2008 Delaware gubernatorial election
The 2008 Delaware gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2008, coinciding with the United States presidential election. Democratic state Treasurer Jack Markell defeated Republican William Swain Lee in a landslide, succeeding incumbent Ruth Ann Minner, also a Democrat, who was prevented from running for a third term.
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As of 2008, Democrats had controlled the Delaware governorship for 16 years. In an upset, state Treasurer Jack Markell defeated Lieutenant Governor John Carney by 51 to 49% for the Democratic nomination on September 9. Carney was considered the favorite. The Republican nominee was former state Superior Court Judge William Swain "Bill" Lee, defeating airline pilot Michael Protrack. Lee was the Republican nominee for governor in 2004, and lost to Minner by a narrow margin.
The race received more attention with the potential elevation of U.S. Senator Joe Biden as Barack Obama's choice as his Vice President of the United States. Election of a Republican governor would assist the party by proxy gaining an additional seat in the US Senate. Senator Biden resigned his seat in the United States Senate on January 15, 2009, and Ted Kaufman was appointed by Governor Minner to the vacant seat. Kaufman had previously served as Senator Biden's Chief of Staff during his tenure in the United States Senate.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- John Carney, Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
- Jack Markell, Delaware State Treasurer
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jack Markell | 37,849 | 51.17% | |
| Democratic | John Carney | 36,112 | 48.83% | |
| Total votes | 73,961 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- William Swain Lee, former Delaware Superior Court justice and nominee for governor in 2004
- Michael Protack, airline pilot
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William Swain Lee | 20,826 | 71.88% | |
| Republican | Michael Protack | 8,146 | 28.12% | |
| Total votes | 28,972 | 100.00% | ||
Blue Enigma Party
- Jeffrey Brown, bartender and party founder
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[2] | Safe D | October 16, 2008 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[3] | Safe D | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[4] | Safe D | November 3, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[5] | Safe D | November 4, 2008 |
Polling
| Source | Date | Jack Markell (D) |
Bill Lee (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey USA | October 28, 2008 | 62% | 27% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 10, 2008 | 62% | 34% |
| West Chester University/WHYY | October 9, 2008 | 61% | 30% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson | September 23, 2008 | 61% | 27% |
| Survey USA | September 23, 2008 | 64% | 29% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jack Markell | 266,861 | 67.52% | +16.65% | |
| Republican | William Swain Lee | 126,662 | 32.05% | -13.74% | |
| Blue Enigma | Jeffrey Brown | 1,681 | 0.43% | ||
| Majority | 140,199 | 35.48% | +30.40% | ||
| Total votes | 395,204 | 100.00 | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
See also
- Delaware gubernatorial election, 2004
- Sarah McBride, a Markell staffer
References
- "State of Delaware - Department of Elections - State of Delaware".
- "2008 Governor Race ratings". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- "2008 Gubernatorial Ratings". Gubernatorial Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- "THE LAST LAST WORD The Crystal Ball's Final Projections for the 2008 Election". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- "2008 Delaware Governor Race". RealClearPolitics. November 4, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- "State of Delaware - Department of Elections - State of Delaware".
External links
- Delaware Commissioner of Elections
- Delaware Governor candidates at Project Vote Smart
- Delaware Governor race from OurCampaigns.com
- Delaware Governor race from 2008 Race Tracker
- Campaign contributions from Follow the Money
- Official campaign websites (archived)
- John Carney, Democratic candidate
- Bill Lee, Republican candidate
- Jack Markell, Democratic candidate