# 2008 Tennessee elections

Elections in Tennessee :
Federal government
U.S. President
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Presidential primaries
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Republican
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U.S. Senate
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U.S. House
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Special elections
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House
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State government
State elections
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Gubernatorial elections
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State Senate elections
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House of Representatives elections
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2024 :
Ballot measures
2006
Amendment 1
2014
Amendment 1
2022
Amendment 1
Amendment 3
Nashville measures
Nashville Charter Amendment 1
Let's Move Nashville :
Local elections
Hamilton County mayoral elections
2018
2022
Chattanooga mayoral elections
2013
2017
2021
2025
Knox County mayoral elections
2010
2014
2018
2022
Knoxville mayoral elections
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1991
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Shelby County mayoral elections
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2014
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Memphis mayoral elections
2011
2015
2019
2023
Clarksville Mayoral elections
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Jackson Mayoral elections
2015
2019
2023
Murfreesboro Mayoral elections
2014
2018
2022
Nashville Mayoral elections
2007
2011
2015
2018 (sp)
2019
2023 :
Government :
vte :
Tennessee state elections in 2008 were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Primary elections for the United States Senate, United States House of Representatives, Tennessee Senate, and Tennessee House of Representatives, as well as various judicial retention elections, including elections for two Tennessee Supreme Court justices, were held on August 7, 2008.

## Presidential election
### President of the United States

In 2008, Tennessee had 11 electoral votes in the Electoral College at the time. In the general election, Republican candidate John McCain won the state with 56.85% of the vote to Democratic candidate Obama's 41.79%.
The presidential primaries were held on February 5, 2008. Mike Huckabee won Tennessee's Republican primary over Senator John McCain of Arizona. Former first lady Hillary Clinton defeated Senator Barack Obama of Illinois in the Tennessee Democratic primary.

### Results

United States presidential election in Tennessee, 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes |
| | Republican | John McCain | Sarah Palin | 1,479,178 | 56.85% | 11 |
| | Democratic | Barack Obama | Joe Biden | 1,087,437 | 41.79% | 0 |
| | Independent | Ralph Nader | Matt Gonzalez | 11,560 | 0.44% | 0 |
| | Libertarian | Bob Barr | Wayne Allyn Root | 8,547 | 0.33% | 0 |
| | Constitution | Chuck Baldwin | Darrell Castle | 8,191 | 0.31% | 0 |
| | Green | Cynthia McKinney | Rosa Clemente | 2,499 | 0.10% | 0 |
| | Write-ins | Write-ins | Write-ins | 2,333 | 0.09% | 0 |
| | Socialist | Brian Moore | Stewart Alexander | 1,326 | 0.05% | 0 |
| | Boston Tea | Charles Jay | Thomas Knapp | 1,011 | 0.04% | 0 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | 2,601,982 | 100.00% | 11 |
| Voter turnout (Voting age population) | Voter turnout (Voting age population) | Voter turnout (Voting age population) | Voter turnout (Voting age population) | Voter turnout (Voting age population) | Voter turnout (Voting age population) | 55.5% |

### February 5, 2008, Primary Results

| Key: | Withdrew prior to contest |
Democratic Primary Presidential Preference :
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | National delegates |
| Hillary Clinton | 336,245 | 53.82% | 40 |
| Barack Obama | 254,874 | 40.48% | 28 |
| John Edwards | 27,820 | 4.45% | 0 |
| Joe Biden | 1,531 | 0.25% | 0 |
| Bill Richardson | 1,178 | 0.19% | 0 |
| Dennis Kucinich | 971 | 0.16% | 0 |
| Christopher Dodd | 526 | 0.08% | 0 |
| Mike Gravel | 461 | 0.07% | 0 |
| Uncommitted | 3,158 | 0.51% | 0 |
| Totals | 624,764 | 100.00% | 68 |
Republican Presidential Primary :
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Delegates |
| Mike Huckabee | 190,904 | 34.37% | 25 |
| John McCain | 176,091 | 31.84% | 19 |
| Mitt Romney | 130,632 | 23.62% | 8 |
| Ron Paul | 31,026 | 5.61% | 0 |
| Fred Thompson* | 16,263 | 2.94% | 0 |
| Rudy Giuliani* | 5,159 | 0.93% | 0 |
| Alan Keyes | 978 | 0.18% | 0 |
| Duncan Hunter* | 738 | 0.13% | 0 |
| Tom Tancredo* | 194 | 0.03% | 0 |
| Uncommitted | 1,830 | 0.33% | 0 |
| Total | 553,005 | 100% | 52 |
* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary

## United States Congress
### Senate

Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander won re-election to a second term, with 65.1% of the vote against Democrat Bob Tuke, who won just 32.6%.

### Results

United States Senate election in Tennessee, 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Lamar Alexander (Incumbent) | 1,579,477 | 65.14% | +10.87% |
| | Democratic | Bob Tuke | 767,236 | 31.64% | −12.69% |
| | Independent | Edward L. Buck | 31,631 | 1.30% | N/A |
| | Independent | Christopher G. Fenner | 11,073 | 0.46% | N/A |
| | Independent | Daniel Towers Lewis | 9,367 | 0.39% | N/A |
| | Independent | Chris Lugo | 9,170 | 0.38% | N/A |
| | Independent | Ed Lawhorn | 8,986 | 0.37% | N/A |
| | Independent | David Gatchell | 7,645 | 0.32% | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 812,241 | 33.50% | +23.56% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,424,585 | 66.34% | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Swing | | |
August 7, 2008, Primary Results
Democratic Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Bob Tuke | 59,050 | 32.21% |
| | Democratic | Gary G. Davis | 39,119 | 21.34% |
| | Democratic | Mike Padgett | 33,471 | 18.26% |
| | Democratic | Mark E. Clayton | 32,309 | 17.62% |
| | Democratic | Kenneth Eaton | 14,702 | 8.02% |
| | Democratic | Leonard D. Ladner | 4,697 | 2.55% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 183,348 | 100.00% |
Republican Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Lamar Alexander (Incumbent) | 244,222 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 244,222 | 100.00% |

### House of Representatives

Tennessee elected nine U.S. representatives, each representing one of Tennessee's nine congressional districts.

### Results

| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Tennessee 1 | David Davis | Republican | 2006 | Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Republican hold. | ▌Y Phil Roe (Republican) 71.8% ▌Rob Russell (Democratic) 24.5% ▌Joel Goodman (Independent) 1.7% ▌James Reeves (Independent) 1.1% ▌Thomas Owens (Independent) 0.8% |
| Tennessee 2 | Jimmy Duncan | Republican | 1998 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Jimmy Duncan (Republican) 78.1% ▌Bob Scott (Democratic) 21.9% |
| Tennessee 3 | Zach Wamp | Republican | 1994 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Zach Wamp (Republican) 69.4% ▌Doug Vandagriff (Democratic) 27.4% ▌Jean Howard-Hill (Independent) 1.8% ▌Ed Choate (Independent) 1.4% |
| Tennessee 4 | Lincoln Davis | Democratic | 2002 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Lincoln Davis (Democratic) 58.8% ▌Monty Lankford (Republican) 37.8% ▌James Anthony Gray (Independent) 1.9% ▌Kevin Ragsdale (Independent) 1.5% |
| Tennessee 5 | Jim Cooper | Democratic | 1982 1994 (retired) 2002 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Jim Cooper (Democratic) 65.9% ▌Gerard Donovan (Republican) 31.0% ▌Jon Jackson (Independent) 2.0% ▌John Miglietta (Green) 1.2% |
| Tennessee 6 | Bart Gordon | Democratic | 1984 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Bart Gordon (Democratic) 74.4% ▌Chris Baker (Independent) 25.6% |
| Tennessee 7 | Marsha Blackburn | Republican | 2002 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Marsha Blackburn (Republican) 68.6% ▌Randy Morris (Democratic) 31.4% |
| Tennessee 8 | John Tanner | Democratic | 1988 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y John Tanner (Democratic) Uncontested |
| Tennessee 9 | Steve Cohen | Democratic | 2006 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Steve Cohen (Democratic) 87.9% ▌Jake Ford (Independent) 4.9% ▌Dewey Clark (Independent) 4.4% ▌Mary Wright (Independent) 2.8% |
Popular vote
Democratic
51.94%
Republican
42.47%
Other
5.59% :
House seats
Democratic
55.56%
Republican
44.44% :

## State legislature
### State Senate

Results by senate districts
Elections for 16 of the 33 seats in Tennessee's State Senate were held on November 4, 2008.
After this election, Republicans had 19 seats while Democrats had 14 seats, with Republicans gaining three seats, fully flipping the senate.

### State House of Representatives

Results by State House districts
The election of all 99 seats in the Tennessee House of Representatives occurred on November 4, 2008.
Republicans won 50 seats, while Democrats won 49 seats. Republicans gained four seats, flipping the house during this election.

## Supreme Court
### Retention elections (August 7, 2008)

All incumbent Tennessee Supreme Court Justices won their retention elections, getting eight more years.
Tennessee Supreme Court Associate Justice, William C. Koch Jr. retention election :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 295,754 | 76.15 |
| No | 92,632 | 23.85 |
| Total votes | 388,386 | 100.00 |
Tennessee Supreme Court Associate Justice, Gary R. Wade retention election :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 296,645 | 77.08 |
| No | 88,193 | 22.92 |
| Total votes | 384,838 | 100.00 |