2006 United States Senate elections
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33 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate 51 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Results of the elections: Democratic gain Connecticut for Lieberman gain Democratic hold Republican hold Independent hold No election
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The 2006 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, 2006, with all 33 Class 1 Senate seats being contested. The term of office for those elected in 2006 ran from January 3, 2007, to January 3, 2013. Prior to the election cycle, the Republican Party controlled 55 of the 100 Senate seats.
The Senate elections were part of the Democratic sweep during the 2006 elections, in which Democrats made numerous gains and no congressional or gubernatorial seat held by a Democrat was won by a Republican.[1] However, Democratic incumbent Joe Lieberman in Connecticut was defeated in the primary and was later reelected as a third-party candidate; he continued to caucus with the Democrats. Because of this, this is the first time since 1970 in which a member of a third party, who is not an independent, was elected to the Senate. Independent Jim Jeffords in Vermont retired but was succeeded by another Independent, Bernie Sanders, retaining their presence in the Senate. Jeffords and Sanders both caucused with Democrats. Democrats picked up six seats, all via the defeats of incumbents, in Missouri, Montana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Virginia; while holding open seats in Maryland and Minnesota. Republicans held their sole open seat in Tennessee.
Following the elections, no party held a majority of seats for the first time since January 1955. The Democrats were able to control the chamber because the two Independents caucused with the Democrats. They needed at least 51 seats to control the Senate because Vice President Dick Cheney would have broken any 50–50 tie in favor of the Republicans. This was the only time between 1990 and 2022 that Democrats gained Senate seats in a midterm.
As of 2023[update], this was the last time a Democrat won a Senate election in Nebraska, the last time a Democrat did not win a seat in Connecticut and the last time that the tipping point state was decided by under 1%, with James Webb of Virginia winning with a margin of under 0.4%.
Results summary[edit]
| 49 | 2 | 49 |
| Democratic | Independent | Republican |
Summary of the November 7, 2006, United States Senate election results
| Parties | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Democratic | Independent | Libertarian | Green | Independence | Constitution | Others | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Before these elections | 55 | 44 | 1[a] | — | — | — | — | — | 100 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Not Up | Total | 40 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class 2 (2002→2008) | 21 | 12 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class 3 (2004→2010) | 19 | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Up | Class 1 | 15 | 17 | 1[a] | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Incumbent retired | Held by same party | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Replaced by other party | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Incumbent ran | Total before | 14 | 15[b] | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Won re-election | 8 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lost re-election |  6 Republicans replacedby  6 Democrats | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lost renomination, held by same party | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lost renomination, and party lost | — | 1 Democrat re-elected as an Independent[a] | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result after | 8 | 20 | 1[a] | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net gain/loss | 6 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total elected | 9 | 22 | 2[a] | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | 49 | 49 | 2[a] | — | — | — | — | — | 100 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Popular vote | Votes (turnout: 29.7 %) | 25,437,934 | 32,344,708 | 378,142 | 612,732 | 295,935 | 231,899 | 26,934 | 1,115,432 | 60,839,144 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Share | 41.81% | 53.16% | 0.62% | 1.01% | 0.49% | 0.38% | 0.04% | 1.83% | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sources:
- Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Elections
- United States Elections Project at George Mason University Archived January 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
Change in composition[edit]
Before the elections[edit]
| D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 |
| D20 | D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 |
| D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 Calif. Ran | D29 Conn. Ran | D30 Del. Ran |
| D40 N.Y. Ran | D39 N.M. Ran | D38 N.J. Ran | D37 Neb. Ran | D36 Minn. Retired | D35 Mich. Ran | D34 Mass. Ran | D33 Md. Retired | D32 Hawaii Ran | D31 Fla. Ran |
| D41 N.D. Ran | D42 Wash. Ran | D43 W.Va. Ran | D44 Wis. Ran | I1 Vt. Retired | R55 Wyo. Ran | R54 Va. Ran | R53 Utah Ran | R52 Texas Ran | R51 Tenn. Retired |
| Majority → | |||||||||
| R41 Ariz. Ran | R42 Ind. Ran | R43 Maine Ran | R44 Miss. Ran | R45 Mo. Ran | R46 Mont. Ran | R47 Nev. Ran | R48 Ohio Ran | R49 Pa. Ran | R50 R.I. Ran |
| R40 | R39 | R38 | R37 | R36 | R35 | R34 | R33 | R32 | R31 |
| R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | R27 | R28 | R29 | R30 |
| R20 | R19 | R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 |
| R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 |
After the elections[edit]
| D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 |
| D20 | D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 |
| D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 Calif. Re-elected | D29 Del. Re-elected | D30 Fla. Re-elected |
| D40 N.D. Re-elected | D39 N.Y. Re-elected | D38 N.M. Re-elected | D37 N.J. Elected[c] | D36 Neb. Re-elected | D35 Minn. Hold | D34 Mich. Re-elected | D33 Mass. Re-elected | D32 Md. Hold | D31 Hawaii Re-elected |
| D41 Wash. Re-elected | D42 W.Va. Re-elected | D43 Wis. Re-elected | D44 Mo. Gain | D45 Mont. Gain | D46 Ohio Gain | D47 Pa. Gain | D48 R.I. Gain | D49 Va. Gain | I1 Conn. Re-elected New party |
| Majority (with Independents) ↑ | I2 Vt. Hold | ||||||||
| R41 Ariz. Re-elected | R42 Ind. Re-elected | R43 Maine Re-elected | R44 Miss. Re-elected | R45 Nev. Re-elected | R46 Tenn. Hold | R47 Texas Re-elected | R48 Utah Re-elected | R49 Wyo. Re-elected | |
| R40 | R39 | R38 | R37 | R36 | R35 | R34 | R33 | R32 | R31 |
| R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | R27 | R28 | R29 | R30 |
| R20 | R19 | R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 |
| R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 |
| Key: |
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Final pre-election predictions[edit]
| State | Incumbent | Last election[d] | Crystal Ball[2] | Rothenberg[3] | Cook[4] | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Jon Kyl | 79.3% R | Lean R | Lean R | Lean R | Kyl 53.3% R |
| California | Dianne Feinstein | 55.8% D | Safe D | Safe D | Safe D | Feinstein 59.4% D |
| Connecticut | Joe Lieberman (lost renomination) | 63.2% D | Lean I (flip) | Safe I (flip) | Safe I (flip) | Lieberman 49.7% I (flip) |
| Delaware | Tom Carper | 55.5% D | Safe D | Safe D | Safe D | Carper 67.1% D |
| Florida | Bill Nelson | 51% D | Safe D | Safe D | Safe D | Nelson 60.3% D |
| Hawaii | Daniel Akaka | 72.7% D | Safe D | Safe D | Safe D | Akaka 61.4% D |
| Indiana | Richard Lugar | 66.5% R | Safe R | Safe R | Safe R | Lugar 87.3% R |
| Maine | Olympia Snowe | 68.9% R | Safe R | Safe R | Safe R | Snowe 74.4% R |
| Maryland | Paul Sarbanes (retiring) | 63.2% D | Lean D | Lean D | Tossup | Cardin 54.2% D |
| Massachusetts | Ted Kennedy | 72.9% D | Safe D | Safe D | Safe D | Kennedy 69.5% D |
| Michigan | Debbie Stabenow | 49.4% D | Likely D | Likely D | Lean D | Stabenow 56.9% D |
| Minnesota | Mark Dayton (retiring) | 48.8% D | Likely D | Safe D | Likely D | Klobuchar 58.1% D |
| Mississippi | Trent Lott | 65.9% R | Safe R | Safe R | Safe R | Lott 63.6% R |
| Missouri | Jim Talent | 49.8% R (2002 special)[e] | Tilt D (flip) | Lean D (flip) | Tossup | McCaskill 49.6% D (flip) |
| Montana | Conrad Burns | 50.6% R | Lean D (flip) | Lean D (flip) | Tossup | Tester 49.2% D (flip) |
| Nebraska | Ben Nelson | 51% D | Likely D | Likely D | Safe D | Nelson 63.9% D |
| Nevada | John Ensign | 55.1% D | Safe R | Safe R | Safe R | Ensign 55.4% R |
| New Jersey | Bob Menendez | Appointed (2006)[f] | Tilt D | Lean D | Tossup | Menendez 53.4% D |
| New Mexico | Jeff Bingaman | 61.7% D | Safe D | Safe D | Safe D | Bingaman 70.6% D |
| New York | Hillary Clinton | 55% D | Safe D | Safe D | Safe D | Clinton 67% D |
| North Dakota | Kent Conrad | 61.4% D | Safe D | Safe D | Safe D | Conrad 68.8% D |
| Ohio | Mike DeWine | 59.9% R | Likely D (flip) | Likely D (flip) | Lean D (flip) | Brown 56.2% D (flip) |
| Pennsylvania | Rick Santorum | 52.4% R | Safe D (flip) | Likely D (flip) | Lean D (flip) | Casey 58.7% D (flip) |
| Rhode Island | Lincoln Chafee | 56.8% R | Lean D (flip) | Lean D (flip) | Tossup | Whitehouse 53.5% D (flip) |
| Tennessee | Bill Frist (retiring) | 65.1% R | Lean R | Tossup | Tossup | Corker 50.7% R |
| Texas | Kay Bailey Hutchison | 65% R | Safe R | Safe R | Safe R | Hutchison 61.7% R |
| Utah | Orrin Hatch | 65.6% R | Safe R | Safe R | Safe R | Hatch 62.6% R |
| Vermont | Jim Jeffords (retiring) | 65.6% R[g] | Safe I | Safe I | Likely I | Sanders 65.4% I |
| Virginia | George Allen | 52.3% R | Tilt D (flip) | Lean D (flip) | Tossup | Webb 49.6% D (flip) |
| Washington | Maria Cantwell | 48.7% D | Likely D | Likely D | Likely D | Cantwell 56.81% D |
| West Virginia | Robert Byrd | 77.7% D | Safe D | Safe D | Safe D | Byrd 64.4% D |
| Wisconsin | Herb Kohl | 61.5% D | Safe D | Safe D | Safe D | Kohl 67.31% D |
| Wyoming | Craig L. Thomas | 73.7% R | Safe R | Safe R | Safe R | Thomas 69.99% R |
Race summary[edit]
Special elections during the 109th Congress[edit]
There were no special elections during the 109th Congress.
Elections leading to the next Congress[edit]
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 2007; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
| State (linked to sections below) | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Arizona | Jon Kyl | Republican | 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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| California | Dianne Feinstein | Democratic | 1992 (special) 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Connecticut | Joe Lieberman | Democratic | 1988 1994 2000 | Incumbent lost renomination, but re-elected as an independent. Independent gain. |
|
| Delaware | Tom Carper | Democratic | 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Florida | Bill Nelson | Democratic | 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
Others
|
| Hawaii | Daniel Akaka | Democratic | 1990 (Appointed) 1990 (special) 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Indiana | Richard Lugar | Republican | 1976 1982 1988 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Maine | Olympia Snowe | Republican | 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Maryland | Paul Sarbanes | Democratic | 1976 1982 1988 1994 2000 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic hold. |
|
| Massachusetts | Ted Kennedy | Democratic | 1962 (special) 1964 1970 1976 1982 1988 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Michigan | Debbie Stabenow | Democratic | 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Minnesota | Mark Dayton | DFL | 2000 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic–Farmer–Labor hold. |
|
| Mississippi | Trent Lott | Republican | 1988 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Missouri | Jim Talent | Republican | 2002 (special) | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
|
| Montana | Conrad Burns | Republican | 1988 1994 2000 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
|
| Nebraska | Ben Nelson | Democratic | 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Nevada | John Ensign | Republican | 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| New Jersey | Bob Menendez | Democratic | 2006 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected. |
Others
|
| New Mexico | Jeff Bingaman | Democratic | 1982 1988 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| New York | Hillary Clinton | Democratic | 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| North Dakota | Kent Conrad | Democratic-NPL | 1986 1992 (Retired) 1992 (special) 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Ohio | Mike DeWine | Republican | 1994 2000 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
|
| Pennsylvania | Rick Santorum | Republican | 1994 2000 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
|
| Rhode Island | Lincoln Chafee | Republican | 1999 (Appointed) 2000 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
|
| Tennessee | Bill Frist | Republican | 1994 2000 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold. |
Others
|
| Texas | Kay Bailey Hutchison | Republican | 1993 (special) 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Utah | Orrin Hatch | Republican | 1976 1982 1988 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Vermont | Jim Jeffords | Independent | 1988[h] 1994 2000 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Independent hold. |
Others
|
| Virginia | George Allen | Republican | 2000 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
|
| Washington | Maria Cantwell | Democratic | 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| West Virginia | Robert Byrd | Democratic | 1958 1964 1970 1976 1982 1988 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Wisconsin | Herb Kohl | Democratic | 1988 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
| Wyoming | Craig L. Thomas | Republican | 1994 2000 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Closest races[edit]
In eight races the margin of victory was under 10%.
| District | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | Democratic (flip) | 0.4%[i] |
| Montana | Democratic (flip) | 0.9% |
| Missouri | Democratic (flip) | 2.3% |
| Tennessee | Republican | 2.7% |
| Rhode Island | Democratic (flip) | 7.0% |
| New Jersey | Democratic | 9.0% |
| Arizona | Republican | 9.8% |
| Connecticut | Independent (flip) | 9.9% |
Gains and losses[edit]
Retirements[edit]
Two Democrats, one Republican, and one Independent retired rather than seek re-election.
| State | Senator | Replaced by |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | Paul Sarbanes | Ben Cardin |
| Minnesota | Mark Dayton | Amy Klobuchar |
| Tennessee | Bill Frist | Bob Corker |
| Vermont | Jim Jeffords | Bernie Sanders |
Defeats[edit]
Six Republicans and one Democrat sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election.
Post-election changes[edit]
One Republican died on June 4, 2007, and was replaced by a Republican appointee on June 22, 2007. One other Republican resigned on December 18, 2007, and was replaced by a Republican appointee on December 31, 2007.
| State | Senator | Replaced by |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi (Class 1) | Trent Lott | Roger Wicker |
| Wyoming (Class 1) | Craig L. Thomas | John Barrasso |
Arizona[edit]
 | |||||||||||||||||
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 County results Kyl: 50–60% 60–70% Pederson: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Jon Kyl won re-election to a third term over Democrat Jim Pederson, real estate developer and former chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jon Kyl (Incumbent) | 297,636 | 99.5% | |
| Republican | Write-ins | 155 | 0.05% | |
| Total votes | 297,791 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Pederson | 214,455 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 214,455 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libertarian | Richard Mack | 3,311 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 3,311 | 100.00% | ||
The incumbent, Republican Jon Kyl, was elected to the Senate in 1994 and was re-elected to a second term in 2000; having previously spent eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives. Kyl's Democratic opponent for the general election was wealthy real-estate developer Jim Pederson, who served as the Arizona Democratic Party Chairman from 2001 to 2005. During his tenure, Pederson spent millions of dollars of his own money to help Democrats modernize and to elect Janet Napolitano as Governor of Arizona. The deadline for signing petition signatures to appear on the September 12, 2006, primary ballot was June 14, 2006.
Not long after the 2004 election, Pederson's name began being mentioned as a potential Senate candidate for the 2006 race. On July 28, 2005, Pederson formally stepped down as Chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party, further fueling those speculations. In early September 2005, an e-mail was sent from the Arizona Democratic Party's website, inviting people to an announcement by Pederson on September 7. In an anticlimactic move, an e-mail was sent out shortly after the first saying that the announcement would be postponed due to Hurricane Katrina. It was requested that any money that would be donated to Pederson's campaign at the announcement be directed to relief efforts instead. Similarly, a meeting in Arizona of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) was scheduled for around the same time. It was also postponed and the same request was made involving donations. On September 7, 2005, Pederson filed to run for the U.S. Senate. On September 14, 2005, Pederson formally announced his intention to run, in his hometown of Casa Grande, Arizona.
Although Kyl started the campaign with a sizable lead in most polls, the gap quickly narrowed, especially after Pederson released his array of ads.
Pederson lost the election by 9.84% or 150,257 votes, despite Democratic Incumbent Governor Janet Napolitano easily being re-elected and winning every county statewide. While Pederson lost it was still notable, as it was the worst performance of Senator Kyl's career. Kyl did well as Republicans usually do in Maricopa County home of Phoenix. Pederson did well in Pima County home of Tucson which tends to support Democrats. Kyl was called the winner by CNN at around 8 P.M. local time, 11 P.M. EST. Pederson called Senator Kyl and conceded defeat at 9:02 p.m. local time, 12:02 P.M. EST.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jon Kyl (Incumbent) | 814,398 | 53.34% | -25.98% | |
| Democratic | Jim Pederson | 664,141 | 43.50% | +43.50% | |
| Libertarian | Richard Mack | 48,231 | 3.16% | -1.90% | |
| Write-ins | 13 | 0.00% | |||
| Majority | 150,257 | 9.84% | 61.66% | ||
| Turnout | 1,526,782 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
California[edit]
 | |||||||||||||||||
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 County results Feinstein: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Mountjoy: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Dianne Feinstein won re-election to her third full term.
Feinstein stood against Republican Dick Mountjoy, who had never held a statewide elected position, but had been a state senator for several years. Also running was Libertarian Michael Metti, Don Grundmann of the American Independent Party, Todd Chretien of the Green Party and Marsha Feinland of the Peace and Freedom Party.
Because California is a state that requires a large amount of money to wage a competitive statewide campaign, it is not unusual - as was the case for this race - for a popular incumbent to have no significant opponent. Several prominent Republicans, such as Bill Jones, Matt Fong, and others, declined to run, and a previous announced challenger, businessman Bill Mundell, withdrew his declaration after determining he would not be a self-funded candidate (like Michael Huffington was in the 1994 election).
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dianne Feinstein (Incumbent) | 2,176,888 | 86.95% | |
| Colleen Fernald | 199,180 | 7.96% | |
| Martin Luther Church | 127,301 | 5.09% | |
| Total votes | 2,503,369 | 100.00% | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Todd Chretien | 12,821 | 46.14% | |
| Tian Harter | 10,318 | 37.13% | |
| Kent Mesplay | 4,649 | 16.73% | |
| Total votes | 27,788 | 100.00% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dick Mountjoy | 1,560,472 | 100.00% | |
| American Independent | Don J. Grundmann | 30,787 | 100.00% | |
| Libertarian | Michael S. Metti | 16,742 | 100.00% | |
| Peace and Freedom | Marsha Feinland | 4,109 | 100.00% | |
On September 22, the Los Angeles Times reported that Mountjoy's official biography, as found on his campaign website, falsely asserted that he had served aboard the battleship USS Missouri during the Korean War—he'd actually served aboard the heavy cruiser USS Bremerton. A review of the ships' logs corroborated this and the website was quickly changed to reflect his service aboard the Bremerton rather than the Missouri. Mountjoy denied having been responsible for adding the incorrect information[7]
Feinstein won the election easily. Feinstein won almost every major urban area, winning in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Diego. Feinstein was projected the winner as the polls closed at 11 p.m. EST.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dianne Feinstein (incumbent) | 5,076,289 | 59.43% | |
| Republican | Dick Mountjoy | 2,990,822 | 35.02% | |
| Green | Todd Chretien | 147,074 | 1.72% | |
| Libertarian | Michael S. Metti | 133,851 | 1.57% | |
| Peace and Freedom | Marsha Feinland | 117,764 | 1.38% | |
| American Independent | Don Grundmann | 75,350 | 0.88% | |
| Green | Kent Mesplay (write-in) | 160 | 0.00% | |
| Independent | Jeffrey Mackler (write-in) | 108 | 0.00% | |
| Independent | Lea Sherman (write-in) | 47 | 0.00% | |
| Independent | Connor Vlakancic (write-in) | 11 | 0.00% | |
| Invalid or blank votes | 357,583 | 4.19% | ||
| Total votes | 8,899,059 | 100.00% | ||
| Turnout | {{{votes}}} | 53.93% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Connecticut[edit]
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  Lieberman: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Lamont: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Joe Lieberman lost the August 8 Democratic primary to cable executive Ned Lamont, a former Greenwich selectman. Lieberman formed his own third party and won in the general election to a fourth term.
Because Connecticut was believed to be a Democratic stronghold, Connecticut's Senate seat was considered safe to remain as a Democratic seat by political analysts,[10][11] but Lieberman's continued support for conservative and Bush administration policies made him vulnerable to a Democratic primary challenger. Lieberman's critics objected to what they call Lieberman's lack of commitment to the Democratic party;[12] his opposition to affirmative action;[13] his opposition to a Connecticut state law that would require Catholic hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims;[14] his membership in the bipartisan Gang of 14;[15] his support of Florida governor Jeb Bush in the Terri Schiavo case;[16] his initial willingness to compromise on Social Security privatization;[17] his alliances with Republicans;[18] and his attacks on other Democrats.[19][20][21]
On March 13, 2006, Ned Lamont announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. Lamont was more liberal than Lieberman, but he was not immune from criticism from within his own party. The New Republic senior editor and "liberal hawk" Jonathan Chait criticized Lamont's supporters by comparing them to activists who he felt "tore the party apart" in the 1960s and 70s.[22]
Early polling showed Lieberman with as much as a 46-point lead,[23] but subsequent polls showed Lamont gaining until Lamont took the lead just weeks before the primary.[24] A controversy about a "kiss" Lieberman supposedly received from President Bush during the 2005 State of the Union address highlighted concerns that the senator was too close to the unpopular president to be a credible Democratic nominee.[25] Lieberman released several campaign advertisements over the summer of 2006, seeking to connect himself to former President Bill Clinton and to portray Lamont as standing for little more than opposition to Lieberman. Lamont struck back against some of Lieberman's more negative ads with an advertisement produced by well-known political consultant Bill Hillsman. In Lamont's ad, a foreboding narrator says, "Meet Ned Lamont. He can't make a decent cup of coffee, he's a bad karaoke singer, and he has a messy desk." Lamont then chimes in, "Aren't you sick of political attack ads that insult your intelligence? Senator Lieberman, let's stick to issues and pledge to support whoever wins the Democratic primary."[citation needed]
From midmorning August 7 to well past August 9, Lieberman's official campaign site was taken offline; officials from Lieberman's campaign claimed "dirty politics" and "Rovian tactics" on the part of Lamont's supporters, and more specifically, a sustained Distributed Denial of Service attack that, according to the Lieberman campaign, had left the site down for several days.[26]
Tim Tagaris, Lamont's Internet communications director, denied the charge and attributed the downtime to the fact that the Lieberman campaign had chosen an inferior web host, or ISP, and was only paying $15/month to operate its site (in comparison to the $1500/month being spent by the Lamont campaign).[27][28][29] On December 20, 2006, a joint investigation by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's office and the U.S. attorney's office cleared the Lamont campaign of the hacking accusations. A spokesman for Kevin O'Connor, the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, stated, "The investigation has revealed no evidence the problems the Web site experienced were the result of criminal conduct."[30]
Lamont won the primary with 51.79% of the vote, as opposed to Lieberman's 48.21%.[31] However, in his concession speech, Lieberman announced that he would stand by his prior statements that he'd run as an independent if he lost the Democratic primary.[32]
In the Republican Party primary, Alan Schlesinger drew fire in July when it was revealed that he had been gambling under an alias in order to avoid detection as a card counter. Despite calls to withdraw from the race, Schlesinger remained in the race,[33] ultimately becoming the Republican nominee when no other Republican challengers entered the race.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ned Lamont | 146,587 | 51.8% | |
| Democratic | Joseph Lieberman (Incumbent) | 136,468 | 48.2% | |
| Total votes | 283,055 | 100.0% | ||
On June 12, Ned Lamont began running radio ads promising if he lost the primary to endorse Lieberman, challenging Lieberman to abandon consideration of an independent run by making a similar pledge. Lieberman refused to make this pledge; his campaign manager, Sean Smith said, "Are we going to support Ned Lamont? Ah, no!"[34]
On July 3 in Hartford, Lieberman announced that he would collect signatures in order to guarantee himself a position on the November ballot. Both Lieberman and Smith said that Lieberman will run as a "petitioning Democrat" and would caucus with Senate Democrats if elected.[35] On July 10, the Lieberman campaign officially filed paperwork allowing him to collect signatures to form a new political party, the Connecticut for Lieberman party.[36]
Upon Lieberman's announcement, independent polls continued to show him favored to win a plurality or outright majority of the vote in a three-way general election (see below). The petition issue led to charges against the Lieberman campaign of political opportunism and lack of respect for the political process.[37] Lieberman received strong support from many prominent conservative pundits and publications. "[H]is most vocal support came from places like The Weekly Standard, National Review, and Commentary Magazine; Sean Hannity, Bill Kristol and right-wing radio hosts cheered for his victory."[38] Thus, "Lieberman was able to run in the general election as the de facto Republican candidate — every major Republican office-holder in the state endorsed him — and to supplement that GOP base with strong support from independents."[39]
On August 9, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and DSCC Chair Chuck Schumer issued the following joint statement on the Connecticut Senate race:
The Democratic voters of Connecticut have spoken and chosen Ned Lamont as their nominee. Both we and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) fully support Mr. Lamont's candidacy. Congratulations to Ned on his victory and on a race well run. Joe Lieberman has been an effective Democratic Senator for Connecticut and for America. But the perception was that he was too close to George Bush and this election was, in many respects, a referendum on the President more than anything else. The results bode well for Democratic victories in November and our efforts to take the country in a new direction.[40]
According to The Hill, a Democratic aide to a high-ranking senator commented that Lieberman might be stripped of his Democratic privileges in the Senate. "At this point Lieberman cannot expect to just keep his seniority," said the aide. "He can't run against a Democrat and expect to waltz back to the caucus with the same seniority as before. It would give the view that the Senate is a country club rather than representative of a political party and political movement."[41]
Lieberman won with approximately 50% of the vote, and served a six-year term from January 3, 2007, to January 3, 2013. Exit polls showed that Lieberman won the vote of 33% of Democrats, 54% of independents and 70% of Republicans.[42] Lieberman won every county in the November general election.[43]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Joe Lieberman (incumbent) | 564,095 | 49.7% | |
| Democratic | Ned Lamont | 450,844 | 39.7% | |
| Republican | Alan Schlesinger | 109,198 | 9.6% | |
| Green | Ralph Ferrucci | 5,922 | 0.6% | |
| Concerned Citizens | Timothy Knibbs | 4,638 | 0.4% | |
| Write-in | Carl E. Vassar | 80 | 0.0% | |
| Majority | 113,251 | 10.0% | ||
| Turnout | 1,134,777 | |||
| Independent gain from Democratic | ||||
Delaware[edit]
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 County results Carper: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Thomas R. Carper won re-election to a second term over a Republican Temple University law professor, Jan C. Ting.[45]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jan Ting | 6,110 | 42.47% | |
| Republican | Michael D. Protack | 5,771 | 40.12% | |
| Republican | Christine O'Donnell | 2,505 | 17.41% | |
| Total votes | 14,386 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Thomas Carper (Incumbent) | 170,567 | 67.13% | +11.60% | |
| Republican | Jan Ting | 69,734 | 27.44% | -16.26% | |
| Write-in | Christine O'Donnell | 11,127 | 4.38% | ||
| Independent | Karen M. Hartley-Nagle | 5,769 | 2.2% | ||
| Libertarian | William E. Morris | 2,671 | 1.05% | +0.71% | |
| Majority | 100,833 | 39.68% | +27.85% | ||
| Turnout | 254,099 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
Florida[edit]
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 County results Nelson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Harris: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson won re-election to a second term over Republican congresswoman Katherine Harris.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Katherine Harris | 474,871 | 49.4% | |
| Republican | Will McBride | 287,741 | 30.0% | |
| Republican | LeRoy Collins Jr. | 146,712 | 15.3% | |
| Republican | Peter Monroe | 51,330 | 5.3% | |
| Turnout | 960,654 | 100.00% | ||
The organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which monitors political corruption, complained to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) in October 2006 that the Bacardi beverage company had illegally used corporate resources in support of a fundraising event for Nelson in 2005. CREW had previously filed a similar complaint concerning a Bacardi fundraising event for Republican Senator Mel Martinez, an event that raised as much as $60,000 for Martinez's campaign. The amended complaint alleged that, on both occasions, Bacardi violated the Federal Election Campaign Act and FEC regulations by soliciting contributions from a list of the corporation's vendors.[49]
Nelson was easily re-elected, winning all but 10 of Florida's 67 counties and receiving 60.3% of the vote, winning by 1,064,421 votes or 22.2%. Nelson was projected the winner as the polls closed at 7 p.m. EST.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Nelson (Incumbent) | 2,890,548 | 60.3% | +9.8% | |
| Republican | Katherine Harris | 1,826,127 | 38.1% | -8.1% | |
| Independent | Belinda Noah | 24,880 | 0.5% | n/a | |
| Independent | Brian Moore | 19,695 | 0.4% | n/a | |
| Independent | Floyd Ray Frazier | 16,628 | 0.3% | n/a | |
| Independent | Roy Tanner | 15,562 | 0.3% | n/a | |
| Write-ins | 94 | 0.0% | n/a | ||
| Majority | 1,064,421 | 22.2% | +17.4% | ||
| Turnout | 4,793,534 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
Hawaii[edit]
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 County results Akaka: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Daniel Akaka won re-election to his third full term over Republican State Representative Cynthia Thielen.
Democratic congressman Ed Case ran against Akaka in the Democratic Primary, having stated that although he had the deepest respect for Akaka, Hawaii was in a time of transition with regard to the state's representation in Congress which required that the state elect Senators of the next generation to provide continuity. He warned the state would lose all clout in Washington if the state's two US Senators, both of whom were over 80 years old, left office within a short time of each other. If a Senator were to die, Hawaii election law requires that the governor appoint a replacement of the same party.[50]
Hawaii's other Representative, Neil Abercrombie, and other Senator, Daniel Inouye, pledged their support to Akaka, who won the primary with 55% of the vote.[51]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Daniel K. Akaka (Incumbent) | 129,158 | 55% | |
| Democratic | Ed Case | 107,163 | 45% | |
| Total votes | 236,321 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jerry Coffee | 10,139 | 41.01% | |
| Republican | Mark Beatty | 6,057 | 24.50% | |
| Republican | Akacase Collins | 3,146 | 12.72% | |
| Republican | Jay Friedheim | 2,299 | 9.30% | |
| Republican | Steve Tataii | 1,601 | 6.48% | |
| Republican | Eddie Pirkowski | 1,482 | 5.99% | |
| Total votes | 24,724 | 100% | ||
Hawaii State Representative Cynthia Thielen was selected to be the Republican nominee after Jerry Coffee, who had previously withdrawn his candidacy, won the primary. Akaka won in all 4 Hawaii counties, taking at least 60% of the vote in each area.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Daniel Akaka (Incumbent) | 210,330 | 61.4% | -11.5% | |
| Republican | Cynthia Thielen | 126,097 | 36.8% | +12.3% | |
| Libertarian | Lloyd Mallan | 6,415 | 1.9% | +1.0% | |
| Majority | 84,233 | 24.6% | |||
| Turnout | 342,842 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
Indiana[edit]
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 County results Lugar: 70–80% 80–90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Richard Lugar was unopposed by any Democratic candidate and was re-elected to his sixth six-year term with 87.3% of the vote over Libertarian radio operator Steve Osborn. This would be Lugar's last race of his political career.
Lugar faced no opposition from the Democratic Party, as they felt Lugar was unbeatable. The Indiana Senate race was the only one in 2006 where the incumbent faced no challenger from the other major party. Also running was Libertarian Steve Osborn. Osborn was from La Porte, Indiana, and was an amateur radio operator. Exit polls projected a landslide victory for Lugar which was borne out by the result.
The election was not close, with Lugar winning every county. Osborn's best performance was in Switzerland County, where he received just over 22% of the vote.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Lugar (Incumbent) | 1,171,553 | 87.3% | ||
| Libertarian | Steve Osborn | 168,820 | 12.6% | ||
| No party | Write-Ins | 738 | 0.1% | ||
| Majority | 1,002,733 | ||||
| Turnout | 1,341,111 | 40% | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
Maine[edit]
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  Snowe: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Bright: 40–50% Slavick: 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Olympia Snowe won re-election to a third term over Democratic activist Jean Hay Bright.
Snowe, who had been elected to both of her previous terms by approximately 2-to-1 margins, had never lost an election. Snowe won by a landslide even as Democrats won across the country due to her being a centrist Republican and having a very high approval rating in Maine. Meanwhile, her Democratic opponent in the 2006 election, Jean Hay Bright, had never been elected to political office.
Democrats' best hope for taking the seat was that Snowe would retire rather than run in 2006, but there was never any indication that she seriously considered not running for re-election.[54]
The filing deadline for major party candidates was March 15, 2006. The primary was held June 13, 2006. Olympia Snowe was unopposed for the Republican nomination; Jean Hay Bright narrowly won the Democratic nod with 50.7% of the vote against Eric Mehnert.
Hay Bright announced her candidacy in May 2005. Hay Bright was previously an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination to the House in 1994 and the Senate in 1996.
The race had been called by FOX News for Snowe 23 minutes after the polls had closed. Snowe won re-election by a greater margin than any U.S. Senator that cycle except Indiana's Richard Lugar, who faced only a Libertarian opponent. Snowe won in all of Maine's counties, taking at least 60% of the vote in each region.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Olympia Snowe (Incumbent) | 402,598 | 74.01% | +5.5% | |
| Democratic | Jean Hay Bright | 111,984 | 20.59% | -10.6% | |
| Independent | Bill Slavick | 29,220 | 5.37% | n/a | |
| Majority | 290,614 | 53.42% | |||
| Turnout | 543,802 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
Maryland[edit]
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 County results Cardin: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Steele: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Paul Sarbanes, Maryland's longest serving United States senator, decided to retire instead of seeking a sixth term. Democratic nominee Ben Cardin won the open seat.
Kweisi Mfume, a former congressman and NAACP President, was the first to announce for the position, in March 2005. Ben Cardin, then a congressman since 1987, was the only other major candidate until September 2005, when Dennis F. Rasmussen, a former Baltimore County Executive, American University professor Allan Lichtman, and wealthy Potomac businessman Josh Rales entered the contest. Thirteen other candidates subsequently also entered the primary. As of August 2006, Cardin had raised more than $4.8 million and collected endorsements from a number of Democratic politicians, the AFL–CIO, and The Washington Post; Mfume had raised over $1.2 million and collected endorsements from the Maryland State Teachers Association, Progressive Maryland, former Maryland Governor Parris Glendening, the National Organization for Women, and Maryland Congressmen Elijah Cummings and Al Wynn.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Benjamin L. Cardin | 257,545 | 43.67% | |
| Democratic | Kweisi Mfume | 238,957 | 40.52% | |
| Democratic | Josh Rales | 30,737 | 5.21% | |
| Democratic | Dennis F. Rasmussen | 10,997 | 1.86% | |
| Democratic | Mike Schaefer | 7,773 | 1.32% | |
| Democratic | Allan Lichtman | 6,919 | 1.17% | |
| Democratic | Theresa C. Scaldaferri | 5,081 | 0.86% | |
| Democratic | James H. Hutchinson | 4,949 | 0.84% | |
| Democratic | David Dickerson | 3,950 | 0.67% | |
| Democratic | A. Robert Kaufman | 3,908 | 0.66% | |
| Democratic | Anthony Jaworski | 3,486 | 0.59% | |
| Democratic | Thomas McCaskill | 3,459 | 0.59 | |
| Democratic | George T. English | 2,305 | 0.39% | |
| Democratic | Bob Robinson | 2,208 | 0.37% | |
| Democratic | Lih Young | 2,039 | 0.35% | |
| Democratic | Blaine Taylor | 1,848 | 0.31% | |
| Democratic | Joseph Werner | 1,832 | 0.31 | |
| Democratic | Charles Ulysses Smith | 1,702 | 0.29% | |
| Total votes | 589,695 | 100% | ||
Michael S. Steele, Lieutenant Governor and former chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, was expected to win the Republican primary, and the Baltimore Sun wrote the month before that he faced "only nominal opposition".[57] Among a field of nine other candidates, the only Republican receiving significant media coverage was Daniel Vovak.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael S. Steele | 190,790 | 86.96% | |
| Republican | John Kimble | 6,280 | 2.86% | |
| Republican | Earl S. Gordon | 4,110 | 1.87% | |
| Republican | Daniel "Wig Man" Vovak | 4,063 | 1.85% | |
| Republican | Thomas J. Hampton | 3,946 | 1.80% | |
| Republican | Corrogan R. Vaughn | 2,565 | 1.17% | |
| Republican | Daniel Muffoletto | 2,335 | 1.06% | |
| Republican | Richard Shawver | 2,298 | 1.05% | |
| Republican | Ray Bly | 2,114 | 0.96% | |
| Republican | Edward Raymond Madej | 902 | 0.41% | |
| Total votes | 219,403 | 100% | ||
This was Maryland's first open Senate seat since 1986, when Senator Barbara Mikulski was first elected.
Kevin Zeese, the nominee for the Green, Populist and Libertarian Parties, was also on the ballot.
Though Steele lost the general election by 10% of the vote, a much wider margin than predicted, his was and remains the best showing for a Republican in a Senate race in Maryland since Charles Mathias, Jr. was re-elected in 1980 with 66% of the vote.
Both Steele and Cardin made controversial statements and advertising throughout the campaign.
Cardin primarily attacked Steele over his close relations with President Bush, including pictures of Bush and Steele in Cardin's TV ads.[58] Steele focused on low taxes, less government spending, free markets and national security.[59]
Despite polls days before the election showing the race at a 3% margin, Cardin won by more than 10% with a 178,295-vote margin. Steele conceded defeat at 9:02 p.m. EST.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ben Cardin | 965,477 | 54.21% | -9.0% | |
| Republican | Michael S. Steele | 787,182 | 44.19% | +7.5% | |
| Green | Kevin Zeese | 27,564 | 1.55% | n/a | |
| Write-ins | 916 | 0.05% | 0% | ||
| Majority | 178,295 | 10.02% | |||
| Turnout | 1,781,139 | 100 | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
Massachusetts[edit]
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Incumbent Democrat Ted Kennedy won re-election to his ninth (his eighth full) term, beating Republican language school owner and activist Kenneth Chase. This was Kennedy's last election to the Senate.
At the Massachusetts Republican Party Convention[61] Kenneth Chase received the official endorsement with a majority of delegates, though both candidates qualified for the September primary. Former White House Chief-of-Staff Andy Card also received 3 votes.[62]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kenneth Chase | 35,497 | 50.94% | |
| Republican | Kevin Scott | 34,179 | 49.05% | |
| Total votes | 69,676 | 100.00% | ||
Kennedy captured every county in the state, winning at least 62% in each region.[citation needed]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ted Kennedy (Incumbent) | 1,500,738 | 69.30% | -3.4[65] | |
| Republican | Kenneth Chase | 661,532 | 30.55% | +17.7 | |
| Majority | 839,206 | 38.75% | |||
| Turnout | 2,165,490 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | 20.8 | |||
Michigan[edit]
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 Stabenow: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Bouchard: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Debbie Stabenow won re-election to a second term, beating Republican Michael Bouchard, Oakland County Sheriff
Economic issues took front-and-center in the campaign, as Michigan's unemployment rate was one of the highest in the nation. In July 2006, unemployment in Michigan stood at approximately 7%, compared with a 4.7% rate nationwide. Pessimism about the state's economic future had left Michigan ranked 49th nationally between 2000 and 2005 in retaining young adults. Since its peak, Detroit had lost over a million people. Bouchard claimed that the incumbent had accomplished nothing, dubbing her "Do-Nothing Debbie."[66]
From a long way out Stabenow looked like she might be vulnerable. President Bush even came to Michigan to campaign for Bouchard, raising over $1,000,000 for him. However Bouchard never won a single poll. By October the Republican Party, started taking resources out of Michigan to focus on closer races, essentially ceding the race to Stabenow. Stabenow would go on to win the election easily, capturing nearly 57% of the vote. Stabenow did well throughout Michigan, but performed better in heavily populated cities like Detroit, Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Kalamazoo. Bouchard did win Grand Rapids, a typical Republican area. He also won in many rural areas around the state. However Bouchard failed to put a dent in Stabenow's lead, largely due to her strong performance in heavily populated areas. Bouchard conceded to Stabenow at 9:58 p.m. EST.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Debbie Stabenow (Incumbent) | 2,151,278 | 56.9% | +7.4% | |
| Republican | Michael Bouchard | 1,559,597 | 41.3% | -6.6% | |
| Libertarian | Leonard Schwartz | 27,012 | 0.7% | 0% | |
| Green | David Sole | 23,890 | 0.6% | -0.3% | |
| Constitution | Dennis FitzSimons | 18,341 | 0.5% | +0.2% | |
| Majority | 591,681 | 15.6% | |||
| Turnout | 3,780,142 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | 7% | |||
Minnesota[edit]
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 Klobuchar: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Kennedy: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent DFL senator Mark Dayton decided in February 2005 that he would retire instead of seeking a second term. The primary elections took place on September 12, 2006. DFL nominee Amy Klobuchar won the open seat over Mark Kennedy (R), U.S. Congressman.
Klobuchar gained the early endorsement of the majority of DFL state legislators in Minnesota.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Amy Klobuchar | 294,671 | 92.51% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Darryl Stanton | 23,872 | 7.49% | |
| Total votes | 318,543 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark Kennedy | 147,091 | 90.21% | |
| Republican | John Uldrich | 10,025 | 6.15% | |
| Republican | Harold Shudlick | 5,941 | 3.64% | |
| Total votes | 163,057 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | Robert Fitzgerald | 5,520 | 51.61% | |
| Independence | Miles W. Collins | 2,600 | 24.31% | |
| Independence | Stephen Williams | 2,575 | 24.08% | |
| Total votes | 10,695 | 100.00% | ||
Kennedy's routine support of President George W. Bush in House votes was a central issue for Democrats in the campaign. In June 2006, allegations were made that many references to and photos of Bush had been removed from Kennedy's official U.S. House website; in rebuttal, Republicans said that there were 72 references to Bush on the website and that the changes noted by critics had been made some time ago, as part of the normal updating process.[70] Ben Powers was the only ballot-qualified candidate not to be invited to appear on Minnesota Public Television's Almanac program, despite Mr. Powers's offer to fill the space left unfilled by Ms. Klobuchar's decision not to appear with Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Fitzgerald on the program. Green candidate Michael Cavlan appeared on the program twice during the 2006 campaign as a special guest.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Amy Jean Klobuchar | 1,278,849 | 58.06% | +9.23% | |
| Republican | Mark Kennedy | 835,653 | 37.94% | -5.35% | |
| Independence | Robert Fitzgerald | 71,194 | 3.23% | -2.58% | |
| Green | Michael Cavlan | 10,714 | 0.49% | n/a | |
| Constitution | Ben Powers | 5,408 | 0.25% | +0.15% | |
| Write-ins | 954 | ||||
| Majority | 443,196 | 20.2% | |||
| Turnout | 2,202,772 | 70.64% | |||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | Swing | ||||
Mississippi[edit]
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 County results Lott: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Fleming: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Trent Lott won re-election to a fourth term.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Erik R. Fleming | 46,185 | 44.07% | |
| Democratic | Bill Bowlin | 23,175 | 22.11% | |
| Democratic | James O'Keefe | 20,815 | 19.86% | |
| Democratic | Catherine Starr | 14,629 | 13.96% | |
| Total votes | 104,804 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Erik R. Fleming | 19,477 | 64.99% | |
| Democratic | Bill Bowlin | 10,490 | 35.01% | |
| Total votes | 29,967 | 100% | ||
Lott ran for re-election without facing any opposition in his party's primary. While it had been speculated that Lott might retire after his home was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, he instead chose to run for re-election. Fleming is an African American, which represents 37% of the state's population. However, no African American has ever been elected to statewide office. The last black U.S. Senator was Hiram Revels, who was appointed and took office in 1870. Fleming got little help from the DSCC, which only donated $15,000 to his campaign.[73]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Trent Lott (Incumbent) | 388,399 | 63.58% | ||
| Democratic | Erik R. Fleming | 213,000 | 34.87% | ||
| Libertarian | Harold Taylor | 9,522 | 1.56% | ||
| Majority | 175,399 | 28.71% | |||
| Turnout | 591,178 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
Missouri[edit]
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 County results McCaskill: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Talent: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Jim Talent was elected in a special election in 2002 when he narrowly defeated incumbent Democrat Jean Carnahan. Carnahan had been appointed to the Senate seat following the posthumous election of her husband Mel Carnahan, who had died in a plane crash shortly before the 2000 election. Talent was running for a full term, his Democratic opponent was Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill. Early on the morning of November 8, Talent conceded defeat to McCaskill, having faced considerable political headwinds. Talent lost the election with 47% of the vote, to 50% of the vote for McCaskill.
The election was always expected to be very close, which seems fitting for a seat that has changed hands twice, both by very narrow margins, within the last six years. In 2000, the late Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan, a Democrat, narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Senator John Ashcroft 50% to 48%. Two years later in a special election held for the seat, incumbent Senator Jean Carnahan lost an even closer election to former Congressman Talent, 50% to 49%.
Missouri was seen as the nation's bellwether state throughout the 20th century: It had voted for the winner of every presidential election since 1900, except for 1956 (when the state narrowly favored Adlai Stevenson over Dwight D. Eisenhower). Missouri's bellwether status was due to the fact that it not only voted for the electoral victor, but that its returns usually mirrored national returns.
The state itself is a geographically central state, bordered by both the edges of Southern and Midwestern regions. In statewide contests for much of the 20th century, Missouri favored the Democratic Party. In recent elections, the Republican Party (GOP) has emerged in statewide contests. The election of 2004 was an important one; as George W. Bush was re-elected he carried Missouri. But this time his margin in the state was greater than it was nationwide. Bush won the Presidency 51% to 48%, he carried Missouri 53% to 46%. This trend had begun in 2000, when Bush lost the national popular vote to Al Gore 47% to 48% but still won Missouri, 50% to 47%. Bush's victory also saw Republicans triumph in several statewide contests; Senator Kit Bond was re-elected by a decisive 56% to 43% margin and Matt Blunt won the election for Governor, narrowly defeating state auditor Claire McCaskill 51% to 48%. The GOP also captured control of the state legislature for the first time in eighty years.
Talent, anticipating a tough re-election battle and attempting to dissuade challengers, had accumulated a large campaign fund.[74] For most of 2005, he had no opposition. State Senator Chuck Graham had briefly entered the race early in the year, but dropped out soon after. However, on August 30, 2005, Democrat Claire McCaskill announced her intention to run for Talent's Senate seat.
McCaskill started with a large financial disadvantage, but she was also an experienced candidate with high name recognition. McCaskill had run two successful campaigns for state auditor. She was also a candidate for governor in 2004, when she defeated the incumbent Democratic Governor Bob Holden in the primary election but lost with 48% of the vote in the general election.
Both Talent and McCaskill faced unknowns in their respective primaries on August 8, 2006, and defeated them soundly.
The Missouri contest was seen as vitally important to control of the United States Senate; as a toss-up election between two strong candidates, the race was expected to attract a lot of interest as well as money spent on ads and turning out supporters. If Talent won, then a Democratic takeover of the U.S. Senate depended upon victories in Tennessee, where the Republican Bob Corker won, and Virginia, where Democrat Jim Webb won; the Democrats needed to win six seats to take control of the chamber with 51 seats. To do this, they would need to retain their 19 incumbent seats, win the four Republican-held seats of Montana, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania (where Democratic chances seemed above 50%, and Democrats won all 4.) and two of the following three "toss-up" races: Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia.
It is believed[by whom?] that statewide ballot issues drove the November 2006 vote. Talent was on the opposite of the majority of voters in this poll on just about every issue: 66% of Missouri voters favored raising the minimum wage to $6.50 an hour; 62% of Missouri voters favored raising taxes to replace Medicaid funding cut by the current Republican Governor, Matt Blunt; 54% opposed a law that would require all Missourians to show a photo ID before they vote; 58% favored campaign donation limitations; and 66% favored restoring Medicaid coverage to about 90,000 Missourians who lost coverage when Blunt and the Republican legislature tightened eligibility requirements.
Perhaps most importantly, 62% favored a ballot proposal that would allow all types of embryonic stem cell research allowed under federal law - a measure Talent had recently announced that he was against.[75]
On election night the race was, as expected, too close to call. With 85% of the vote in and with still no call, McCaskill claimed victory. At the time McCaskill declared victory, she was ahead by a vote margin of 867,683 to Talent's 842,251 votes; in percentage terms, with 85% of the vote in, McCaskill led Talent, 49% to 48%. Finally, at 11:38 p.m. Central Time the Associated Press called McCaskill as the winner. St. Louis County, adjacent to St. Louis, and Jackson County, home of Kansas City, are probably what pushed McCaskill over the finish line.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Claire McCaskill | 1,055,255 | 49.6% | +0.9% | |
| Republican | Jim Talent (Incumbent) | 1,006,941 | 47.3% | -2.5% | |
| Libertarian | Frank Gilmour | 47,792 | 2.2% | +1.2% | |
| Progressive | Lydia Lewis | 18,383 | 0.9% | n/a | |
| Write-ins | 88 | 0.0% | n/a | ||
| Plurality | 48,314 | 2.3% | |||
| Turnout | 2,128,459 | ||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | ||||
Montana[edit]
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 County results Tester: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Burns: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Conrad Burns was running for re-election to a fourth term, but was defeated by Democrat Jon Tester, President of the Montana State Senate, by a margin of 0.87%, or 3,562 votes out of 406,505 votes.
Burns was first elected as a United States senator from Montana in 1988, when he defeated Democratic incumbent John Melcher in a close race, 51% to 48%. Burns was re-elected 62.4% to 37.6%, over Jack Mudd in the Republican Revolution year of 1994. In 2000, Burns faced the well-financed Brian Schweitzer whom he beat 50.6% to 47.2%.
In 2000, George W. Bush carried Montana 58% to 33% in the race for president, but Burns won by 3.4%. Since the direct election of Senators began in 1913, Burns is only the second Republican Montana has elected to the U.S. Senate. Also, for thirty-two straight years, 1952 to 1984, Montana elected only Democratic Senators.
Burns's involvement in the Jack Abramoff scandal made him vulnerable[citation needed]. A SurveyUSA poll released in March 2006 found that 38% of Montanans approved of him, while 52% disapproved of him.[76] Polls against leading Democratic candidates had him below his challengers[citation needed].
On May 31, 2006, Richards, citing the closeness of the race, and his own position (third) in the polls, withdrew from the race, and threw his support to Tester.[77] Morrison started off strong in the race for the Democratic nomination for Senator, collecting $1.05 million as of the start of 2006, including $409,241 in the last three months of 2005.[78] but Morrison's advantages in fundraising and name identification did not translate into a lead in the polls.[79] Later, the race was called a "deadlock,"[80] but Tester continued to gather momentum.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jon Tester | 65,757 | 60.77% | |
| Democratic | John Morrison | 38,394 | 35.48% | |
| Democratic | Paul Richards | 1,636 | 1.51% | |
| Democratic | Robert Candee | 1,471 | 1.36% | |
| Democratic | Kenneth Marcure | 940 | 0.87% | |
| Total votes | 108,198 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Conrad Burns (Incumbent) | 70,434 | 72.26% | |
| Republican | Bob Keenan | 21,754 | 22.32% | |
| Republican | Bob Kelleher | 4,082 | 4.19% | |
| Republican | Daniel Loyd Neste Huffman | 1,203 | 1.23% | |
| Total votes | 97,473 | 100.00% | ||
The race was expected to be close, due to Burns's previous narrow winning margins and recent political scandal involving him personally; Republican incumbents everywhere were facing more challenging races in 2006 due to the waning popularity of Congress and the leadership of President George W. Bush. In July 2006, the Rasmussen report viewed Burns as the "second most vulnerable Senator seeking re-election this year (Pennsylvania's Rick Santorum was still the most vulnerable)."[82]
Senator Conrad Burns of Montana faced a strong challenge from Brian Schweitzer in 2000, being re-elected by 3.4% in a state that went for Bush twice by margins of over 20%[citation needed]. This, combined with the increasing strength of the state Democratic party[citation needed] and accusations of ethical issues related to the Jack Abramoff scandal[citation needed], made this a highly competitive race.
On July 27, Burns was forced to apologize after he confronted out of state firefighters who were preparing to leave Montana after helping contain a summer forest fire and directly questioned their competence and skill; Burns was strongly criticized.[83]
On August 31, in a letter faxed to the office of Montana governor Brian Schweitzer, Burns urged the governor, a Democrat, to declare a fire state of emergency and activate the Montana Army National Guard for firefighting. Schweitzer had already declared such a state of emergency on July 11 — thus, activating the Montana Army National Guard. He issued a second declaration on August 11. A Burns spokesman said the senator was "pretty sure" Schweitzer had already issued such a disaster declaration, but just wanted to make sure. "The genesis of the letter was just to make sure that all the bases were covered," Pendleton said. "This is not a political football. It's just a cover-the-bases letter and certainly casts no aspersions on the governor."[84]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jon Tester | 199,845 | 49.16% | +1.92% | |
| Republican | Conrad Burns (incumbent) | 196,283 | 48.29% | -2.27% | |
| Libertarian | Stan Jones | 10,377 | 2.55% | ||
| Majority | 3,562 | 0.88% | -2.44% | ||
| Turnout | 406,505 | ||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | ||||
Due to errors with polling machines the Montana count was delayed well into Wednesday November 8. The race was too close to call throughout the night and many pundits predicted the need for a recount. After a very close election, on November 9, incumbent Conrad Burns conceded defeat.[86]
Just before 11:00 am (MST) on November 8, Jon Tester was declared Senator-elect for Montana in USA Today.[87] At 2:27 pm EST on November 8, CNN projected that Jon Tester would win the race.[88]
Burns conceded the race on November 9, and congratulated Tester on his victory.[89]
The race was the closest Senate election of 2006 in terms of absolute vote difference[citation needed]; the closest race by percentage difference was the Virginia senate election[citation needed].
Nebraska[edit]
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 Nelson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Ricketts: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Ben Nelson won re-election to a second term. As of 2021, this is the last Senate election in Nebraska won by a Democrat.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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| Democratic | Ben Nelson (Incumbent) | 92,501 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 92,501 | 100.00% | ||
Republican Pete Ricketts, former COO of TD Ameritrade and future Governor of Nebraska financed his own campaign. His opponents could not raise enough money to keep up. Kramer raised $330,000 and Stenberg raised $246,000 in 2005.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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| Republican | Pete Ricketts | 129,643 | 48.14% | |
| Republican | Don Stenberg | 96,496 | 35.83% | |
| Republican | David J. Kramer | 43,185 | 16.03% | |
| Total votes | 269,324 | 100.00% | ||
The primary election was held May 9, 2006. Pete Ricketts won the Republican nomination with 48% of the vote. Ben Nelson was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Nelson was elected in 2000 by a margin of 51% to 49% after serving as the state's governor for two terms. Nelson, considered the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, was the lone Democrat in Nebraska's Congressional delegation. This election was one of the most expensive in Nebraska history. In 2005, Ben Nelson raised $3.9 million for his re-election campaign. Pete Ricketts contributed $14.35 million of his own money to his campaign; he raised an additional $485,000 in contributions. The race also attracted national attention and generated several high-level campaign appearances. President George W. Bush appeared at a rally for Ricketts on November 5, 2006, in Grand Island, while then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama appeared at a fundraiser for Nelson and other Nebraska Democrats on May 5, 2006, in Omaha. However, he won re-election by a wide margin.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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| Democratic | Ben Nelson (incumbent) | 378,388 | 63.88% | +12.88% | |
| Republican | Pete Ricketts | 213,928 | 36.12% | -12.70% | |
| Majority | 164,460 | 27.77% | +25.58% | ||
| Turnout | 590,961 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
Nevada[edit]
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 County results Ensign: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican John Ensign won re-election to a second term over Democrat Jack Carter, Navy veteran and son of President Jimmy Carter.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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| Democratic | Jack Carter | 92,270 | 78.30% | |
| Democratic | None of these candidates | 14,425 | 12.24% | |
| Democratic | Ruby Jee Tun | 11,147 | 9.46% | |
| Total votes | 117,842 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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| Republican | John Ensign (Incumbent) | 127,023 | 90.47% | |
| Republican | None of these candidates | 6,754 | 4.81% | |
| Republican | Ed Hamilton | 6,629 | 4.72% | |
| Total votes | 140,406 | 100.00% | ||
Popular Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman had said in January that he would probably run,[94] but in late April, he decisively ruled that out.[95] Goodman did not file by the May 12, 2006, deadline. Carter's advantages included his formidable speaking abilities and kinship with a former U.S. president. On the other hand, Ensign was also considered to be an effective speaker and as of the first quarter of 2006, held an approximately 5–1 advantage over Carter in cash-on-hand.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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| Republican | John Ensign (Incumbent) | 322,501 | 55.36% | +0.27% | |
| Democratic | Jack Carter | 238,796 | 40.99% | +1.30% | |
| None of These Candidates | 8,232 | 1.41% | -0.50% | ||
| Independent American Party (Nevada) | David K. Schumann | 7,774 | 1.33% | +0.91% | |
| Libertarian | Brendan Trainor | 5,269 | 0.90% | +0.01% | |
| Majority | 83,705 | 14.37% | -1.03% | ||
| Turnout | 582,572 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
Ensign won a majority of the votes in every county in the state, with his lowest percentage at 53%[citation needed].
New Jersey[edit]
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 Menendez: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Kean: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Bob Menendez was elected for a full term. The seat was previously held by Democratic Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine. After Corzine resigned and was sworn in Governor, Corzine appointed Congressman Menendez on January 18, 2006. Menendez was challenged by Republican Thomas Kean, Jr. and seven other candidates. Filing for the primary closed on April 10, 2006. The primary election was held June 6, 2006.[97] Menendez became the first Hispanic to hold a U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey, and was the first Latino elected to statewide office in the state.
Menendez won the Democratic primary, with 86% of the vote, against James D. Kelly, Jr.
Republican John P. Ginty, associate director with Standard & Poor's represented the conservative wing of the New Jersey Republican party. Kean was a moderate, and the son of the former Governor of New Jersey Thomas Kean. Kean won the primary by a 3–1 margin.[98]
The biggest factors in the New Jersey Senate race may have had little to do with the candidates involved and more to do with Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine and President George W. Bush.
In mid-summer, Jon Corzine and the Democratic-controlled state legislature held a brief shutdown of state government, which ultimately resulted in a sales tax increase, among other things.
In a September 2006 poll, SurveyUSA found that Corzine received an approval rate of only 43%, with 48% of the state disapproving.[99] Since Menendez had been appointed by Corzine, some pundits argued that this would be a resonating factor with a number of voters.
According to a separate September 2006 poll, SurveyUSA found that the state of New Jersey had a rather high disapproval rating for Republican President George W. Bush, with 64% disapproving and only 32% approving.[100] This led some to argue that voters would take their discontent with Bush out on Kean in the November election.[101]
Indeed, some pollsters demonstrated that concerns over the Iraq War and discontent with President Bush solidified the Democratic base in October's advertising blitz, and won over enough independents to seal of fate of the Republican nominee.[102] On the eve of the election, Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind Poll reported that 65% likely voters said that the US invasion of Iraq was a mistake, "including nine of ten Democrats and six of ten independents."[103] Observers also pointed out that "from the beginning, [Menendez] made much of his 2002 vote against the Iraq War Resolution, often referring to it as one of the most important votes of his career. He made it clear as well that he intended to make the race a referendum on the President."[104]
Others attributed Kean's early strong showing in the polls of this blue state to uninformed voters confusing the three-year state senator with his father, the popular former governor and 9/11 Commission chairman.[105]
Because of Kean's perceived liberalism on social issues, he has been labeled by some conservatives as a "Republican in Name Only".[106]
On June 13, 2006, Kean held a fundraiser in Ocean County featuring First Lady Laura Bush. It was here that both Senator Kean and Mrs. Bush pointed out that Kean is not George W. Bush, claiming that Senator Menendez seems to confuse the two.[107]
On June 16, 2006, at a New Jersey Association of Counties speaking event in Atlantic City, Kean and his aides beat a hasty retreat from the ballroom engagement and "stampeded" into an elevator in an abortive attempt to avoid the press, only to exit on the same floor as they had entered. Kean declined to answer questions about the scathing attacks on his integrity which his opponent had delivered minutes earlier, instead opting to repeat "a few slogans."[108]
In late June, the Associated Press reported that Kean's campaign was planning a "Swift Boat"-style film accusing Menendez of involvement in a New Jersey mob-connected kickback scheme "despite public records and statements disputing that claim." The AP article noted that "[f]our former federal prosecutors who oversaw the case have said Menendez was never involved in any wrongdoing."[109] The airing of unsubstantiated [by whom?] allegations years or even decades old is a hallmark of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign attack style, which gained notoriety during the 2004 U.S. presidential election.
In mid-September, The Star-Ledger reported that Sen. Menendez had declined a national debate with Kean on the popular Sunday morning talk-show, Meet the Press. A Menendez spokesperson stated that the incumbent Democrat would prefer to focus on local citizens and press. Menendez did agree to take place in three locally aired debates with Kean, which will be aired between October 7–17.[110] Kean withdrew from one of the scheduled debates to which he had previously committed, an October 14, 2006, debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters, insisting on a national TV debate as a condition of his participation.[111]
Both candidates agreed to participate in a virtual debate sponsored by the nonpartisan Hall Institute of Public Policy - New Jersey which provided "an unprecedented opportunity for candidates and citizens to engage in an interactive forum on the important issues confronting" New Jersey. Beginning in July and running through Election Day in November, the institute submitted questions to the candidates and then posted their responses on its website.[112]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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| Democratic | Bob Menendez (Incumbent) | 1,200,843 | 53.3% | +3.1% | |
| Republican | Thomas Kean, Jr. | 997,775 | 44.3% | -2.8% | |
| Libertarian | Len Flynn | 14,637 | 0.7% | +0.4% | |
| Marijuana | Edward Forchion | 11,593 | 0.5% | ||
| Independent | J.M. Carter | 7,918 | 0.4% | +0.2% | |
| Independent | N. Leonard Smith | 6,243 | 0.3% | ||
| Independent | Daryl Brooks | 5,138 | 0.2% | ||
| Socialist Workers | Angela Lariscy | 3,433 | 0.2% | +0.1% | |
| Socialist | Gregory Pason | 2,490 | 0.1% | +0.0% | |
| Majority | 203,068 | 9.0% | |||
| Turnout | 2,250,070 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | 3.26% | |||
New Mexico[edit]
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 County results Bingaman: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Jeff Bingaman won re-election to a fifth term.