# 2008 United States Senate election in North Carolina

Elections in North Carolina :
Federal government
U.S. President
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
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
Dem
Rep
2012
2016
Dem
2020
Dem
Rep
2024
Dem
Rep
U.S. Senate
1789
1792
1795
1798
1799
1800
1804
1805 (sp)
1806
1810
1812
1814 (sp)
1815 (sp)
1816
1816 (sp)
1818
1822
1825
1846 (sp)
1828
1828 (sp)
1829
1829 (sp)
1830
1835
1836
1836 (sp)
1840 (sp)
1841
1843
1847
1849
1854 (sp)
1855
1858 (sp)
1861
1868
1872
1872 (sp)
1876
1879
1883
1884
1889
1890
1894
1894 (sp)
1897
1901
1903
1907
1909
1913
1914
1918
1920
1924
1926
1930
1932
1932 (sp)
1936
1938
1942
1944
1948
1948 (sp)
1950
1950 (sp)
1954
1954 (sp)
1956
1958 (sp)
1960
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1986 (sp)
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
U.S. House of Representatives
1790
1791
1793
1795
sp:4
1796
sp:4
1798
sp:10
1800
1801
sp:8
1802
sp:8
1803
1804
1805
sp:5
1806
sp:10
1808
sp:7
1810
1813
sp:3
1815
1816
sp:6
sp:8
1817
1818
sp:7
sp:11
1819
1821
sp:4
1823
1825
sp:2
1826
sp:8
1827
1829
sp:5
sp:10
1831
1833
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1855
1857
1858
sp:8
1859
1865
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1928
1930
1934
1938
1940
1942
1946
1948
1950
1952
1956
1958
1960
sp:12
1968
1972
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
sp:1
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
sp:12
2016
2018
9
2019
sp:3
sp:9
2020
2022
2024 :
State executive
Gubernatorial elections
1803
1804
1805
1806
1807
1808
1809
1810
1810
1812
1813
1814
1815
1816
1817
1818
1819
1820
1821
1822
1823
1824
1825
1826
1827
1828
1829
1830
1831
1832
1833
1834
1835
1836
1838
1840
1842
1844
1846
1848
1850
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1862
1864
1865
1866
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
Lieutenant Governor elections
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Attorney General elections
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Council of State elections
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Secretary of State elections
1940
1944
1996
2024 :
State legislature
State Senate elections
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
State House elections
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State judiciary
Judicial elections
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures
2012Amendment 1 :
Mayoral elections
Charlotte mayoral elections
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2022
2023
2025
Cary mayoral elections
2011
2015
2019
2023
Durham mayoral elections
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2025
Fayetteville mayoral elections
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2022
2023
Greensboro mayoral elections
2011
2013
2015
2017
2022
2025
Raleigh mayoral elections
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2022
2024
Winston-Salem mayoral elections
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2016
2020
2024 :
vte :
The 2008 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on Tuesday, 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 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 woman to defeat an incumbent woman in a U.S. Senate election. As of 2024, this is the last time that a Democrat won a U.S. Senate race in North Carolina.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Kay Hagan, State Senator
* Duskin Lassiter, trucker
* Jim Neal, businessman
* Howard Staley, doctor
* Marcus Williams, attorney

### Campaign

Hagan, initially an unknown politician, decided to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole.
National Democrats attempted to recruit 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.
Neal earned the endorsement of the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. He also was endorsed by Blue America PAC, eQualityGiving, the Independent Weekly and YES ! Weekly.

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Kay Hagan | 801,920 | 60.1% |
| | Democratic | Jim Neal | 239,623 | 18.0% |
| | Democratic | Marcus W. Williams | 170,970 | 12.8% |
| | Democratic | Duskin Lassiter | 62,136 | 4.6% |
| | Democratic | Howard Staley | 60,403 | 4.5% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,335,052 | 100.0% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Elizabeth Dole, incumbent U.S. Senator
* Pete DiLauro

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Elizabeth Dole (incumbent) | 460,665 | 90.0% |
| | Republican | Pete DiLauro | 51,406 | 10.0% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 512,071 | 100.0% |

## General election
### Candidates

* Chris Cole (L), perennial candidate
* Elizabeth Dole (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
* Kay Hagan (D), State Senator

### Campaign

Dole was initially a heavy favorite for reelection, especially after several potential top-tier challengers such as Congressman Brad Miller, Governor Mike Easley and former Governor Jim Hunt all declined to compete against Dole. Ultimately, Kay Hagan, a state senator from Greensboro, won the Democratic primary election and became Dole's general election opponent. Reports late in the campaign suggested that Dole, once considered a safe bet for reelection, suffered from Barack Obama's decision to aggressively contest North Carolina in the presidential election.
Hagan was initially given little chance against Dole, but Hagan was helped by independent 527 groups lobbying/advertising against incumbent Dole. The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee expended more money in North Carolina than in any other state during the 2008 election season. However, Dole benefited from more out-of-state funding overall than Hagan. The efforts appeared to be effective, as Hagan began to take the lead in several polls beginning in September.
In late October, Dole released a controversial television ad attacking Hagan for reportedly taking donations from individuals involved in the Godless Americans PAC, a group which advocates for the rights of people who do not believe in God. The ad also included a female voice saying, "There is no God." The Dole campaign said the ad correctly shows who Hagan will associate with in order to raise campaign funds, and on November 1, Bob Dole also defended it, asserting that "it never questions her faith," and that "the issue is why she was there. There's no question about her faith. I think it's [the ad's] fair game."
Hagan, who is a member of the Presbyterian Church and a former Sunday school teacher, condemned the ad as "fabricated and pathetic," and, according to Hagan's campaign website, a cease-and-desist letter was "hand-delivered to Dole's Raleigh office, faxed to her Salisbury office and sent to her home at the Watergate in Washington, DC." Hagan also filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court accusing Dole of defamation and libel.
The ad has met exceptionally strong criticism from the public as well as many local and several national media outlets. CNN's Campbell Brown said about the ad: "[A]mid all the attack ads on the airwaves competing to out-ugly one another, we think we've found a winner." The ad has been described as "ridiculously outrageous," "indecent," a "gross misrepresentation," "worse than dishonest" and "beyond the bounds of acceptable political disagreement," among other harsh criticism. Another ad issued by the Dole campaign in mid-October 2008 was described by The Fayetteville Observer as "[setting] the low mark in negative political campaigning." The media reported, that within 48 hours of the first ad Hagan received over 3,600 contributions, including major donors as well as individual support from a range of atheists, agnostics and followers of other religious beliefs who felt they were being attacked by Dole. Following the second ad Hagan's lead doubled according to some polls.

### Predictions

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

### Polling

Polls released during the week of October 28, 2008 showed Dole and Hagan within the statistical margin of error (3% apart).
| Poll source | Dates administered | Kay Hagan (D) | Elizabeth Dole (R) |
| Public Policy Polling | February 18, 2008 | 33% | 50% |
| Rasmussen Reports | April 10, 2008 | 39% | 52% |
| Research 2000/Daily Kos | April 28–30, 2008 | 41% | 48% |
| Rasmussen Reports | May 8, 2008 | 48% | 47% |
| Public Policy Polling | May 8–9, 2008 | 43% | 48% |
| Civitas Institute/ Tel Opinion Research | May 14–17, 2008 | 43% | 45% |
| Survey USA | May 17–19, 2008 | 46% | 50% |
| Public Policy Polling | May 28–29, 2008 | 39% | 47% |
| Anzalone Liszt Research | June 4, 2008 | 44% | 48% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 10, 2008 | 39% | 53% |
| Civitas Institute/ Tel Opinion Research | June 11–13, 2008 | 38% | 48% |
| The Tarrance Group | July 9, 2008 | 36% | 51% |
| Survey USA | July 14, 2008 | 42% | 54% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 15, 2008 | 43% | 54% |
| Public Policy Polling | July 23–27, 2008 | 40% | 49% |
| Research 2000/Daily Kos | July 28–30, 2008 | 42% | 50% |
| Insider Advantage | August 19, 2008 | 40% | 40% |
| Public Policy Polling | August 23, 2008 | 42% | 39% |
| Democracy Corps | August 26, 2008 | 50% | 45% |
| Survey USA | September 8, 2008 | 40% | 48% |
| Daily Kos/Research 2000 | September 10, 2008 | 42% | 48% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 18, 2008 | 51% | 45% |
| Public Policy Polling | September 19, 2008 | 46% | 41% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 23, 2008 | 48% | 45% |
| Public Policy Polling | September 28–29, 2008 | 46% | 38% |
| Survey USA | October 5–6, 2008 | 43% | 44% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 8, 2008 | 49% | 44% |
| Survey USA | October 20, 2008 | 46% | 45% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 29, 2008 | 52% | 46% |
| Public Policy Polling | Oct 31-Nov 2, 2008 | 51% | 44% |
| Survey USA | November 2, 2008 | 50% | 43% |

### Results

2008 United States Senate election in North Carolina :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Kay Hagan | 2,249,311 | 52.65% | +7.7% |
| | Republican | Elizabeth Dole (incumbent) | 1,887,510 | 44.18% | −9.4% |
| | Libertarian | Chris Cole | 133,430 | 3.17% | +2.1% |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,719 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,271,970 | 100.00% | N/A |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Perquimans (Largest city: Hertford)
* Camden (Largest city: Camden)

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Franklin (Largest city: Wake Forest)
* Montgomery (Largest city: Troy)
* Nash (largest municipality: Rocky Mount)
* New Hanover (largest municipality: Wilmington)
* Watauga (largest municipality: Boone)
* Alamance (largest municipality: Burlington)
* Brunswick (largest municipality: Leland)
* Greene (largest municipality: Snow Hill)
* Lee (largest municipality: Sanford)
* Person (largest municipality: Roxboro)
* Rockingham (largest municipality: Eden)
* Pender (largest municipality: Hampstead)
* Sampson (largest municipality: Clinton)
* Washington (largest municipality: Plymouth)
* Guilford (Largest city: Greensboro)
* Mecklenburg (Largest city: Charlotte)
* Tyrrell (largest municipality: Columbia)
* Buncombe (largest town: Asheville)
* Forsyth (largest town: Winston-Salem)
* Pitt (largest town: Greenville)
* Wake (largest town: Raleigh)
* Wilson (largest town: Wilson)
* Lenoir (largest town: Kinston)

## Analysis

In the 2008 election, Dole lost by a wider-than-expected margin, taking only 44 percent of the vote to Hagan's 53 percent – the widest margin for a Senate race in North Carolina in 30 years, and the largest margin of defeat for an incumbent Senator in the 2008 cycle. It has been speculated that the outcry over the "Godless" ads contributed to Dole's loss. Hagan trounced Dole in the state's five largest counties – Mecklenburg, Wake, Guilford, Forsyth and Durham. Hagan also dominated most of the eastern portion of the state, which had been the backbone of Helms' past Senate victories. While Dole dominated the Charlotte suburbs and most of the heavily Republican Foothills region, it was not enough to save her seat.