2006 United States Senate election in Wyoming
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2006 United States Senate election in Wyoming was held November 7, 2006, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Wyoming. Republican two-term incumbent Craig Thomas defeated Democratic nominee Dale Groutage.
.jpg)
 | |||||||||||||||||
November 7, 2006
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
  Thomas: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Groutage: 50–60% 60–70% Tie: 50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Primary elections were held on August 22, 2006. Thomas and Groutage secured their party's nominations unopposed.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Craig Thomas, incumbent U.S. senator (1995–2007)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Craig Thomas (incumbent) | 78,211 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 78,211 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Dale Groutage, engineer
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dale Groutage | 24,924 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 24,924 | 100.00 | ||
Background
In 2006, Thomas maintained 68% favorability and was largely expected to win reelection due to Wyoming's red lean at the federal level.[3]
General election
Campaign
Despite Thomas's significant lead in the polls, Thomas agreed to a debate. An October debate was sponsored by the Casper Star-Tribune and KCWY in Casper. Thomas said the nation has made progress in its energy policy, while Groutage said the nation's energy policy has failed because Congress has done more for special interests than the people.[4]
Debates
- Complete video of debate, October 22, 2006
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[5] | Solid R | November 6, 2006 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[6] | Safe R | November 6, 2006 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[7] | Safe R | November 6, 2006 |
| Real Clear Politics[8] | Safe R | November 6, 2006 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Craig Thomas (R) |
Dale Groutage (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspen Media & Market Research[9] | October 18–25, 2006 | – (LV) | ± 4.0% | 70% | 22% | 1%[b] | 7% |
| Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy[9] | October 9–12, 2006 | 425 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 67% | 26% | – | 7% |
| Rasmussen Reports[10] | July 6, 2006 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.5% | 59% | 32% | – | 9% |
| Rasmussen Reports[11] | May 8, 2006 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.5% | 64% | 25% | – | 11% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Craig L. Thomas (incumbent) | 135,174 | 69.99% | −3.78% | |
| Democratic | Dale Groutage | 57,671 | 29.86% | +7.82% | |
| Write-ins | 291 | 0.15% | |||
| Majority | 77,503 | 40.13% | −11.61% | ||
| Turnout | 193,136 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||