The 2008 United States Senate election in Kansas was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pat Roberts won re-election to a third term.
As of 2025, this is the last time a Democratic candidate won Atchison County in a US Senate election.
Background The state of Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932. Kansas's other Republican Senator Sam Brownback announced that he is retiring due to "self-imposed term limits," which meant Roberts became the senior senator from Kansas in 2011. It is considered one of the most Republican states in the U.S. The last time its electors went to a Democrat was the Presidential Election of 1964, when Lyndon Johnson carried the state over Barry Goldwater.
Roberts had announced ahead of the 1996 election that "I plan only to serve two terms in the U.S. Senate", but he broke that pledge in this election.
Republican primary Candidates Pat Roberts, incumbent U.S. Senator
Results
Democratic primary Candidates Jim Slattery, former U.S. Representative and nominee for Governor in 1994 Lee Jones, nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2004
Results
General election Candidates Pat Roberts (R), incumbent U.S. Senator Jim Slattery (D), former U.S. Representative Randall Hodgkinson (L), attorney Joseph L. Martin (Re), nominee for Secretary of State in 2006
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report October 23, 2008 CQ PoliticsRace Ratings Chart: Senate CQ Politics October 31, 2008 Rothenberg Political Report November 2, 2008 Real Clear Politics November 4, 2008
Polling Poll Source Dates administered Slattery RobertsRasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports May 13, 2008 40% 52%Research 2000/Daily KosResearch 2000/Daily Kos June 2–4, 2008 38% 50%Cooper & SecrestCooper & Secrest June 5–8, 2008 36% 48%Rasmussen Reports June 11, 2008 39% 48%TargetPoint Consulting, Inc.TargetPoint Consulting, Inc. July 1, 2008 34% 54%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports July 15, 2008 33% 61%Rasmussen Reports August 11, 2008 37% 56%Survey USASurvey USA August 20, 2008 31% 58%Survey USASurvey USA September 22, 2008 35% 55%Rasmussen Reports September 23, 2008 38% 58%Rasmussen Reports October 13, 2008 36% 55%Survey USASurvey USA October 22, 2008 35% 57%Survey USASurvey USA October 28, 2008 33% 60%
Results
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Douglas (Largest city: Lawrence) Wyandotte (Largest city: Kansas City) Atchison (Largest city: Atchison)
See also 2008 United States Senate elections
References
External links Elections & Legislative from the Kansas Secretary of State U.S. Congress candidates for Kansas at Project Vote Smart Kansas, U.S. Senate CQ Politics Kansas U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com Kansas U.S. Senate race from 2008 Race Tracker Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets Roberts (R-i) vs Slattery (D) graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com Official campaign websites (Archived) Pat Roberts for US Senate Jim Slattery for US Senate Lee Jones for US Senate