2008 United States gubernatorial elections

States where the margin of victory was under 5%:

1. North Carolina, 3.39%

States where the margin of victory was under 10%:

1. Washington, 6.45%

Blue denotes states won by Democrats.

2008 Delaware gubernatorial election

November 4, 2008

Nominee Jack Markell William Swain Lee Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 266,861 126,662 Percentage 67.5% 32.0%

County results

Governor before election Ruth Ann Minner Democratic Elected Governor Jack Markell Democratic

Ruth Ann Minner was term-limited in 2008. 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. 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 got more attention due to the vice presidential candidacy of U.S. Senator Joe Biden. Since Biden, a senator, was elected to be Vice President, he needed to resign his Senate seat. The new governor was then called upon to appoint someone to replace Biden in the Senate. Since Lee would naturally have been more inclined to select a Republican, his election could have caused a Republican pickup in the Senate by proxy. However, he was defeated by a wide margin on election day by Markell. Senator Biden resigned his seat in the United States Senate on January 15, 2009, and Governor Minner appointed Ted Kaufman to Biden's seat. Kaufman had previously served as Senator Biden's Chief of Staff during his tenure in the United States Senate.

2008 Indiana gubernatorial election

November 4, 2008

Nominee Mitch Daniels Jill Long Thompson Party Republican Democratic Running mate Becky Skillman Dennie Oxley Popular vote 1,563,885 1,082,463 Percentage 57.8% 40.1%

County results

Governor before election Mitch Daniels Republican Elected Governor Mitch Daniels Republican

Incumbent Republican Mitch Daniels[6] faced Democratic nominee former Congresswoman and Undersecretary of Agriculture Jill Long Thompson,[7] and Libertarian nominee engineer Andy Horning,[8] who also ran for governor in 2000.

Some pundits thought Mitch Daniels was vulnerable in 2008, but polling taken by SurveyUSA on October 21 and 22, 2008 showed him with a significant 54-35 lead. He won re-election easily, confirming these predictions.

While Indiana had not voted Democratic for president since 1964, Daniels was the first Republican elected governor in 16 years there. Daniels was also endorsed by the state's largest newspapers, the Indianapolis Star, the Evansville Courier & Press, the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, the Times of Northwest Indiana, the Gary Post-Tribune and the Louisville Courier-Journal.

2008 Missouri gubernatorial election

November 4, 2008

Nominee Jay Nixon Kenny Hulshof Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,680,611 1,136,364 Percentage 58.4% 39.5%

County results

Governor before election Matt Blunt Republican Elected Governor Jay Nixon Democratic

Matt Blunt was considered to be the most vulnerable incumbent in the 2008 election cycle, but decided on January 22, 2008 not to seek re-election.[10] Blunt's approval rating was the nation's second-lowest after Governor Ernie Fletcher of Kentucky for much of 2007, though his approval rating improved and approached 50% in a May poll conducted by SurveyUSA.

The Republican nominee was Congressman Kenny Hulshof. The Democratic nominee was four-term Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 1998. Nixon defeated Hulshof comfortably, despite the fact that Missouri ultimately voted for John McCain, a Republican, for president. Missouri was the only state not to re-elect the incumbent party for governor in 2008.

2008 Montana gubernatorial election

November 4, 2008

Nominee Brian Schweitzer Roy Brown Party Democratic Republican Running mate John Bohlinger Steve Daines Popular vote 318,670 158,268 Percentage 65.5% 32.5%

County results

Governor before election Brian Schweitzer Democratic Elected Governor Brian Schweitzer Democratic

Democrat Brian Schweitzer of Montana (running with Lt. Governor John Bohlinger) was heavily favored to win re-election as he had better funding and high approval ratings as current Governor. The Republican nominee was State Senator Roy Brown (running with Steve Daines), and the Libertarian nominee was Stan Jones (running with Michael Baker).[11] Schweitzer won some press coverage with his well-received speech to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.[12] He was criticized, however, for a speech in July in which he jested that he helped defeat U.S. Senator Conrad Burns in 2006 by tampering with the vote totals,[13] which he insisted was purely a joke. Schweitzer won re-election by a comfortable margin despite the criticism.

2008 New Hampshire gubernatorial election

November 4, 2008

Nominee John Lynch Joseph Kenney Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 479,042 188,555 Percentage 70.1% 27.6%

County results

Governor before election John Lynch Democratic Elected Governor John Lynch Democratic

In New Hampshire, Democrat John Lynch easily won re-election against State Senator Joseph D. Kenney, the Republican nominee.[15]

NOTE: New Hampshire's gubernatorial elections are held every in alternate (even-numbered) years, instead of every fourth year.

2008 North Carolina gubernatorial election

November 4, 2008

Nominee Bev Perdue Pat McCrory Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,146,189 2,001,168 Percentage 50.3% 46.9%

County results

Governor before election Mike Easley Democratic Elected Governor Bev Perdue Democratic

Mike Easley was term-limited in 2008, in another state whose governorship had been held by Democrats for 16 years. Democratic Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue was the Democratic nominee, defeating Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, the Republican nominee.

2008 North Dakota gubernatorial election

November 4, 2008

Nominee John Hoeven Tim Mathern Party Republican Democratic–NPL Running mate Jack Dalrymple Merle Boucher Popular vote 235,009 74,279 Percentage 74.4% 23.5%

County results

Governor before election John Hoeven Republican Elected Governor John Hoeven Republican

Republican John Hoeven announced he would seek re-election for a third term in 2008.[18] He won re-election with 74% of the vote. Soundly defeating the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, State Senator Tim Mathern,[19] (24%) and independent candidate DuWayne Hendrickson (2%).

2008 Utah gubernatorial election

November 4, 2008

Nominee Jon Huntsman Jr. Bob Springmeyer Party Republican Democratic Running mate Gary Herbert Josie Valdez Popular vote 735,049 186,503 Percentage 77.6% 19.7%

County results

Governor before election Jon Huntsman Jr. Republican Elected Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. Republican

Jon Huntsman, Jr. was heavily favored to win re-election in Utah. As of 2008, Republicans had controlled the Utah governorship for 24 years. Democrat Bob Springmeyer challenged Huntsman,[21] but was decisively defeated.

2008 Vermont gubernatorial election

November 4, 2008

Nominee Jim Douglas Anthony Pollina Gaye Symington Party Republican Independent Democratic Popular vote 170,492 69,791 69,534 Percentage 53.4% 21.8% 21.7%

County results

Governor before election Jim Douglas Republican Elected Governor Jim Douglas Republican

Three-term incumbent Jim Douglas ran as a Republican, and House Speaker Gaye Symington ran as a Democrat. Other candidates included Anthony Pollina of the Vermont Progressive Party and Cris Ericson of the Marijuana Party.[23] Douglas was re-elected.

2008 Washington gubernatorial election

November 4, 2008

Nominee Christine Gregoire Dino Rossi Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,598,738 1,404,124 Percentage 53.0% 46.6%

County results

Governor before election Christine Gregoire Democratic Elected Governor Christine Gregoire Democratic

Democrat Christine Gregoire[24] is perhaps best known for having won in 2004 by 133 votes in the third official count, after having lost the initial count by 261 votes and the first recount by 24 votes. Her 2004 opponent, Republican former State Senator Dino Rossi,[25] officially announced his candidacy on October 25, 2007.[26] Pre-election SurveyUSA polls showed Gregoire leading Rossi with a 50% to 47% margin.[27] A September 10 poll by Rasmussen Reports showed Rossi pulling ahead by a 52% to 46% margin.[28] The race was expected to be extremely close, but Gregoire was reelected by a wider than expected margin of 6.45%.[29]

2008 West Virginia gubernatorial election

November 4, 2008

Nominee Joe Manchin Russ Weeks Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 492,697 181,612 Percentage 69.8% 25.7%

County results

Governor before election Joe Manchin Democratic Elected Governor Joe Manchin Democratic

Democrat Joe Manchin ran for re-election in West Virginia and was heavily favored according to pre-election polls. On November 4, he faced former State Senator Russ Weeks, a Republican, and Mountain Party candidate Jesse Johnson, who ran in 2004.[31] Butch Paugh of the Constitution Party also attempted a run but failed to qualify for the ballot.[32] Manchin won re-election by a landslide.

At the 2008 Elections, all 55 governorships of the states and territories were occupied. However, in the 2008 election cycle, only thirteen seats were up for election - eleven were statewide, and two were territorial. Eight seats were held by Democrats, and the remaining five were held by Republicans.

• 2008 United States elections
  • 2008 United States presidential election
  • 2008 United States Senate elections
  • 2008 United States House of Representatives elections