2008 United States House of Representatives election in Delaware
The 2008 United States House election in Delaware was held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state of Delaware in the United States House of Representatives for the 111th Congress, coinciding with the presidential election. The primary election was held on September 9, 2008.[1]
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Delaware has a single at-large representative in the House of Representatives. Republican incumbent Mike Castle was reelected for an eighth term. As of 2021, this is the last Congressional election in Delaware won by a Republican, the last statewide election where a Republican won by a double digit margin, the last statewide race where the Republican won New Castle county and the last time a Republican won a statewide election during a presidential election year.
Match-up summary
| District | Incumbent | 2008 Status | Democratic | Republican | Libertarian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-large | Mike Castle | Re-election | Karen Hartley-Nagle | Mike Castle | Mark Anthony Parks |
Overview
The state of Delaware is completely contained in a single at-large district. The district had a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+7 in 2008.[2] Since 1993, the district had been represented by Republican Michael N. Castle.
Primary election
Primary elections in Delaware are closed primaries; that is, only voters who have declared a party affiliation may vote in that party's primary.[3] Three Democrats were on the primary ballot: children's rights advocate and 2006 independent candidate Karen Hartley-Nagle, veterinarian and Vietnam War veteran Jerry Northington, and Michael Miller.[4][5] Hartley-Nagle was nominated with 55.4 percent of the vote, with turnout at 28 percent.[6] Castle did not face any Republican primary challengers.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Karen Hartley-Nagle | 35,995 | 55.4 | |
| Democratic | Jerry Northington | 22,393 | 34.5 | |
| Democratic | Michael Miller | 6,609 | 10.1 | |
| Total votes | 64,997 | 100 | ||
General election
In the general election, Republican incumbent Mike Castle was challenged by Democratic nominee Karen Hartley-Nagle and Libertarian Party candidate Mark Anthony Parks. CQ Politics forecasted the race in Delaware's At-large congressional district as 'Safe Republican'. Castle enjoyed a lead throughout the campaign, and ultimately won the election with slightly over 61 percent of the votes cast. Statewide turnout for the election was at 68 percent.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Castle (incumbent) | 235,437 | 61.08 | |
| Democratic | Karen Hartley-Nagle | 146,434 | 37.99 | |
| Libertarian | Mark Parks | 3,586 | 0.93 | |
| Total votes | 385,457 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
See also
- United States House of Representatives election in Delaware, 2006
References
- Calendar of Election Events Archived 2008-08-06 at the Wayback Machine State of Delaware
- "Cook Political Report, PVI for the 110th Congress" (PDF). Cook Political Report. 30 June 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 November 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2009.
- "15 Del.C. § 3110. Qualifications of voters". Delaware Code. State of Delaware. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
- "Getting to Know Karen Hartley-Nagle". Karen Hartley-Nagle for Congress. Archived from the original on November 12, 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
- "About Jerry Northington". Northington for Congress. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
- "State of Delaware Primary Election (Official Results)". Commissioner of Elections for the State of Delaware. 2 October 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
- "State of Delaware General Election (Official Results)". Commissioner of Elections for the State of Delaware. 2008-12-15. Retrieved February 9, 2019.