The 2008 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent
Democratic
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
Dick Durbin sought a third term in office and faced minimal opposition from
Republican Steve Sauerberg. As expected, Durbin overwhelmingly won re-election. On the same night, fellow Democratic Senator
Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, defeating Republican Senator
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
of Arizona.
Election information
The primaries and general elections coincided with those for other federal elections (
United States President and
House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
), as well as those for
state offices.
Turnout
For the primary elections, turnout was 32.37%, with 2,364,409 votes cast.
For the general election, turnout was 68.42%, with 5,329,884 votes cast.
Democratic primary
Candidates
*
Dick Durbin, incumbent
U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
* Steve Sauerberg, physician
*
Andy Martin, perennial candidate
* Mike Psak, trucker and perennial candidate
Results
General election
Predictions
Results
Durbin's 3,615,844 votes is the highest vote total in a statewide election in
Illinois. No one has broken his record since, however then Vice President
Joe Biden received the most votes in the presidential election in Illinois in
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
.
Durbin comfortably won re-election with the best margin of his career, winning all but four of the state's 102 counties.
See also
*
2008 United States Senate elections
The 2008 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, 2008, with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested. Thirty-three seats were up for regular elections; the winners were eligible to serve six-year terms from January 3, 200 ...
References
External links
Illinois State Board of ElectionsU.S. Congress candidates for Illinoisat
Project Vote Smart
Illinois, U.S. Senatefrom
CQ Politics
Illinois U.S. Senatefrom ''OurCampaigns.com''
Illinois U.S. Senate racefrom ''2008 Race Tracker''
Campaign contributions for Illinois congressional racesfrom
OpenSecrets
* ''Official campaign websites'' (Archived)
*
Dick Durbin Democratic incumbent nominee
*
Steve Sauerberg Republican nominee
*
Larry Stafford Libertarian nominee
*
Kathy Cummings Green Party nominee
*
Chad Koppie Constitution nominee
{{2008 United States elections
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
Illinois
United States Senate