Presidential Race
By Alexis Matsui on December 5, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama raised a record-breaking $745 million throughout his presidential campaign, the Federal Election Committee reported Thursday.
Mr. Obama, who spent campaign dollars furiously in the last weeks of his run for the White House, was elected on Nov. 4 with a reported $30 million leftover in campaign funds. In contrast to his Republican opponent, who was restricted to the $84-million limit involved with accepting public financing, Mr. Obama spent more than $136 million from Oct. 26 until Nov. 24. McCain spent $26.5 million in the same period.
In the last two months of the campaign, Mr. Obama spent nearly $170 million on television advertisements, Campaign Media Analysis Group reported to the Associated Press.
Senate Race
By Talea Miller on November 6, 2008
Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley has been projected the winner of Oregon’s Senate race over incumbent Republican Sen. Gordon Smith, bringing the Democrats to at least 55 seats in the Senate.
The win was reported by the Associated Press Wednesday, though votes are still being counted.
The Oregonian newspaper also projected Merkley, a five-term state lawmaker and former Habitat for Humanity director, will “squeak bye” his opponent when all the votes are counted.
On Wednesday night, Merkley had a lead of more than 4,000 votes with 80 percent of votes counted, the paper reported. By Thursday morning, the Associated Press said Merkley had a lead of 36,000 votes, as counties where voters lean heavily toward Merkley were added.
Smith, who been a Senator for Oregon for the last 12 years, called Merkley Thursday morning to concede the race.
Presidential Race
By Leah Clapman on November 6, 2008
The Associated Press declared that President-elect Obama had won North Carolina,
after canvassing counties and determining that there were not enough outstanding provisional ballots to close John McCain’s 13,693-vote deficit.
The southern state has not chosen a Democrat since Jimmy Carter won in 1976.
North Carolina’s 15 electoral votes brings Obama’s total to 364 — nearly 100 more than necessary to win the White House. Missouri is the only state that remains too close to call.
Senate Race
By Anna Shoup on November 5, 2008
Fueled by a strong nationwide wave of support, Democrats in the Senate picked up five seats previously held by Republicans, expanding their control to at least 54 seats. But races in Minnesota, Georgia, Alaska, and Oregon have yet to be...
Gubernatorial Race
By Tom LeGro on November 5, 2008
In a rematch of their historically close 2004 election, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire defeated Republican Dino Rossi Tuesday night to gain a second term. With support from large numbers of voters who backed Democratic President-elect Barack Obama, Gov. Gregoire won...
Senate Race
By Anna Shoup on November 5, 2008
Incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., finished ahead of Democrat Al Franken early Wednesday in the final vote count, but his 571-vote margin falls within the state’s mandatory recount law that triggers a recount any time the margin between the top...
Senate Race
By Dave Gustafson on November 5, 2008
After winning the presidency, Democrats had even more reason to celebrate Tuesday night: major gains in both houses of Congress. In the Senate, Democrats snatched away at least five seats from the GOP, but fell short of the 60 they...
Presidential Race
By Politics Desk on November 5, 2008
On the heels of Sen. Barack Obama’s speech claiming his historic win in the 2008 presidential race, which brought an epic and unprecedented campaign season to a conclusion, NewsHour analysts Mark Shields and David Brooks, historian Peniel Joseph and analysts...
Presidential Race
By Lee Banville on November 5, 2008
The campaigns of Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain have come to a close and Obama has made history, becoming the first African American president-elect....
Senate Race
By Dave Gustafson on November 5, 2008
Headed into Tuesday’s election, the GOP targeted one incumbent Democratic Senator whose seat appeared vulnerable for an upset, but Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu has prevailed over GOP challenger John Kennedy. Landrieu, who won by narrow margins in 1996 and 2002,...
