# 2008 United States Senate election in Nebraska

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vte :
The 2008 United States Senate election in Nebraska was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican Senator Chuck Hagel declined to seek a third term. Mike Johanns, the former Governor of Nebraska and United States Secretary of Agriculture, won the Republican primary to succeed him. He faced Scott Kleeb, the 2006 Democratic nominee for Nebraska's 1st congressional district, in the general election and defeated him in a landslide, winning 58% of the vote.

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Pat Flynn, businessman
* Mike Johanns, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and former Governor of Nebraska

#### Withdrew

* Jon Bruning, Attorney General of Nebraska
* Hal Daub, former mayor of Omaha and former United States congressman

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mike Johanns | 112,191 | 78.61% |
| | Republican | Pat Flynn | 31,560 | 21.12% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 143,751 | 100.00% |

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Scott Kleeb, businessman and 2006 Democratic nominee for Nebraska's 1st congressional district
* Tony Raimondo, Columbus businessman
* Larry Marvin, United States Air Force veteran and 1998 state legislative candidate
* James Bryan Wilson, 2007 write-in candidate for Mayor of Lincoln

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Scott Kleeb | 65,582 | 68.37% |
| | Democratic | Tony Raimondo | 24,141 | 25.17% |
| | Democratic | James Bryan Wilson | 3,224 | 3.36% |
| | Democratic | Larry Marvin | 2,672 | 2.80% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 95,919 | 100.00% |

## Green primary
### Candidates

* Steve Larrick

### Results

Green Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Green | Steve Larrick | 123 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 123 | 100.00% |

## Nebraska primary
### Candidates

* Kelly Rosberg

### Results

Nebraska Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nebraska | Kelly Rosberg | 209 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 209 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Likely R | October 23, 2008 |
| CQ Politics | Likely R | October 31, 2008 |
| Rothenberg Political Report | Safe R | November 2, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics | Likely R | September 30, 2008 |

### Polling

| Poll Source | Dates administered | Kleeb | Johanns |
| Research 2000/Daily Kos | November 12–14, 2007 | 28% | 59% |
| Rasmussen Reports | May 15, 2008 | 40% | 55% |
| Research 2000/Daily Kos | May 19–21, 2008 | 31% | 58% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 23, 2008 | 33% | 60% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 28, 2008 | 34% | 60% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 30, 2008 | 38% | 52% |

### Results

2008 United States Senate election in Nebraska :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Mike Johanns | 455,854 | 57.52% | −25.24% |
| | Democratic | Scott Kleeb | 317,456 | 40.06% | +25.42% |
| | Nebraska | Kelly Rosberg | 11,438 | 1.44% | — |
| | Green | Steve Carrick | 7,763 | 0.98% | — |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 138,398 | 17.46% | −50.67% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 792,511 | 100.00% | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

#### By county

From Secretary of State of Nebraska
| County | Mike Johanns Republican | Mike Johanns Republican | Scott Kleeb Democratic | Scott Kleeb Democratic | Kelly Renee Rosberg Nebraska | Kelly Renee Rosberg Nebraska | Steve Larrick Green | Steve Larrick Green | Total votes |
| County | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | Total votes |
| Adams | 47.59% | 6,263 | 50.65% | 6,665 | 1.09% | 143 | 0.68% | 89 | 13,160 |
| Antelope | 66.76% | 2,123 | 30.91% | 983 | 1.57% | 50 | 0.75% | 24 | 3,180 |
| Arthur | 72.80% | 182 | 24.40% | 61 | 2.80% | 7 | 0.00% | 0 | 250 |
| Banner | 73.96% | 301 | 24.57% | 100 | 1.23% | 5 | 0.25% | 1 | 407 |
| Blaine | 59.68% | 188 | 37.78% | 119 | 1.90% | 6 | 0.63% | 2 | 315 |
| Boone | 60.11% | 1,706 | 38.23% | 1,085 | 1.34% | 38 | 0.32% | 9 | 2,838 |
| Box Butte | 60.42% | 2,966 | 36.20% | 1,777 | 2.30% | 113 | 1.08% | 53 | 4,909 |
| Boyd | 59.41% | 641 | 37.91% | 409 | 2.22% | 24 | 0.46% | 5 | 1,079 |
| Brown | 65.03% | 1,006 | 31.42% | 486 | 2.97% | 46 | 0.58% | 9 | 1,547 |
| Buffalo | 61.86% | 11,876 | 36.46% | 7,000 | 1.10% | 212 | 0.57% | 110 | 19,198 |
| Burt | 60.61% | 2,023 | 36.97% | 1,234 | 1.77% | 59 | 0.66% | 22 | 3,338 |
| Butler | 60.88% | 2,336 | 37.74% | 1,448 | 1.09% | 42 | 0.29% | 11 | 3,837 |
| Cass | 62.07% | 7,412 | 35.25% | 4,210 | 1.95% | 233 | 0.73% | 87 | 11,942 |
| Cedar | 70.75% | 2,907 | 26.33% | 1,082 | 2.41% | 99 | 0.51% | 21 | 4,109 |
| Chase | 72.07% | 1,308 | 26.28% | 477 | 1.21% | 22 | 0.44% | 8 | 1,815 |
| Cherry | 70.19% | 2,093 | 25.99% | 775 | 3.29% | 98 | 0.54% | 16 | 2,982 |
| Cheyenne | 75.04% | 3,583 | 21.78% | 1,040 | 2.53% | 121 | 0.65% | 31 | 4,775 |
| Clay | 58.30% | 1,770 | 39.86% | 1,210 | 1.35% | 41 | 0.49% | 15 | 3,036 |
| Colfax | 64.16% | 2,057 | 33.37% | 1,070 | 1.87% | 60 | 0.59% | 19 | 3,206 |
| Cuming | 69.70% | 2,830 | 28.82% | 1,170 | 1.21% | 49 | 0.27% | 11 | 4,060 |
| Custer | 60.07% | 3,373 | 38.70% | 2,173 | 0.89% | 50 | 0.34% | 19 | 5,615 |
| Dakota | 56.58% | 3,543 | 39.78% | 2,491 | 3.31% | 207 | 0.34% | 21 | 6,262 |
| Dawes | 63.59% | 2,363 | 31.57% | 1,173 | 3.71% | 138 | 1.13% | 42 | 3,716 |
| Dawson | 60.15% | 4,801 | 37.91% | 3,026 | 1.48% | 118 | 0.46% | 37 | 7,982 |
| Deuel | 72.52% | 710 | 22.27% | 218 | 4.60% | 45 | 0.61% | 6 | 979 |
| Dixon | 67.76% | 1,877 | 29.28% | 811 | 2.53% | 70 | 0.43% | 12 | 2,770 |
| Dodge | 60.89% | 9,374 | 36.68% | 5,647 | 1.83% | 282 | 0.60% | 93 | 15,396 |
| Douglas | 55.29% | 123,299 | 42.00% | 93,667 | 1.38% | 3,070 | 1.34% | 2,982 | 223,018 |
| Dundy | 69.90% | 699 | 25.80% | 258 | 3.60% | 36 | 0.70% | 7 | 1,000 |
| Fillmore | 54.34% | 1,610 | 44.38% | 1,315 | 1.01% | 30 | 0.27% | 8 | 2,963 |
| Franklin | 47.48% | 734 | 51.03% | 789 | 0.84% | 13 | 0.65% | 10 | 1,546 |
| Frontier | 62.76% | 873 | 35.30% | 491 | 1.44% | 20 | 0.50% | 7 | 1,391 |
| Furnas | 61.50% | 1,436 | 36.83% | 860 | 1.28% | 30 | 0.39% | 9 | 2,335 |
| Gage | 48.26% | 4,909 | 49.93% | 5,079 | 1.26% | 128 | 0.55% | 56 | 10,172 |
| Garden | 74.73% | 831 | 22.30% | 248 | 2.43% | 27 | 0.54% | 6 | 1,112 |
| Garfield | 55.11% | 566 | 43.33% | 445 | 1.46% | 15 | 0.10% | 1 | 1,027 |
| Gosper | 60.99% | 641 | 37.49% | 394 | 1.43% | 15 | 0.10% | 1 | 1,051 |
| Grant | 71.39% | 257 | 25.28% | 91 | 3.06% | 11 | 0.28% | 1 | 360 |
| Greeley | 43.28% | 522 | 55.22% | 666 | 1.41% | 17 | 0.08% | 1 | 1,206 |
| Hall | 53.80% | 11,398 | 44.46% | 9,419 | 1.14% | 241 | 0.61% | 129 | 21,187 |
| Hamilton | 60.79% | 2,905 | 38.17% | 1,824 | 0.71% | 34 | 0.33% | 16 | 4,779 |
| Harlan | 57.18% | 1,007 | 41.11% | 724 | 1.53% | 27 | 0.17% | 3 | 1,761 |
| Hayes | 64.07% | 353 | 33.03% | 182 | 2.18% | 12 | 0.73% | 4 | 551 |
| Hitchcock | 60.57% | 825 | 36.86% | 502 | 1.84% | 25 | 0.73% | 10 | 1,362 |
| Holt | 66.08% | 3,271 | 31.72% | 1,570 | 1.68% | 83 | 0.53% | 26 | 4,950 |
| Hooker | 67.98% | 293 | 30.16% | 130 | 1.86% | 8 | 0.00% | 0 | 431 |
| Howard | 50.82% | 1,523 | 47.35% | 1,419 | 1.33% | 40 | 0.50% | 15 | 2,997 |
| Jefferson | 52.33% | 1,935 | 45.81% | 1,694 | 1.16% | 43 | 0.70% | 26 | 3,698 |
| Johnson | 49.98% | 1,055 | 48.03% | 1,014 | 1.47% | 31 | 0.52% | 11 | 2,111 |
| Kearney | 59.96% | 1,888 | 38.68% | 1,218 | 1.05% | 33 | 0.32% | 10 | 3,149 |
| Keith | 70.09% | 2,763 | 27.52% | 1,085 | 1.90% | 75 | 0.48% | 19 | 3,942 |
| Keya Paha | 63.01% | 327 | 34.68% | 180 | 1.54% | 8 | 0.77% | 4 | 519 |
| Kimball | 70.19% | 1,243 | 26.14% | 463 | 2.94% | 52 | 0.73% | 13 | 1,771 |
| Knox | 62.83% | 2,524 | 33.48% | 1,345 | 3.06% | 123 | 0.62% | 25 | 4,017 |
| Lancaster | 48.14% | 60,805 | 49.42% | 62,421 | 0.84% | 1,064 | 1.60% | 2,024 | 126,314 |
| Lincoln | 58.24% | 9,454 | 39.68% | 6,442 | 1.47% | 239 | 0.61% | 99 | 16,234 |
| Logan | 66.59% | 273 | 32.44% | 133 | 0.49% | 2 | 0.49% | 2 | 410 |
| Loup | 55.61% | 218 | 43.88% | 172 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.51% | 2 | 392 |
| Madison | 66.02% | 9,182 | 30.56% | 4,250 | 2.65% | 369 | 0.77% | 107 | 13,908 |
| McPherson | 69.55% | 201 | 26.64% | 77 | 3.46% | 10 | 0.35% | 1 | 289 |
| Merrick | 59.26% | 2,023 | 39.37% | 1,344 | 0.94% | 32 | 0.44% | 15 | 3,414 |
| Morrill | 69.29% | 1,627 | 27.43% | 644 | 2.51% | 59 | 0.77% | 18 | 2,348 |
| Nance | 55.37% | 953 | 43.17% | 743 | 0.93% | 16 | 0.52% | 9 | 1,721 |
| Nemaha | 61.60% | 2,119 | 36.37% | 1,251 | 1.66% | 57 | 0.38% | 13 | 3,440 |
| Nuckolls | 55.28% | 1,231 | 43.06% | 959 | 1.12% | 25 | 0.54% | 12 | 2,227 |
| Otoe | 58.26% | 4,111 | 39.64% | 2,797 | 1.42% | 100 | 0.68% | 48 | 7,056 |
| Pawnee | 55.68% | 765 | 42.07% | 578 | 1.46% | 20 | 0.80% | 11 | 1,374 |
| Perkins | 70.53% | 993 | 27.84% | 392 | 1.21% | 17 | 0.43% | 6 | 1,408 |
| Phelps | 68.05% | 3,058 | 30.97% | 1,392 | 0.73% | 33 | 0.24% | 11 | 4,494 |
| Pierce | 70.99% | 2,259 | 25.93% | 825 | 2.39% | 76 | 0.69% | 22 | 3,182 |
| Platte | 68.78% | 9,163 | 29.40% | 3,917 | 1.38% | 184 | 0.44% | 59 | 13,323 |
| Polk | 62.19% | 1,579 | 36.71% | 932 | 0.83% | 21 | 0.28% | 7 | 2,539 |
| Red Willow | 65.02% | 3,269 | 32.98% | 1,658 | 1.51% | 76 | 0.50% | 25 | 5,028 |
| Richardson | 63.25% | 2,477 | 34.01% | 1,332 | 2.40% | 94 | 0.33% | 13 | 3,916 |
| Rock | 59.24% | 465 | 39.11% | 307 | 1.66% | 13 | 0.00% | 0 | 785 |
| Saline | 40.81% | 2,139 | 57.45% | 3,011 | 1.07% | 56 | 0.67% | 35 | 5,241 |
| Sarpy | 64.61% | 43,116 | 32.96% | 21,994 | 1.58% | 1,052 | 0.85% | 569 | 66,731 |
| Saunders | 61.62% | 6,266 | 36.00% | 3,660 | 1.58% | 161 | 0.80% | 81 | 10,168 |
| Scotts Bluff | 63.01% | 9,262 | 34.81% | 5,117 | 1.61% | 237 | 0.57% | 84 | 14,700 |
| Seward | 56.61% | 4,257 | 41.72% | 3,137 | 1.04% | 78 | 0.64% | 48 | 7,520 |
| Sheridan | 74.63% | 1,821 | 19.55% | 477 | 4.88% | 119 | 0.94% | 23 | 2,440 |
| Sherman | 37.50% | 582 | 60.76% | 943 | 0.84% | 13 | 0.90% | 14 | 1,552 |
| Sioux | 72.61% | 517 | 25.28% | 180 | 1.69% | 12 | 0.42% | 3 | 712 |
| Stanton | 71.51% | 1,762 | 25.65% | 632 | 2.27% | 56 | 0.57% | 14 | 2,464 |
| Thayer | 52.50% | 1,303 | 45.93% | 1,140 | 1.17% | 29 | 0.40% | 10 | 2,482 |
| Thomas | 61.66% | 238 | 35.75% | 138 | 2.07% | 8 | 0.52% | 2 | 386 |
| Thurston | 52.55% | 1,041 | 41.29% | 818 | 5.20% | 103 | 0.96% | 19 | 1,981 |
| Valley | 55.40% | 1,343 | 43.03% | 1,043 | 1.16% | 28 | 0.41% | 10 | 2,424 |
| Washington | 65.47% | 6,658 | 31.76% | 3,230 | 1.99% | 202 | 0.79% | 80 | 10,170 |
| Wayne | 69.38% | 2,626 | 28.06% | 1,062 | 1.88% | 71 | 0.69% | 26 | 3,785 |
| Webster | 46.57% | 849 | 51.51% | 939 | 1.21% | 22 | 0.71% | 13 | 1,823 |
| Wheeler | 57.58% | 247 | 40.56% | 174 | 1.17% | 5 | 0.70% | 3 | 429 |
| York | 65.56% | 4,300 | 33.28% | 2,183 | 0.82% | 54 | 0.34% | 22 | 6,559 |

##### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Lancaster (largest city: Lincoln)
* Saline (largest city: Crete)
* Greeley (largest city: Spalding)
* Sherman (largest city: Loup City)
* Gage (largest city: Beatrice)
* Webster (largest city: Red Cloud)
* Franklin (largest city: Franklin)
* Adams (largest city: Hastings)