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United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2008

United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2008
North Carolina
← 2002 November 4, 2008 2014 →
  Kay Hagan official photo.jpg Elizabeth Dole official photo.jpg
Nominee Kay Hagan Elizabeth Dole
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 2,249,311 1,887,510
Percentage 52.7% 44.2%

North Carolina Senate Election Results by County, 2008.svg
County results

U.S. Senator before election

Elizabeth Dole
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Kay Hagan
Democratic


Elizabeth Dole
Republican

Kay Hagan
Democratic

The 2008 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 4, 2008. The Senate election coincided with the presidential, U.S. House elections, gubernatorial, Council of State, and statewide judicial elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Democrat Kay Hagan. The November general election was the first time in North Carolina history, and only the eighth time in U.S. history, that the two major-party candidates for a U.S. Senate seat were both women. In addition, Hagan became the first Democrat to win this seat since it was won by the Republicans in 1972, and the first woman to defeat an incumbent woman in a Senate election. As of 2016, this is the last Senate election in North Carolina won by a Democrat.

Hagan, initially an unknown politician, decided to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole.

National Democrats at first encouraged incumbent Governor Mike Easley to make the race. A late October 2007 Rasmussen Report poll showed Easley defeating Dole 50% to 42%. Easley declined to run, as did Congressman Brad Miller, who expressed interest in early 2007. Former Governor Jim Hunt also declined to compete against Dole.


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