2008 United States Senate election in Louisiana


The 2008 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on November 4, 2008. This was the first time since the 1970s that Louisiana used primaries for federal races. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu won reelection to a third term, while her Republican opponent John Kennedy won Louisiana's other Senate seat in 2016. As of, this is the last Senate election in Louisiana that was won by a Democrat.

Background

Landrieu's increased vulnerability was supposed to be the result of a significant drop in the state's African-American population after Hurricane Katrina, especially in Landrieu's home city of New Orleans. Louisiana also elected a Republican senator in 2004 and President Bush carried the state twice, in 2004 with 58 percent of the vote. Also, Republican Congressman Bobby Jindal won the 2007 gubernatorial election with 54 percent of the vote.

Major candidates

Democratic

CQ Politics rated this race as 'Leans Democrat'. The Cook Political Report considered it 'Lean Democrat'. The Rothenberg Political Report considered it a 'Narrow Advantage for Incumbent Party'. Landrieu was considered the most vulnerable incumbent Democratic senator, and although she won, her margin of victory was the narrowest of any Democratic-held Senate seats in 2008.

Polling

Results

Landrieu, despite being one of the most vulnerable incumbent senators in 2008 and then-senator Barack Obama losing the state to senator John McCain, won on election night by 121,121 votes and 6.39%.