For related races, see 2008 United States gubernatorial elections.
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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 Bill Lee in a landslide, succeeding incumbent Ruth Ann Minner, also a Democrat, who was prevented from running for a third term.
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 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. 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
- Bill Lee, former Delaware Superior Court justice and nominee for governor in 2004
- Michael Protack, airline pilot
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill 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 | Safe D | October 16, 2008 |
| Rothenberg Political Report | Safe D | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe D | November 3, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics | 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 | Bill 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 | ||||
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
See also
- 2004 Delaware gubernatorial election
- Sarah McBride, a Markell staffer
References
- ^ "State of Delaware - Department of Elections - State of Delaware". Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
- "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.
- Survey USA
- Rasmussen Reports
- West Chester University/WHYY
- Fairleigh Dickinson
- Survey USA
- "State of Delaware - Department of Elections - State of Delaware". Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
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
| Elections in Delaware | |
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| General | |
| Delaware Senate | |
| Delaware House | |
| Governor |
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| U.S. President |
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| U.S. Senate Class 1 |
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| U.S. Senate Class 2 |
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| U.S. House |
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| Wilmington mayor | |
| New Castle County Executive | |
| See also: Political party strength in Delaware | |
| (2007 ←) 2008 United States elections (→ 2009) | |
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| U.S. President |
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| U.S. Senate |
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| U.S. House (election ratings) |
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| Governors | |
| Attorneys General | |
| Other statewide elections |
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| State legislatures |
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