# 2008 United States Senate election in West Virginia

Elections in West Virginia :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2000
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1863
1865
1871
1877
1877 sp
1882
1883
1887
1888
1889
1892
1893
1893 sp
1895
1899
1901
1905
1907
1911
1911 sp
1913
1916
1918
1922
1924
1928
1930
1934
1936
1940
1942
1942 sp
1946
1948
1952
1954
1956 sp
1958
1958 sp
1960
1964
1966
1970
1972
1976
1978
1982
1984
1988
1990
1994
1996
2000
2002
2006
2008
2010 sp
2012
2014
2018
2020
2024
2026
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1863
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1883
3rd sp
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1905
2nd sp
1906
1908
1910
1912
1913
1st sp
1914
1916
2nd sp
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1933
3rd sp
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1951
5th sp
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
3rd sp
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
General elections
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1863
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2011 sp
2012
2016
2020
2024
Attorney General elections
2012
2016
2020
2024
Secretary of State elections
2012
2016
2020
2024
Auditor elections
2012
2016
2020
2024
Treasurer elections
2012
2016
2020
2024
Senate elections
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
House of Delegates elections
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Local government
Charleston (mayoral elections)
2022
Huntington (municipal elections)
2020
2024
Wheeling (municipal elections)
2020
2024 :
vte :
The 2008 United States Senate election in West Virginia was held on November 4. Incumbent senator Jay Rockefeller won re-election to a fifth term in a landslide, defeating Republican Jay Wolfe who had returned from the 2002 Senate election by a 27-point margin. Despite this overwhelming win, this remains the last time that a Democrat has won West Virginia's Class 2 U.S. Senate seat. In both of the two subsequent elections for the seat, Republicans have swept every single county.

## Background

Before the 2000 presidential election, West Virginia had been won by the Democratic nominee every time since 1932 except for the Republican landslides of 1956, 1972, and 1984. In 2000, then Republican governor George W. Bush of Texas won West Virginia's five electoral college votes over then Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee by a margin of 52–46. Also in the 2000 election, Republican Shelley Moore Capito, the daughter of former West Virginia Governor Arch A. Moore, Jr., won a surprise victory over Democrat Jim Humphreys for West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District seat to the United States House of Representatives. She is the first Republican in West Virginia to hold a Congressional office for more than one term since her father (1957–1969). Before these two major victories for national and West Virginia Republicans, it was difficult to find a Republican who could mount a formidable campaign against Democrats running for public office in West Virginia.
President Bush won West Virginia again in the 2004 presidential election over John F. Kerry, the Democratic junior Senator from Massachusetts by a margin of 56–43. Both Representative Alan Mollohan (D-1st District) and Representative Nick Rahall (D-3rd District) had more formidable challenges from Republicans when compared to 2000 and 2002.
The Republicans had gained seven net seats in both the West Virginia Senate and the West Virginia House of Delegates from 2000 to 2008. However, the Democrats still held 60% of the seats in the Senate and 68% of the seats in the House.
Along with continued majorities in the legislature, Democrats had also had other recent victories. Even though both Bush and Capito won their respective offices in 2000, Senator Byrd sailed to an eighth term with 78% of the vote over Republican David Gallaher. Senator John D. Rockefeller IV easily won a fourth term to the Senate in 2002 by a margin of 63–37 over Republican former state senator Jay Wolfe. In 2000, 2002, and 2004, both Representative Mollohan and Representative Rahall were re-elected by much stronger margins than Capito. In 2004, Republican Monty Warner failed to defeat Democratic West Virginia Secretary of State Joe Manchin for governor.
After the Republicans failed to win the governor's race, West Virginia Republican Committee Chairman Kris Warner, the brother of Monty, was put under pressure to resign his post; he did so in May 2005 . Wheeling attorney Rob Capehart took his place. (Dr. Doug McKinney of Bridgeport now holds the post.) Another brother of Monty, Kasey, who was appointed by President Bush in 2001, was removed as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia on August 1, 2005. No explanation has been given for his departure and U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston currently represents the district.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Jay Rockefeller
* Sheirl Fletcher
* Billy Hendricks

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jay Rockefeller (incumbent) | 271,370 | 77.1% |
| | Democratic | Sheirl Fletcher | 51,073 | 14.5% |
| | Democratic | Billy Hendricks | 29,707 | 8.4% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 352,150 | 100.0% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Jay Wolfe, former state senator, and nominee in 1988 and 2002

### Results

Wolfe was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

## General election
### Candidates

* Jay Rockefeller (D), incumbent U.S. senator
* Jay Wolfe (R), former state senator

### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Safe D | October 23, 2008 |
| CQ Politics | Safe D | October 31, 2008 |
| Rothenberg Political Report | Safe D | November 2, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics | Safe D | November 4, 2008 |

### Polling

| Poll Source | Dates administered | Jay Rockefeller (D) | Jay Wolfe (R) |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 24, 2008 | 61% | 33% |

### Results

General election results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Jay Rockefeller (incumbent) | 447,560 | 63.74% | +0.63% |
| | Republican | Jay Wolfe | 254,629 | 36.26% | −0.63% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 702,189 | 100.0% | N/A |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Morgan (largest municipality: Berkeley Springs)