2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas

2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas
	County results; Pryor: 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
U.S. senator before election; Mark Pryor; Democratic	Elected U.S. Senator ; Mark Pryor; Democratic

The 2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Senator Mark Pryor ran for a second term. No Republican filed to challenge him, and his only opponent was Green Party candidate Rebekah Kennedy. Pryor won re-election with almost 80% of the vote.

Kennedy received the highest ever vote share of any Green Party candidate running for U.S. Senate,^[1] and the highest for a third party Senate candidate in Arkansas until her record was surpassed by Libertarian candidate Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. in 2020.

As of 2024^[update], this was the last time Democrats won a U.S. Senate election in Arkansas.

Candidates

Democratic

Mark Pryor, incumbent U.S. Senator

Green

Rebekah Kennedy, attorney and nominee for Attorney General in 2006 and 2010

General election

Campaign

On March 10, the state Republican Party announced it has no plans to field a candidate against Pryor. The only Republican to express interest in the race, health care executive Tom Formicola, decided not to run the weekend before filing began. Formicola lost the GOP primaries for the Senate in 2004 and the United States House of Representatives in 2006. As a result, Pryor was the only Senator in 2008 to face no major-party opposition in a reelection bid.^[2]

There had been speculation that former Governor Mike Huckabee would run against Pryor if his presidential bid were unsuccessful, but on March 8, Huckabee said he would not contest the race.^[3]

Pryor's sole challenger was Green Party nominee Rebekah Kennedy, who entered the race in April 2007.^[4] Kennedy received 206,504 votes (20.54%).^[5] This is the highest percentage of the vote for any Green Party candidate running for U.S. Senate ever, and her 206,504 votes is the second most total votes received by a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate after Medea Susan Benjamin's 326,828 votes in the 2000 California Senate race.^[1] Kennedy's campaign, in addition to being record breaking for the Green Party, was also the strongest showing of any independent or third-party candidate running for the U.S. Senate in 2008.

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report^[6]	Safe D	October 23, 2008
CQ Politics^[7]	Safe D	October 31, 2008
Rothenberg Political Report^[8]	Safe D	November 2, 2008
Real Clear Politics^[9]	Safe D	November 4, 2008

Polling

Pryor was polled at 90% in a poll without a challenger in March.^[10]

Results

2008 United States Senate election in Arkansas^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mark Pryor (incumbent)	804,678	79.53%
	Green	Rebekah Kennedy	207,076	20.47%
Total votes			1,011,754	100.00%
	Democratic hold

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Madison (Largest city: Huntsville)
Washington (Largest city: Fayetteville)
Cleburne (Largest city: Heber Springs)
White (Largest city: Searcy)
Faulkner (Largest city: Conway)
Lonoke (Largest city: Cabot)
Polk (Largest city: Mena)
Saline (Largest city: Benton)
Scott (Largest city: Waldron)
Montgomery (Largest city: Mount Ida)
Sebastian (Largest city: Fort Smith)
Pope (Largest city: Russellville)
Crawford (Largest city: Van Buren)
Searcy (Largest city: Marshall)
Baxter (Largest city: Mountain Home)
Marion (Largest city: Bull Shoals)
Boone (Largest city: Harrison)
Carroll (Largest city: Berryville)
Newton (Largest city: Jasper)
Benton (Largest city: Rogers)

References

^ ^a ^b "A short history of Green Party U.S. Senate races – Green Party Watch". Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
^ "Today's THV - KTHV Little Rock News Article". Todaysthv.com. March 10, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
^ Huckabee says he won't run against Pryor Archived 2008-03-16 at the Wayback Machine, Nasdaq.com
^ "Kennedy enters race for Pryor's Senate Seat", Daniel Nassaw, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, April 14, 2007.
^ "U.S. Senate Statewide Results". Secretary of State of Arkansas. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
^ "2008 Senate Race ratings for October 23, 2008". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
^ Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics
^ "2008 Senate ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
^ "2008 RCP Averages & Senate Results". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
^ "Arkansas Polls". Electoral-vote.com. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
^ "U.S. Senate Statewide Results". Secretary of State of Arkansas. December 2, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2008.

External links

Elections from the Arkansas Secretary of State
U.S. Congress candidates for Arkansas at Project Vote Smart
Arkansas, U.S. Senate from CQ Politics
Arkansas U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com
Arkansas U.S. Senate race from 2008 Race Tracker
Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets
official campaign websites (Archived)
- Rebekah Kennedy, Green Party candidate
- Mark Pryor, Democratic incumbent

[auto-1] "A short history of Green Party U.S. Senate races – Green Party Watch". Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2021.

[2] "Today's THV - KTHV Little Rock News Article". Todaysthv.com. March 10, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2012.

[3] Huckabee says he won't run against Pryor Archived 2008-03-16 at the Wayback Machine, Nasdaq.com

[4] "Kennedy enters race for Pryor's Senate Seat", Daniel Nassaw, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, April 14, 2007.

[5] "U.S. Senate Statewide Results". Secretary of State of Arkansas. Retrieved April 9, 2009.

[Cook_PR-6] "2008 Senate Race ratings for October 23, 2008". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 1, 2021.

[7] Race Ratings Chart: Senate Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics

[Inside_Elections-8] "2008 Senate ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved April 1, 2021.

[9] "2008 RCP Averages & Senate Results". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved August 31, 2021.

[10] "Arkansas Polls". Electoral-vote.com. Retrieved July 26, 2012.

[11] "U.S. Senate Statewide Results". Secretary of State of Arkansas. December 2, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2008.

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