statewide". Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2009.
  6. ^ "LaRocco to run for Senate; Craig mum on future]". Retrieved May 8, 2007.[dead link]
  7. ^ "2008 Senate Race ratings for October 23, 2008". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  8. ^ Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics
  9. ^ "2008 Senate ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  10. ^ "2008 RCP Averages & Senate Results". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  11. ^ "2008 Idaho Senate". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  12. ^ a b "Idaho Senate: GOP's Risch Is Far Ahead 58% to 30%". Rasmussen Reports. September 11, 2008. Archived from the original on September 12, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  13. ^ "ID-Sen: Republicans pull ahead". Daily Kos. September 19, 2008. Archived from the original on September 20, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  14. ^ Dienstfrey, Eric (August 28, 2008). "POLL: Greg Smith Idaho (8/18-22)". Pollster.COM. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  15. ^ "ID-Sen: Shockingly close". Daily Kos. July 31, 2008. Archived from the original on August 27, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  16. ^ "LaRocco Poll—Risch Unknown and Disliked". LaRocco For U.S. Senate. July 1, 2008. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  17. ^ "Robinson Research". Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  18. ^ a b "ID-Sen: Republicans Losing their Luster". Daily Kos. December 12, 2007. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  19. ^ a b c d e f "GOP Holds Larry Craig Idaho Senate Seat with Substitute Republican". SurveyUSA. September 8, 2007. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  20. ^ "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives".
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