2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado
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The 2008 congressional elections in Colorado were held on November 4, 2008, to determine who will represent the state of Colorado in the United States House of Representatives, coinciding with the presidential and senatorial elections. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the 111th Congress from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011.
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November 4, 2008
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All 7 Colorado seats to the United States House of Representatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Colorado had seven seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census. Its 2007-2008 congressional delegation consisted of four Democrats and three Republicans. After the elections, it consisted of five Democrats and two Republicans. District 4 changed party (from Republican to Democratic), which was the only district CQ Politics had forecasted to be at some risk for the incumbent party.
The Primary election was held August 12, 2008.[1]
Overview
Statewide
| Party | Candidates | Votes[2][3] | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | +/– | % | |||
| Democratic | 7 | 1,259,768 | 55.16 | 5 |  1 |
71.43 | |
| Republican | 7 | 990,870 | 43.38 | 2 |  1 |
28.57 | |
| Libertarian | 1 | 12,136 | 0.61 | 0 |  |
0.0 | |
| Green | 1 | 10,031 | 0.50 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Constitution | 1 | 8,894 | 0.44 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Unity | 1 | 2,176 | 0.11 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Write-in | 2 | 56 | 0.00 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Total | 20 | 2,283,931 | 100.0 | 7 | |
100.0 | |
By district
Results of the 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado by district:
| District | Democratic | Republican | Others | Total | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| District 1 | 203,755 | 71.94% | 67,345 | 23.78% | 12,146 | 4.29% | 283,246 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| District 2 | 215,571 | 62.60% | 116,591 | 33.86% | 12,202 | 3.54% | 344,364 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| District 3 | 203,455 | 61.61% | 126,762 | 38.39% | 0 | 0.00% | 330,217 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| District 4 | 187,347 | 56.20% | 146,028 | 43.80% | 0 | 0.00% | 333,375 | 100.0% | Democratic Gain |
| District 5 | 113,025 | 37.04% | 183,178 | 60.03% | 8,939 | 2.93% | 305,142 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 6 | 162,639 | 39.33% | 250,877 | 60.67% | 0 | 0.00% | 413,516 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 7 | 173,931 | 63.48% | 100,055 | 36.52% | 0 | 0.00% | 273,986 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| Total | 1,259,768 | 55.16% | 990,870 | 43.38% | 33,287 | 1.46% | 2,283,846 | 100.0% | |
District 1
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 County Results DeGette: 50–60% 70–80% Lilly: 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Diana DeGette, who had represented this Denver based district since 1997, ran for re-election. She was re-elected with 79.8% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of D+18.[4]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Diana DeGette, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Diana DeGette (incumbent) | 35,804 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 35,804 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- George Lilly, sales and marketing representative, Constitution nominee for state representative in 2000 and for this seat in 2002 & 2004
Eliminated in primary
- Charles Crain
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George Lilly | 6,300 | 58.2 | |
| Republican | Charles Crain | 4,533 | 41.8 | |
| Total votes | 10,833 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Endorsements
Labor unions
Organizations
Newspapers
Organizations
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[10] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[11] | Safe D | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[12] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[13] | Safe D | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[14] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Diana DeGette (incumbent) | 203,756 | 71.9 | |
| Republican | George Lilly | 67,346 | 23.8 | |
| Libertarian | Martin Buchanan | 12,136 | 4.3 | |
| Write-In | Gary Swing | 11 | 0.0 | |
| Majority | 136,410 | 48.2 | ||
| Valid ballots | 283,249 | 92.8 | ||
| Invalid or blank votes | 21,844 | 7.2 | ||
| Turnout | 305,093 | 88.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 343,812 | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diana DeGette (D) | $808,491 | $925,776 | $106,102 | |
| George Lilly (R) | $13,746 | $14,060 | $9 | |
| Martin Buchanan (L) | Unreported | |||
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| Diana DeGette (D) | $2,455 | $0 |
| George Lilly (R) | $0 | $0 |
| Martin Buchanan (L) | $0 | $0 |
District 2
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 County Results Polis: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Starin: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Mark Udall, who had represented the district, centred around heavily Democratic Boulder, since 1999, ran for the Senate following the retirement of Senator Wayne Allard, leaving this an open seat. He was re-elected with 68.2% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of D+8.[4]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jared Polis, Colorado Board of Education President
Eliminated in primary
- Joan Fitz-Gerald, former President of the Colorado Senate[15][16]
- Will Shafroth, Colorado Conservation Trust Director
Declined
- Alice Madden, Majority Leader of the state house[17]
- Ron Tupa, state senator
- Mark Udall, incumbent U.S. Representative
Endorsements
Organizations
Newspapers
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jared Polis | 20,493 | 41.7 | |
| Democratic | Joan Fitz-Gerald | 18,599 | 37.8 | |
| Democratic | Will Shafroth | 10,075 | 20.5 | |
| Total votes | 49,167 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Scott Starin, aerospace engineer
Declined
- Tom Stone, former Eagle County Commissioner
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott Starin | 19,293 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 19,293 | 100.0 | ||
Green primary
Candidates
Nominee
- J. A. Calhoun, nominee for this seat in 2006
Declined
- Mark Ruzzin, Mayor of Boulder
Unity primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Bill Hammons, founder and National Chairman of the Unity Party of America
General election
Endorsements
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[10] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[11] | Safe D | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[12] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[13] | Safe D | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[14] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jared Polis | 215,602 | 62.6 | |
| Republican | Scott Starin | 116,619 | 33.9 | |
| Green | J. A. Calhoun | 10,031 | 2.9 | |
| Unity | Bill Hammons | 2,176 | 0.6 | |
| Majority | 98,983 | 28.7 | ||
| Valid ballots | 344,428 | 93.5 | ||
| Invalid or blank votes | 23,805 | 6.5 | ||
| Turnout | 368,233 | 92.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 398,114 | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jared Polis (D) | $7,353,034 | $7,323,502 | $29,533 | |
| Scott Starin (R) | $88,757 | $90,426 | $24 | |
| J. A. Calhoun (G) | Unreported | |||
| William Hammons (U) | $22,467 | $22,247 | $164 | |
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| Jared Polis (D) | $0 | $42,573 |
| Scott Starin (R) | $4,768 | $0 |
| J. A. Calhoun (G) | $0 | $0 |
| William Hammons (U) | $0 | $0 |
District 3
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  Salazar: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Wolf: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Tie: 50–60% No Votes | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat John Salazar, who had represented the conservative, west Colorado district since 2005, ran for re-election. He was re–elected with 61.6% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+6.[4]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- John Salazar, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Salazar (incumbent) | 22,192 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 22,192 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Wayne Wolf, rancher and Delta County commissioner[19]
Declined
- Josh Penry, state senator[17]
- Ellen Roberts, state representative[17]
- Scott Tipton, businessman and nominee for this seat in 2006 (running for state representative)[17]
- Al White, state representative[17]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Wayne Wolf | 24,263 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 24,263 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Endorsements
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[10] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[11] | Safe D | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[12] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[13] | Safe D | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[14] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Salazar (incumbent) | 203,457 | 61.6 | |
| Republican | Wayne Wolf | 126,762 | 38.4 | |
| Majority | 76,695 | 23.2 | ||
| Valid ballots | 330,219 | 96.4 | ||
| Invalid or blank votes | 12,248 | 3.6 | ||
| Turnout | 342,467 | 89.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 382,649 | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Salazar (D) | $1,335,166 | $901,272 | $464,754 |
| Wayne Wolf (R) | $21,704 | $21,669 | $33 |
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| John Salazar (D) | $1,051 | $0 |
| Wayne Wolf (R) | $0 | $0 |
District 4
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  Markey: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Musgrave: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 50–60% No Votes | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Marilyn Musgrave, who had represented this conservative east Colorado-based district since 2003, ran for re-election. She was re-elected with 45.6% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+9.[4] Musgrave, a conservative known for her staunch opposition to gay marriage, won in 2006 by winning a plurality (46%) of the vote against Angie Paccione and a strong Reform Party challenge from Eric Eidsness, who managed to garner 11% of the vote. That, along with her 51% showing in 2004 despite George W. Bush winning 58% of the vote in this eastern Colorado district that includes the Fort Collins area, made her seem vulnerable in 2008.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Marilyn Musgrave, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Marilyn Musgrave (incumbent) | 31,822 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 31,822 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Democrats suffered a setback earlier when State Senator Brandon Shaffer suddenly dropped out, citing his party's failure to clear the field.[21] Eidsness switched parties again, having switched from Republican to Reform Party the year prior, and became a Democrat, which could have fuelled a potential rematch with Musgrave in 2008. 2006 nominee Angie Paccione briefly launched a campaign as well, but left the race in September 2007.
Candidates
Nominee
- Betsy Markey, businesswoman and regional director for Senator Ken Salazar
Withdrawn
- Eric Eidsness, former EPA Assistant Administrator for Water and Reform nominee for this seat in 2006
- Angie Paccione, former state representative and nominee for this seat in 2006[22]
- Brandon Shaffer, state senator[23]
Declined
- Bill Long, Bent County Commissioner[24][17]
- Jim Riesberg, state representative[17]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Betsy Markey | 19,010 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 19,010 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Campaign
Musgrave launched a negative advertisement, attacking Markey over the business of Syscom Systems, the data-processing equipment company run by Markey and her husband. The Musgrave ad was called "highly misleading" by a Denver television station that investigated the facts.[25] On October 24, the National Republican Congressional Committee abandoned Marilyn Musgrave's 2008 re-election campaign, believing the race was lost. This decision was based solely on Musgrave's poor poll numbers.
Endorsements
Organizations
Labor unions
Organizations
- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "Red to Blue" Program[27]
- EMILYs List[28]
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund[7]
Newspapers
Polling
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[10] | Tossup | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[11] | Lean D (flip) | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[12] | Lean D (flip) | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[13] | Tossup | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[14] | Lean D (flip) | November 6, 2008 |
Results
After her defeat, Musgrave would not comment on the election results with the media, nor would she concede the race or contact Markey to congratulate her. She also did not thank her campaign staff for their efforts. She later recorded a robocall for Republican Georgia senator Saxby Chambliss, saying that she was defeated by "leftist special interests" who "suppressed the truth with vicious attacks and lies."
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Betsy Markey | 187,348 | 56.2 | |||
| Republican | Marilyn Musgrave (incumbent) | 146,030 | 43.8 | |||
| Majority | 41,318 | 12.4 | ||||
| Valid ballots | 333,378 | 95.3 | ||||
| Invalid or blank votes | 16,565 | 4.7 | ||||
| Turnout | 349,943 | 91.3 | ||||
| Registered electors | 383,292 | |||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marilyn Musgrave (R) | $2,862,907 | $2,869,703 | $62,132 |
| Betsy Markey (D) | $2,893,744 | $2,872,153 | $21,591 |
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| Marilyn Musgrave (R) | $170,281 | $1,505,831 |
| Betsy Markey (D) | $580,289 | $897,027 |
District 5
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 County Results Lamborn: 50–60% 60–70% Bidlack: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Doug Lamborn, who had represented this conservative district based in Colorado Springs and its suburbs district since 2007, ran for re-election. He was elected with 59.6% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+16.[4]
Republican primary
Campaign
Lamborn had received bad press when two constituents accused him of making a threatening phone call in response to a critical letter they wrote.[30] He won against Jeff Crank and Bentley Rayburn, more moderate Republicans who had also run in 2006, in the Republican primary. In 2006, Lamborn had narrowly won a nasty multi-candidate primary with 27% of the vote, despite previous representative Joel Hefley's endorsement of Crank, citing Lamborn's "sleazy" campaign. Crank and Rayburn thus came to a gentleman's agreement - they would jointly conduct a poll of the primary, and whoever of the two of them was in third place would drop out and endorse the other, so as to have a better chance of defeating Lamborn. Rayburn came third in the poll, but he refused to drop out.[31]
Candidates
Nominee
- Doug Lamborn, incumbent U.S. Representative
Eliminated in primary
- Jeff Crank, Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce vice president and candidate for this seat in 2006
- Bentley Rayburn, United States Air Force Major General and candidate for this seat in 2006
Endorsements
U.S. representatives
- Joel Hefley, U.S. representative from Colorado's 5th congressional district (1987–2007)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 24,995 | 44.0 | |
| Republican | Jeff Crank | 16,794 | 29.6 | |
| Republican | Bentley Rayburn | 14,986 | 26.4 | |
| Total votes | 56,775 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Hal Bidlack, retired United States Air Force Lieutenant colonel and National Security Council aide
Declined
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hal Bidlack | 13,146 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 13,146 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Endorsements
Organizations
Newspapers
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[10] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[11] | Safe R | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[12] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[13] | Safe R | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[14] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
Results
Amid worries of vulnerability, Lamborn won the general election by a 59%-41% margin, becoming the highest vote getter for a GOP Congressional candidate in the state in the 2008 cycle.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 183,179 | 60.0 | |
| Democratic | Hal Bidlack | 113,027 | 37.0 | |
| American Constitution | Brian Scott | 8,894 | 2.9 | |
| Write-In | Richard Hand | 45 | 0.0 | |
| Majority | 70,152 | 23.0 | ||
| Valid ballots | 305,145 | 93.7 | ||
| Invalid or blank votes | 20,371 | 6.3 | ||
| Turnout | 325,516 | 90.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 359,874 | |||
| Republican hold | ||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Lamborn (R) | $611,755 | $593,491 | $46,469 | |
| Hal Bidlack (D) | $241,725 | $240,738 | $986 | |
| Brian Scott (C) | Unreported | |||
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| Doug Lamborn (R) | $13,573 | $0 |
| Hal Bidlack (D) | $0 | $0 |
| Brian Scott (C) | $0 | $0 |
District 6
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  Coffman: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Eng: 50–60% 60–70% Tie: 50–60% No Votes | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Tom Tancredo, who had represented this solidly conservative district based in the Denver suburbs since 1999, retired in order to run for President. He was re-elected with 58.6% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+10.[4]
His seat was considered to be the most Republican-dominated district of the Denver-area seats and was also one of the wealthiest in the nation. Tancredo was the second highest vote getter for a Republican congressional candidate statewide in 2006, just behind Doug Lamborn in the 5th district. The district includes Columbine High School, which was devastated in a tragic 1999 school massacre.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Wil Armstrong, businessman and son of former senator William L. Armstrong (endorsed by the State GOP)
- Ted Harvey, state senator
- Steve Ward, state senator
Declined
- Frank McNulty, state representative[17]
- Tom Tancredo, incumbent U.S. Representative
- Tom Wiens, state senator, nominee for Colorado State Treasurer in 1978 and candidate for the 3rd District in 1982[17]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Coffman | 28,509 | 40.1 | |
| Republican | Wil Armstrong | 23,213 | 32.7 | |
| Republican | Ted Harvey | 10,886 | 15.3 | |
| Republican | Steve Ward | 8,452 | 11.9 | |
| Total votes | 71,060 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Withdrawn
- Mike Collins, Vietnam veteran[17]
Declined
- Dave Hnida, physician[17]
- Joe Rice, state representative[17]
- David Wasserman, physician[17]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hank Eng | 27,661 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 27,661 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Campaign
Despite some minor controversies surrounding Mike Coffman and Colorado Ethics Watch, CQ Politics, The Cook Political Report and The Rothenberg Political Report all forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.[34]
Endorsements
Newspapers
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[10] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[11] | Safe R | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[12] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[13] | Safe R | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[14] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Coffman | 250,877 | 60.7 | |
| Democratic | Hank Eng | 162,641 | 39.3 | |
| Majority | 88,236 | 21.3 | ||
| Valid ballots | 413,518 | 94.0 | ||
| Invalid or blank votes | 26,527 | 6.0 | ||
| Turnout | 440,045 | 95.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 459,807 | |||
| Republican hold | ||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Coffman (R) | $1,467,713 | $1,304,685 | $163,029 |
| Hank Eng (D) | $273,696 | $270,609 | $3,084 |
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Coffman (R) | $11,651 | $0 |
| Hank Eng (D) | $0 | $0 |
District 7
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  Perlmutter: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Lerew: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Tie: 50–60% No Votes | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democratic Ed Perlmutter, who had represented this suburban Denver district since 2007, ran for re-election. He was elected with 54.9% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of D+2.[4] The district's voter registration was split, with independents constituting a slim plurality of 35% compared to Democrats (34%) and Republicans (31%).
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Ed Perlmutter, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ed Perlmutter (incumbent) | 29,704 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 29,704 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- John Lerew, founder of a financial planning center
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Lerew | 25,155 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 25,155 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Endorsements
Labor unions
Organizations
Newspapers
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[10] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[11] | Safe D | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[12] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[13] | Safe D | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[14] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ed Perlmutter (incumbent) | 173,937 | 63.5 | |
| Republican | John Lerew | 100,057 | 36.5 | |
| Majority | 73,880 | 27.0 | ||
| Valid ballots | 273,994 | 94.2 | ||
| Invalid or blank votes | 16,945 | 5.8 | ||
| Turnout | 290,939 | 92.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 314,642 | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Finances
Campaigns
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Perlmutter (D) | $1,770,087 | $1,228,238 | $544,853 |
| John Lerew (R) | $34,048 | $34,048 | $0 |
Outside Spending
| Candidate (party) | Supported | Opposed |
|---|---|---|
| Ed Perlmutter (D) | $7,736 | $0 |
| John Lerew (R) | $10,861 | $0 |
Notes
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear