Special elections to the 110th United States Congress
During the 110th United States Congress, there were two special elections for seats in the Senate, both in 2008, and 13 for seats in the House, five in 2007 and eight in 2008. Democrats gained three House seats at the expense of Republicans in 2008, but the incumbent party won all the other special elections.
Senate
| State | Election date (links to special election article) | Vacating incumbent | Reason for vacancy | Appointee | Winner | Term ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | November 4, 2008 | Craig Thomas (R) | Died June 4, 2007 | John Barrasso (R) | John Barrasso (R) | January 3, 2013 |
| Mississippi | November 4, 2008 | Trent Lott (R) | Resigned December 18, 2007 | Roger Wicker (R) | Roger Wicker (R) | January 3, 2013 |
Mississippi
Roger Wicker, formerly the representative of Mississippi's 1st congressional district, was appointed by Governor Haley Barbour on December 31, 2007, to fill the vacancy caused by the December 18 resignation of Trent Lott.[1][2] It had been speculated that Lott wished to resign before a new lobbying reform law, effective the first day of 2008, took effect; having resigned before the end of 2007, Lott may become a lobbyist in 2009 instead of 2010.[2] Controversy arose when Barbour called for the special election to be held on the same day as the general election. As a result, Mississippi's Attorney General Jim Hood challenged Barbour in court, claiming that the special election needed to be held within 100 days of Lott's resignation, as per state law.[3] Initially, a Mississippi Circuit Court judge sided with Hood, ruling that the election take place on or before March 19, 2008.[4] However, Barbour filed an appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which overturned the earlier ruling and set the special election for November 4, 2008.[5][6]
Democratic former Governor Ronnie Musgrove challenged Wicker. Another Democrat, former Congressman Ronnie Shows, also filed to run, but he withdrew in February 2008 and endorsed Musgrove.[7][8] Wicker beat Musgrove 55% to 45%.
Wyoming
John Barrasso was appointed by Governor Dave Freudenthal (D) on June 22, 2007 to fill the senate seat of Republican Craig L. Thomas, who died on June 4.[9] Wyoming law requires that the interim senator be affiliated with the same political party as the departed senator. Barrasso ran in the November 4, 2008 special election, held on the day of the 2008 presidential election, to serve out the remainder of Thomas' term, which expires in January 2013.[10]
On the Democratic side, Casper City Councilman Keith Goodenough announced his candidacy.[11] In the primary on August 19, Goodenough was defeated by a political newcomer, Gillette defense attorney Nick Carter, who became Barrasso's opponent in the general election.[12]
Barrasso won on election day, taking 73% of the vote and winning every county in the state.
House of Representatives
The thirteen special elections to the 110th United States Congress are listed below by election date.
Total Results
| Party | Popular Vote | Seats Up/Seats After | Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote | % | ||||||
| Republican Party | 466,929 | 49.17% | 7 | 4 | -3 | ||
| Democratic Party | 464,649 | 48.92% | 6 | 9 | +3 | ||
| Others | 9,542 | 1.00% | 0 | 0 | -- | ||
| Independents | 8,562 | 0.90% | 0 | 0 | -- | ||
| Total | 949,862 | 100% | 13 | 13 | |||
See also
- List of special elections to the United States Senate
- List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
References
- ↑ "Miss. Congressman Replacing Sen. Lott". ABC News.
- 1 2 "Lott Officially Resigns, All Eyes Now on Barbour". CQ Politics.
- ↑ "Hood Files Suit to Have Special Election Earlier". WLBT 3 - Jackson, MS:.
- ↑ "Miss. judge cancels special election to replace Lott". USATODAY.com. May 21, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ↑ "Barbour's Attorney Appeals Special-Elex Ruling". WLBT 3 - Jackson, MS:.
- ↑ "Mississippi Supreme Court sets election for November".
- ↑ "Former Rep. Shows running for Lott's seat". clarionledger.com.
- ↑ "Shows drops out of race to replace Lott".
- ↑ "Governor picks Barrasso". Casper Star-Tribune. 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
- ↑ Martin Kady II (2007-06-05). "Senate Mourns Death of Wyoming Republican Craig Thomas". CQ Politics. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
- ↑ Goodenough announces Senate bid against Barrasso | KULR-8 TELEVISION - Billings, Montana | Wyoming State News
- ↑ Political newcomer Carter will face Barrasso The Associated Press. August 21, 2008. The Billings Gazette.
- ↑ Garard Shields (2008-02-02). "Baker departs public office". 2theadvocate.com.