Barkley, who had briefly been appointed Senator after the death of Paul Wellstone in 2002, ran under the banner of the Independence Party, the largest third party in Minnesota. The Democrats gained 8 seats, while the Republicans did not gain a seat. In addition, this was the largest Democratic Senate gain since 1986, where they also won eight seats. On November 29, after being personally recruited by Vitter and former Bush administration official Karl Rove, Kennedy announced plans to challenge Landrieu in 2008.[63][64]. Popular vote totals generally gathered from state Certificates of Ascertainment and/or results posted directly by individual states. Democratic candidates defeated Republican incumbents in Alaska; New Hampshire; North Carolina; Oregon; and, after a lengthy recount process, Minnesota. Alexander won the election with 65% of the vote. POJA Act of 2021 (11/04/2021 legislative day) Senate Floor: PN367. There are 33 seats up for reelection in 2012, but only seven are . On October 19, 2007, Johnson formally announced that he was seeking re-election. On May 8, 2007, Rep. Tom Allen (ME-1) announced his candidacy on his website. The only desks that are not assigned in the traditional manner are the Daniel Webster Desk, which is always occupied by the senior senator from New Hampshire; the Jefferson Davis Desk, which is given to the senior senator from Mississippi; and the Henry Clay Desk, which is given to the senior senator from Kentucky. Since those elections, Democrats have had to endure the loss of some reliable voters because Hurricane Katrina dispersed many African-Americans from New Orleans, although the vast majority still live within Louisiana. Contact | McCain won Nebraska but Obama earned an electoral vote by winning the popular vote in the 2nd Congressional District. Dykstra won the Republican primary on June 3. Five Republicans retired rather than seek re-election. Overview and Live Results: Chicago Mayoral Election, Legislative Special Elections, Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin Running for U.S. Senate, Initial 2024 House Ratings from Sabato's Crystal Ball. Senate Catalogue of Fine Art Green Party Senate Candidate Chris Lugo Urges Inclusion in Debates. As of 2023, this is the last time Democrats won U.S. Senate seats in Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Dakota. The Republican challenger turned out to be Jeff Beatty, an ex-Army Delta Force officer who garnered 30% of the vote in a challenge to Democratic Congressman Bill Delahunt in 2006. Image Reproduction Requests. Despite voting heavily for Bush in 2004, Alabama still had a strong Democratic presence; Democrats controlled majorities of both chambers in the state legislature. Congress. Eleven of the fifty United States governors were up for re-election, as were the governorships of two U.S. territories. 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. This seat was the tipping point state in the 2008 senate elections. He also secured wins in Colorado, Indiana, Nevada, and New Mexico, which were not reliable parts of the Democratic coalition to that point. Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Ron Sparks appeared to be preparing for a run, but on June 12, 2007, Sparks announced that he would not seek the Senate seat, in order to avoid a primary battle with state senator Vivian Davis Figures. Stevens's conviction on seven felony counts of corruption put his re-election bid in serious jeopardy, coming just over a week before the election, though Stevens appealed the conviction. Former Representative Bob Schaffer of Fort Collins was the Republican nominee. Republicans gained a seat in a January 2010 special election in Massachusetts, thereby making the balance 5941 before the start of the next election cycle. States shown here did not allocate all their available electoral votes to one candidate. [159] However, Georgia proceeded to a runoff election where the Republican candidate won by over 10%. There were several unique aspects of the 2008 election. [163] Democrats Sheirl Fletcher and Billy Hendricks challenged Rockefeller in the primary but were defeated. Content Responsibility | This marked the first time that Nebraska has split its electoral vote since it moved away from the winner-take-all method in 1992. [41] For most of the campaign, Chambliss maintained a comfortable lead in most polls. The Republican nominee was Rep. Steve Pearce, who represented the more conservative southern part of the state. Obama campaigned on cutting low-income and middle-income taxes and raising upper-income tax rates, while McCain supported tax cuts at all income levels. Use the interactive map tool to predict the winners of the 2014 senate elections and share with your friends! [161], When asked whether the Republicans were abandoning their hopes of holding onto Warner's seat, senator John Ensign, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, responded that "You dont waste money on races that dont need it or you cant win."[116]. [27] Rebekah Kennedy of the Green Party was Pryor's only opposition. [138] However, because he lost the Democratic primary, Cone was not listed on the ballot under the state's sore loser law.[139]. simplemaps_election.colors = {'R': '#a45a4f','D':'#415490','T':'#D6D6D6'}; Smith faced Democratic Oregon House of Representatives Speaker Jeff Merkley in the November general election. [114] Domenici normally would have been expected to win re-election easily, having won his current term with the support of two out of three New Mexico voters; however, he was to be investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee for his role in firing U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. McCain still won the white vote, though Obamas share of the vote was large enough to win in some Republican areas. Each desk was custom made for a particular location within the Chamber. [82][83] He was included in most of the debates and ultimately received 15% of the vote in the general election, a strong showing for a third party candidate. 2008 Election Map: Senate By MATTHEW BLOCH, FARHANA HOSSAIN, CARL HULSE, JOHN MCGRATH AND DEREK WILLIS Ten were elected on November 4, 2008. The United States Senate is the upper legislature of the bicameral legislative branch. After Shaheen's entry, however, all three withdrew and endorsed the former governor. 2012 vs. 2008, 2012 vs. 2004 Obama Job Approval Right Direction/Wrong Track Latest Election 2012 Polls. When one party elected more than half the senators, some majority party members had to find space on the minority party side of the aisle. The Democratic nominee was 2nd district Congressman Mark Udall of Boulder who announced on January 15, 2007, that he would seek the seat and did not draw significant primary opposition. Udall won the election with 61% of the vote, with Pearce taking 39%. Cookies are used to track analytics, serve personalized ads, detect bots, and improve website functionality. wikipedia.org - United States Senate. [110][111] Furthermore, in the wake of the financial crisis, Carl Peter Klapper entered the race as a write-in candidate.[112]. USA - 2008 House Election Map Clear Map Share Map Style Misc Login Privacy Sidebar Tossup 435 Republican 0 Democrat 0 + 0 0 0 0 435 0 0 0 0 YAPms 2 Beta - Discord USA 2018 House Map Shortcuts F - hold down to quickly fill in districts CTRL - hold down to decrement the color Enable Simulator District House Floor: H.R.1917 Congress What If All States Split Their Electoral Votes. In a state that had been trending to the Democratic party recently, senator Tom Harkin faced the Republican nominee, small business owner Christopher Reed, whom he defeated with 63% of the vote to Reed's 37%. Toss Up. Tex. Governor Bill Halter would challenge Pryor in the primary, but Halter declined to file as a candidate. It takes 270 electoral votes to win the 2020 presidential election. The goal of having two senators per state is to have each state equally represented in the senate. Justices Opened Door to Gerrymander Presidential Elections, How Trump Could Win Re-Election By One Electoral Vote, 3 Myths About Abolishing the Electoral College, 5 Reasons to Abolish the Electoral College, Another Look at the 2020 Battleground States, Imagining the 2024 Electoral Map After Redistricting, The Electoral College Penalizes Voters In High Turnout States, The Winner-Take-All Electoral College Isnt In the Constitution. Senator Pat Roberts sought re-election to a third term. Even though West Virginia is a historically Democratic state, in which the party had a 50-32% edge in party affiliation over the Republicans in the 2004 elections, the state party is more conservative than the national party, giving its votes to President George W. Bush in that election and in 2000. McCain suggested that government-aided bodies like the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) failed to offset these risks. The 2008 electoral map is above. The 33 seats in the United States Senate Class 2 were up for election, plus special Senate elections in Mississippi and Wyoming. McCain and Obama differed on the presence of American troops in Iraq. [104] Prior to Shaheen's entry, Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand,[105] Katrina Swett, wife of former Democratic congressman Richard Swett,[106] and former astronaut Jay Buckey[107] had announced that they were running for the Democratic nomination. Libertarian Kent Marmon also ran. Republicans were unsuccessful in persuading Governor Mike Rounds and former Lieutenant Governor Steve Kirby to run. On November 18, the race was called for Begich, who won with 47.8% to Stevens's 46.5%. It is not clear whether Barkley detracted more votes from Coleman or Franken. State Representative Joel Dykstra announced his candidacy on July 5, 2007. The Senate seat in Connecticut is counted as a . Hagan's poll numbers continued to best Dole's, however, and Hagan defeated Dole by a wider than expected[123] margin of 53% to 44%. Congressional Democrats made gains in the House and the Senate after winning majorities in both chambers during the 2006 midterm elections. The Electoral College is the process in which the United States elects its president. [93] However, Barbour filed an appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which overturned the earlier ruling and set the special election for November 4, 2008.[94][95]. [91] Controversy arose when Barbour called for the special election to be held on the same day as the general election. National security and foreign policy issues took a back seat to the economy due to an unraveling financial crisis. Thirty-three seats were up for regular elections; the winners were eligible to serve six-year terms from January 3, 2009, to January 3, 2015, as members of Class 2.There were also two special elections, the winners of those seats would finish the terms that ended . This map is shaded by how large the popular vote difference was between the two nominees. Each state (Including the District of Columbia) is allocated a number of electors equal to its number of representatives plus two for each of its senators. CQpolitics.com rated the contest as "safe Democrat.". On August 27, 2007, state Treasurer John Neely Kennedy announced he was switching parties from Democrat to Republican. [153] In addition, the Green Party of Texas sought ballot access for its candidate David B. Winner. Obama became the nations first African American president with his victory. Former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway was rumored to be considering a run, but declined to do so. Although Bush carried the state twice, Arkansas Democrats swept the seven state races held in the 2006 general election. 2008 Presidential Election 2008 interactive map << 2004 2012 >> The 56th quadrennial United States presidential election was held on November 4, 2008. The New Hampshire Senate saw the election of the first-ever female majority. Select a state to learn about its history in the United States Senate [169] 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.[170]. Christian activist Larry Kilgore of Mansfield, Texas, was a Republican challenger for the March 2008 primary election, but Cornyn easily won the Republican primary. However, New Hampshire had not elected a Democratic United States senator since 1975. senate.gov - Origins wikipedia.org - United States Senate In addition, two freshmen were appointed to fill vacancies created by Barack Obama's and Joe Biden's resignations to become president and vice president. In Oklahoma, senator Jim Inhofe announced that he would seek a third full term. On January 3, 2009, with the recount apparently completed, Franken had an unofficial lead of 225 votes, but former senator Coleman's attorneys contested the official results in the courts. Democrats held at least 57 seats as a result of the election. To win the presidency, a candidate must win a majority of all electors. Live election results and maps for the 2010 midterm elections, including state-by-state and county-by-county maps, and exit polls. In the early years of the Senate an equal number of desks were placed on each side of the room, separated by a central passageway, without regard to party size. simplemaps_election.selected.D = ['CA', 'CT', 'CO', 'DC', 'DE', 'FL', 'HI', 'IA', 'IN', 'NY', 'CO', 'IL', 'MA', 'MD', 'ME', 'ME1', 'ME2', 'MI', 'MN', 'NC', 'NE2', 'NJ', 'NM', 'NY', 'NH', 'NV', 'OH', 'OR', 'PA', 'RI', 'VT', 'VA', 'WA', 'WI']; McCain also hoped that Palins youth and relatability to conservative women would buoy his campaign. A September 2007 poll put Inhofe's approval rating at 47%, with 41% disapproving of his performance. Biden was re-elected with 65% of the vote, or 257,484 votes. ", This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 06:45. [103] Three consecutive monthly Rasmussen Reports poll showed Shaheen defeating Sununu by 49% to 41%. On April 13, 2009, a three-judge panel ruled that Al Franken received the most votes in Minnesota's 2008 Senate race and ruled against Coleman's claims on all counts. Senators independent of either party have traditionally chosen for themselves which side of the aisle to sit on. [120] The Democratic nominee was state senator Kay Hagan,[121] who defeated Jim Neal and Dustin Lassiter in the Democratic primary. [20] On July 30, 2007, the IRS and FBI raided Stevens's home in Alaska. Durbin won with 68% of the vote. For more information please visit. Incumbent Democrat Frank Lautenberg sought re-election in 2008, though he was 84. Domenici's role in the developing scandal had reduced the probability he would have been re-elected, and a SurveyUSA poll showed his approval ratings at 41%, with 54% disapproving. It only became clear Begich had prevailed when early votes, absentee ballots, and questioned ballots were counted. Oct. 05: Senate Races. McCain, who supported the initial Iraq invasion, opposed establishing a removal date for all troops. [81] Attorney Mike Ciresi, an unsuccessful candidate in the 2000 Democratic U.S. Senate primary, was considered a serious candidate, but withdrew from the race on March 10, 2008, clearing the path for Franken to secure the party's nomination. Have questions about Senate art? Obama won the general election with 52.9 percent of the popular vote and 365 of the 538 electoral votes. Table of Contents 1 2008 Election Results 2 Primaries 3 Economic Issues 4 National Security 5 Strategy 6 2008 Election Results Senator, Kay Hagan, has since died. Setting the popular vote will also set the color of a state, Clicking on a district will set the popular vote to max, Clicking doesn\'t set state color or open menu, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, F - hold down to quickly fill in districts, D - hold down to fill/disable entire states. Latinos and the 2008 Presidential Election. Date. Two senators from each state are elected to represent their state. 51 of 100 Seats Needed for Majority Current Senate: 53 ( D ); 45 ( R ); 2 ( I ) Blue Democratic Win Red Republican Win Yellow Other Party Win Light Teal Partial Results Dark Gray No Results Light. [130], In a July 16, 2008, poll, Merkley overtook Smith for the first time 43% to 41%. [31] Other possible Republican candidates included former Congressman Scott McInnis and Colorado Attorney General John Suthers. In December 2007, Chambliss had an approval rating of 53% and a disapproval rating of 34% according to Strategic Vision, a Republican polling firm. He had already expressed interest in running and had been building the apparatus necessary to wage a Senate campaign.[65]. Please enter a name, party, and color for each candidate. 2023 Electoral Ventures LLC. Incumbent Republican Thad Cochran announced that he would seek re-election for a sixth term. What Is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact? The candidates disagreed on the causes of the financial crisis and tax policy. During the 89th Congress (19651967), four senators were placed in an unusual fifth row behind the Democratic senators. iOS and Web Dev UCSB CS c/o 2024 Project List. Explore the current seating plan below, use the dropdown for access to past interactive seating plans, or browse PDFs of seating configurations from before 2003. The United States Senate is the upper legislature of the bicameral legislative branch. 98%. But the division has not always been as clearly defined as it is now. The selected electors from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia voted for President and Vice President of the United States on December 15, 2008. [8][9] Perry was endorsed by Alabama Statesmen,[10] Boston Tea Party,[11] and Christians for Life and Liberty. [12], Sessions defeated Figures, taking 63% of the vote to Figures's 37%, Dispelling rumors that he would retire due to advanced age (he was 84 years old on election day) and ongoing federal investigations into his conduct, senator Ted Stevens filed papers for re-election for an eighth term. Independent. The split can be edited in this table. The candidates sparred through the June 3 primaries despite Obama securing enough delegates to win the nomination earlier in the race. Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois won the presidential election, by defeating his challenger, Senator John McCain, and the Democrats bolstered their majority in both Houses of Congress . Johnny Swanson announced his candidacy in March 2006 for the Democratic nomination.[6]. [145] He was unopposed in the Republican primary. When the new senators were first sworn in, the balance was 5841 in favor of the Democrats, with the unresolved election in Minnesota causing that seat to remain vacant. R+46. The same Rasmussen poll showed Cornyn leading Noriega by a narrow four percentage points - 47% to 43%. Build your own road to 270 starting with a map of reliably red and blue states, as well as the battlegrounds CNN is tracking . He sought to be re-elected in a state that has steadily become more Democratic since 1992. This seating plan is updated at the start of each Congress, and as needed if members change desks or seating locations or if a new senator is sworn in. The 2008 electoral map is above. Projected Senate: Dem 59 GOP 41 : Main page: Previous report: Next report: Senate polls Web.csv . Occasionally one party maintains such an overwhelming majority that it becomes necessary for majority party members to sit on the minority party side in the Senate Chamber. Stevens was the most senior U.S. President Map - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times Election Results 2008 President Map Big Board Map Electoral Explorer Obama: Victory Speech McCain: Concession Speech Exit Polls. Nevertheless, Stevens was narrowly ahead in the vote count after election day, with only about two-thirds of all votes counted. The United States Senate is the upper legislature of the bicameral legislative branch. The Libertarian Party of Tennessee officially selected Daniel Lewis as their candidate for United States Senate on Saturday March 8, 2008, at their annual convention held in Nashville, Tennessee. On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama won the presidential election, making Biden the next VP. Sara Lobman of the Socialist Workers Party and Independent Anthony Fisher were also declared candidates. [37] Delaware law allowed Biden to run for Vice President and senator at the same time, so he would have kept the Senate seat if the presidential ticket had lost. [62] Nevertheless, McConnell was re-elected by a margin of 53% to 47%. Former Chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party Bob Tuke was the Democratic nominee, defeating Businessman Gary Davis 30% to 23%. Two more freshmen were appointed to the Senate as a consequence of the appointment of Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State and Ken Salazar to be Secretary of the Interior. [49] Risch and LaRocco ran against each other in the 2006 Lieutenant Governor race, which Risch won by a wide margin. When the Senate moved to its current Chamber in 1859, the practice of dividing the desks equally continued for several years even though the new Chamber was large enough to permit a flexible seating arrangement. Obama also offered the chance for voters to elect the nations first African American president and a relatively young president at 47 years old. This marked the first time that Nebraska has split its electoral vote since it moved away from the winner-take-all method in 1992. Democrat Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain. [90][91] 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. Voter turnout for the 2008 election was the highest in at least 40 years. simplemaps_election.order = ['T', 'D', 'R']; //which color is shown first on click Controls. Lieutenant Governor Jim Risch was the Republican candidate; U.S. Army veteran and former congressman Larry LaRocco was the Democratic candidate. The campaign engaged targeted groups through networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Two senators from each state are elected to represent their state. [86] Coleman appealed this decision. 2023 Electoral Ventures LLC. Midterm Election Map 2018: Live Results - ABC News Follow hourly state-by-state senate, governor and house results and see who is in the lead Democrats or Republicans. "The enduring allure of charisma: How Barack Obama won the historic 2008 presidential election. Gordon Smith formally conceded soon afterward. Fellow senator Joe Lieberman, citing his status as an independent, endorsed Collins in her 2008 re-election bid. Roberts was re-elected with 60% to Slattery's 36%. Businessman and U.S. Army veteran Bruce Lunsford, who lost the 2007 Democratic gubernatorial primary to Governor Steve Beshear, was the Democratic nominee. There are typically two reasons a senator might want to change desks: to gain a better location within the Chamber, or to occupy a desk previously used by a particular senator. Obama won his party's presidential nomination after defeating Senator Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primaries. The election was the first in which an African American was elected President. On December 2, 2008, Chambliss won the run-off with 57% of vote to Martin's 43%. Five Republicans sought re-election but lost in the general election. [88] Cochran, who has not faced serious opposition since he was re-elected in 1984, faced Democratic state Representative Erik R. Fleming, whom he defeated with 61% of the vote. Since 2003 (108th Congress, 1st Session), the Senate has provided interactive seating plans to identify where each of the 100 members sit in the Chamber and which historic desk they use. to easily win re-election. Obama received more votes than any candidate in history. Begich announced his candidacy for the Senate seat on April 22, 2008. The 2008 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, 2008, with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested. South Carolina's election law allows for electoral fusion. [134] National Journal has declared that "Reed is probably the safest incumbent of the 2008 cycle". [141] According to a November 2006 SurveyUSA poll, Johnson had an approval rating of 70%, with just 26% disapproving of his performance,[142] making him an early favorite despite the state's Republican leaning. Incumbent John Kerry sought another Senate term in Massachusetts. Levin won re-election with 63% of the vote, to Hoogendyk's 34%. Today the desks are no longer arranged in their original order, but are moved within the Chamber to suit the needs of the Senate. Kaufman subsequently announced that he would not seek election to a full term in 2010, effectively making him a caretaker. Obama received 365 electoral votes, and McCain 173. Graham easily bested Witherspoon in the June 10 primary.[136]. On election day, Shaheen defeated Sununu, 52% to 45%. A map of key Senate races to watch. The major theme during the campaign was the American public's general desire of change and reform from both Washington and the policies of President Bush. The 56th quadrennial United States presidential election was held on November 4, 2008. Despite being a first-term senator in a state George W. Bush won twice, Democrat Mark Pryor faced no opposition from Republicans in his re-election bid. Elections were held for 85 legislative chambers, with all states but Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Alabama, Maryland, and Virginia holding elections in at least one house. The South Carolina Working Families Party had also nominated Michael Cone. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 2008 United States House of Representatives elections, 2008 United States gubernatorial elections, 2008 United States state legislative elections, "Democrats Poised For Landslide Wins In House", "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 2008", https://ballotpedia.org/State_legislative_elections,_2008, "New York - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times", "Tennessee Republicans win slim majority in State House", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2008_United_States_elections&oldid=1138541683, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with dead external links from August 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Barreto, Matt A., et al. [119] There was early speculation that North Carolina Governor Mike Easley might be pressured into running against her but this did not come to pass. All Rights Reserved. Mich. Minn. Miss. The 2008 presidential election focused on a national economic crisis that evolved throughout the race. Reed's opponent was Robert Tingle, a pit manager at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, whom Reed defeated in his re-election campaign in 2002.[135]. [132], In Rhode Island, Democratic senator Jack Reed had an approval rating of 66% in November 2006. ", Campbell, James E. "An exceptional election: Performance, values, and crisis in the 2008 presidential election. This marked the first time that Nebraska has split its electoral vote since it moved away from the winner-take-all method in 1992. For the Georgia senate race, votes from the runoff election are counted. Since Democrat Jim Webb had defeated incumbent Republican George Allen for Virginia's other Senate seat in 2006, Virginia's senate delegation flipped from entirely Republican to entirely Democratic in just two years. pres, senate, and governor data Let's Talk Elections: 2022 senate projections Political Analysis: 2022 senate projections MIT Election Lab: past pres, senate, house data Dave Leip's Atlas: past presidential results CNN: 2022 . In the Democratic primary, Figures won the nomination and face Sessions in November. Incumbent President George W. Bush was ineligible for re-election per the 22nd Amendment, which limits a president to two terms, and incumbent Vice President Dick Cheney declined to run for the office. McCains victory in South Carolina, Florida, and in key states on Super Tuesday created an clear path to the nomination. [32], Other candidates included Bob Kinsey of Denver as the Green Party nominee,[33] Douglas "Dayhorse" Campbell as the American Constitution Party's nominee,[34] and Independent candidate Buddy Moore, unaffiliated any party.[35]. He was certified March 3, 2008, by the Tennessee Division of Elections as having achieved ballot access for the November 4, 2008, election as a candidate for United States Senate. Senator Obama won the number of electors necessary to be elected president and was inaugurated on January 20, 2009.[3]. Each had voted for the Republican nominee in 2004 and contributed to Obama's sizable Electoral College victory. Additionally, it was the first election in which both major parties nominated candidates who were born outside of the contiguous United States. Obama opposed the Iraq invasion and argued for a 16-month timetable for removing troops and reinforcing troops in Afghanistan. Louisiana elected David Vitter in 2004, the state's first Republican senator since Reconstruction, as well as Republican Bobby Jindal as the first Indian-American Governor in the country's history in 2007. [citation needed] Franken was sworn in as Minnesota's junior senator on July 7. [47] The announcement followed by just six days the disclosure that he had pleaded guilty on August 1, 2007, to a reduced misdemeanor charge arising out of his arrest on June 11 at the Minneapolis airport for soliciting sex with a man in the restroom. States in the Senate. Martin, current Georgia Commissioner of Human Resources, former member of the Georgia General Assembly, Vietnam War veteran, and 2006 candidate for lieutenant governor, secured the Democratic nomination after defeating DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones by a 59% to 41% margin in the August 5 run-off election.