# 2008 United States Senate election in Louisiana

Elections in Louisiana :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
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
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1812
1813
1813 sp
1817
1818
1818 sp
1819
1823
1824
1824 sp
1825
1829
1831
1831 sp
1833 sp
1835
1836 sp
1837
1837 sp
1840
1843
1844 sp
1847
1847 sp
1848
1852
1853
1853 sp
1859
1868
1876
1876 sp
1879
1882
1889
1891
1894
1894 sp
1896
1900
1904
1908
1910 sp
1912
1914
1918
1918 sp
1920
1924
1926
1930
1932
1936
1936 sp
1938
1942
1944
1948
1948 sp
1950
1954
1956
1960
1962
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1812
1814
1816
1818
AL sp
1820
1822
1824
1826
1828
1830
1832
1834
1st sp
3rd sp
1836
1838
1840
3rd sp
1843
1844
4th sp
1847
1849
1850
2nd sp
3rd sp
1851
1853
1855
1857
1859
1868
1870
1872
4th sp
1873
4th sp
1874
1876
1878
5th sp
1880
1882
1884
1886
2nd sp
1887
6th sp
1888
1889
3rd sp
1890
1892
1894
4th sp
1896
5th sp
1898
1899
5th sp
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1st sp
1909
2nd sp
1910
2nd sp
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
2nd sp
1926
1927
7th sp
1928
1929
3rd sp
1930
1931
8th sp
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
3rd sp
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1961
4th sp
1962
1964
4th sp
1965
7th sp
1966
1968
1970
1972
7th sp
1973
2nd sp
1974
1975
6th sp
1976
1977
1st sp
1978
1980
3rd sp
1982
1984
1985
8th sp
1986
1988
4th sp
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
1999
1st sp
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
1st sp
6th sp
2010
2012
2013
5th sp
2014
2016
2018
2020
2021
2nd sp
5th sp
2022
2024 :
State government
General elections
2007
2010
2011
2015
2019
2020
2023
Gubernatorial elections
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1830 sp
1834
1838
1842
1846
1849
1852
1855
1859
1863 (C)
1864 (U)
1865
1868
1872
1876
1879
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
2027
Lieutenant gubernatorial elections
2011
2015
2019
2023
Attorney General elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Treasurer elections
2017 sp
State Senate elections
2019
2023
House of Representatives elections
2023 :
Ballot measures
2004
Amendment 1 :
Baton Rouge
Mayoral elections
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024 :
New Orleans
Mayoral elections
1866
1930
1934
1946
1950
1958
1962
1965
1969
1973
1977
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2017
2021
2025
City Council elections
2006
2010 :
Shreveport
Mayoral elections
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Government :
vte :
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 party primaries for federal races. Incumbent Senator Mary Landrieu won a third term by 6.4 percent despite being forecast as one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats during 2008. She had received praise and wide publicity for her advocacy after Hurricane Katrina, particularly during hearings regarding FEMA's response to the disaster. This is the last time that Democrats won any statewide election in Louisiana other than Governor.
Landrieu's main opponent John Kennedy garnered allegations of being a political opportunist after switching parties from Democrat to Republican in 2007. He has held the state's other U.S. Senate seat since 2017 as a Republican, having unsuccessfully run as a Democrat for it in 2004.

## 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 won the state twice, in 2004 with 56.72% of the vote. Also, Republican Bobby Jindal won the 2007 gubernatorial election with 54% of the vote.

## Major candidates
### Democratic

* Mary Landrieu, incumbent U.S. Senator

### Republican

* John Neely Kennedy, State Treasurer and Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2004

## General election
### Predictions

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

### Polling

| Poll Source | Dates administered | Mary Landrieu (D) | John Kennedy (R) |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 21, 2008 | 53% | 43% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 25, 2008 | 54% | 41% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 17, 2008 | 56% | 39% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 9, 2008 | 49% | 44% |
| Southern Media & Opinion Research | July 1, 2008 | 46% | 40% |
| Rasmussen Reports | May 28, 2008 | 47% | 44% |
| Southern Media & Opinion Research | March 26 – April 9, 2008 | 50% | 38% |
| Survey USA | December 6–10, 2007 | 46% | 42% |

### Results

Though she was considered one of the most vulnerable incumbent senators in 2008, Landrieu won reelection by a margin of 121,121 votes and 6.39%, over-performing Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama in the state by more than 12 percentage points.
2008 United States Senate election in Louisiana :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Mary Landrieu (incumbent) | 988,298 | 52.11% | +0.41% |
| | Republican | John Kennedy | 867,177 | 45.72% | −2.58% |
| | Libertarian | Richard Fontanesi | 18,590 | 0.98% | n/a |
| | Independent | Jay Patel | 13,729 | 0.72% | n/a |
| | Independent | Robert Stewart | 8,780 | 0.46% | n/a |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 121,121 | 6.39% | +2.99 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,896,574 | 100% | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Swing | | |

#### Parishes that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Catahoula (Largest town: Jonesville)

#### Parishes that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Iberia (Largest city: New Iberia)
* Jefferson (Largest town: Metairie)
* Jefferson Davis (Largest city: Jennings)
* Plaquemines (Largest community: Belle Chasse)
* Saint Bernard (Largest community: Chalmette)
* Saint Mary (Largest city: Morgan City)
* Vermilion (Largest city: Abbeville)