2008 United States presidential election in Tennessee

The 2008 United States presidential election in Tennessee was held on November 4, 2008, and was part of the 2008 United States presidential election. Voters chose 11 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Republican John McCain defeated Democrat Barack Obama in the state by 15 percentage points. Prior to the election, 17 news organizations had correctly predicted that McCain would easily carry the state, and virtually all polling indicated the same. Most news organizations called Tennessee for McCain immediately after the polls closed. McCain slightly improved upon George W. Bush's performance in 2004, despite the nation as a whole trending significantly Democratic in 2008. This was the first time since 1960 that Tennessee did not back the overall winning candidate in a presidential election. Furthermore, this was the first time it voted differently from swing state Ohio since 1944, and the first time it voted Republican while that state voted Democratic.

McCain became the first Republican to ever carry historically-Democratic Stewart County. , this remains the last time that Houston County and Jackson County have voted for a Democratic presidential nominee or that the party has received more than 40% of the vote. It was one of five states to swing Republican from 2004, along with West Virginia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Primary elections Democratic primary

The 2008 Tennessee Democratic presidential primary took place on Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008. Hillary Clinton won with 53.8% of the vote and was awarded 40 delegates. Barack Obama placed second, getting 40.5% of the vote and was awarded 28 delegates.

Key: Withdrewprior to contest 2008 Tennessee Democratic presidential primaryCandidateVotesPercentageNational delegates Hillary Clinton 336,245 53.82% 40 Barack Obama 254,874 40.48% 28 John Edwards 27,820 4.45% 0 Joe Biden 1,531 0.25% 0 Bill Richardson 1,178 0.19% 0 Dennis Kucinich 971 0.16% 0 Christopher Dodd 526 0.08% 0 Mike Gravel 461 0.07% 0 Uncommitted 3,158 0.51% 0 Totals624,764100.00%68

Republican primary

The 2008 Tennessee Republican presidential primary took place on Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008. Mike Huckabee narrowly defeated John McCain to win the largest share of Tennessee's delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention. Both McCain and the third-place candidate Mitt Romney received delegates along with Huckabee.

+2008 Tennessee Republican presidential primary Candidate Votes Percentage Delegates Mike Huckabee 190,904 34.37% 25 John McCain 176,091 31.84% 19 Mitt Romney 130,632 23.62% 8 Ron Paul 31,026 5.61% 0 Fred Thompson* 16,263 2.94% 0 Rudy Giuliani* 5,159 0.93% 0 Alan Keyes 978 0.18% 0 Duncan Hunter* 738 0.13% 0 Tom Tancredo* 194 0.03% 0 Uncommitted 1,830 0.33% 0 Total 553,005 100.00% 52

* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary

Results Predictions There were 16 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day:

+SourceRankingD.C. Political ReportCook Political ReportThe TakeawayElectoral-vote.comWashington PostBased on TakeawayPoliticoRealClearPoliticsFiveThirtyEightCQ PoliticsThe New York TimesCNNNPRMSNBCFox NewsAssociated PressRasmussen Reports

Polling

McCain won every single pre-election poll, and each by a double-digit margin of victory. The final 3 polls averaged McCain leading 55% to 40%.

Fundraising John McCain raised a total of $2,941,065 in the state. Barack Obama raised $3,481,341.

Advertising and visits Obama spent $518,659. The Republican ticket spent just $3,526. Obama visited the state once, going to Nashville. McCain visited the state twice, visiting Nashville and Blountville.

Results

By county CountyJohn McCainRepublicanBarack ObamaDemocraticVarious candidatesOther partiesMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Anderson19,67562.32%11,39636.10%4991.58%8,27926.22%31,570Bedford10,21765.89%5,02732.42%2631.69%5,19033.47%15,507Benton3,69657.05%2,64540.82%1382.13%1,05116.23%6,479Bledsoe3,16666.18%1,51731.71%1012.11%1,64934.47%4,784Blount35,57168.88%15,25329.53%8211.59%20,31839.35%51,645Bradley28,33374.19%9,35724.50%5011.31%18,97649.69%38,191Campbell8,53567.59%3,86730.62%2261.79%4,66836.97%12,628Cannon3,32260.88%2,01136.85%1242.27%1,31124.03%5,457Carroll7,45564.01%3,98034.17%2111.82%3,47529.84%11,646Carter15,85272.82%5,58725.66%3301.52%10,26547.16%21,769Cheatham10,70265.14%5,49833.47%2281.39%5,20431.67%16,428Chester4,58771.02%1,79727.82%751.16%2,79043.20%6,459Claiborne7,17568.86%3,07829.54%1671.60%4,09739.32%10,420Clay1,67655.98%1,24841.68%702.34%42814.30%2,994Cocke8,94571.67%3,34026.76%1961.57%5,60544.91%12,481Coffee13,25063.73%7,13234.30%4081.97%6,11829.43%20,790Crockett3,99466.16%1,96732.58%761.26%2,02733.58%6,037Cumberland17,43667.81%7,88930.68%3871.51%9,54737.13%25,712Davidson102,91538.80%158,42359.73%3,8851.47%-55,508-20.93%265,223Decatur3,10165.11%1,56632.88%962.01%1,53532.23%4,763DeKalb4,08557.82%2,83240.08%1482.10%1,25317.74%7,065Dickson11,67759.82%7,50638.45%3361.73%4,17121.37%19,519Dyer9,85968.23%4,41130.53%1801.24%5,44837.70%14,450Fayette12,17363.22%6,89235.80%1890.98%5,28127.42%19,254Fentress4,78971.06%1,83127.17%1191.77%2,95843.89%6,739Franklin10,53960.46%6,61337.94%2801.60%3,92622.52%17,432Gibson13,51663.60%7,40634.85%3311.55%6,11028.75%21,253Giles6,90259.05%4,61439.47%1731.48%2,28819.58%11,689Grainger5,29770.60%2,06627.54%1401.86%3,23143.06%7,503Greene17,15169.52%7,11028.82%4091.66%10,04140.70%24,670Grundy2,56355.33%1,97142.55%982.12%59212.78%4,632Hamblen15,50868.41%6,80730.03%3541.56%8,70138.38%22,669Hamilton81,70255.19%64,24643.40%2,0861.41%17,45611.79%148,034Hancock1,58870.86%60426.95%492.19%98443.91%2,241Hardeman5,22546.50%5,91952.67%930.83%-694-6.17%11,237Hardin7,07770.52%2,79427.84%1641.64%4,28342.68%10,035Hawkins14,75670.13%5,93028.18%3541.69%8,82641.95%21,040Haywood3,16538.97%4,89360.25%630.78%-1,728-21.28%8,121Henderson7,66970.79%3,02127.88%1441.33%4,64842.91%10,834Henry8,18260.41%5,15338.04%2101.55%3,02922.37%13,545Hickman4,78456.30%3,56341.93%1511.77%1,22114.37%8,498Houston1,60847.94%1,67850.03%682.03%-70-2.09%3,354Humphreys3,81850.37%3,60047.49%1622.14%2182.88%7,580Jackson2,18548.54%2,22449.41%922.05%-39-0.87%4,501Jefferson13,09270.65%5,17827.94%2621.41%7,91442.71%18,532Johnson4,62170.11%1,83727.87%1332.02%2,78442.24%6,591Knox113,01560.73%70,21537.73%2,8561.53%42,80023.00%186,086Lake1,17552.50%1,02445.76%391.74%1516.74%2,238Lauderdale4,93352.83%4,32246.28%830.89%6116.55%9,338Lawrence10,56665.96%5,16132.22%2931.82%5,40533.74%16,020Lewis2,95161.05%1,80437.32%791.63%1,14723.73%4,834Lincoln9,23170.30%3,69528.14%2041.56%5,53642.16%13,130Loudon15,81571.29%6,05827.31%3111.40%9,75743.98%22,184Macon5,14569.90%2,06027.99%1552.11%3,08541.91%7,360Madison23,29053.12%20,20946.09%3470.79%3,0817.03%43,846Marion6,74658.98%4,50639.40%1851.62%2,24019.58%11,437Marshall6,75559.84%4,32038.27%2141.89%2,43521.57%11,289Maury20,28860.08%13,05838.67%4211.25%7,23021.41%33,767McMinn12,98969.13%5,54129.49%2591.38%7,44839.64%18,789McNairy7,13568.46%3,13130.04%1561.50%4,00438.42%10,422Meigs2,79766.01%1,37232.38%681.61%1,42533.63%4,237Monroe11,48468.45%5,05330.12%2401.43%6,43138.33%16,777Montgomery30,17553.28%25,71645.40%7481.32%4,4597.88%56,639Moore2,01068.09%88129.84%612.07%1,12938.25%2,952Morgan4,71769.14%1,96928.86%1362.00%2,74840.28%6,822Obion8,87366.26%4,30832.17%2111.57%4,56534.09%13,392Overton4,49755.57%3,41942.25%1762.18%1,07813.32%8,092Perry1,59653.20%1,32944.30%752.50%2678.90%3,000Pickett1,78666.87%85431.97%311.16%93234.90%2,671Polk4,26765.64%2,12432.67%1101.69%2,14332.97%6,501Putnam17,10162.60%9,73935.65%4761.75%7,36226.95%27,316Rhea8,04272.41%2,90726.18%1571.41%5,13546.23%11,106Roane15,65867.27%7,22431.04%3941.69%8,43436.23%23,276Robertson17,90364.83%9,31833.74%3931.43%8,58531.09%27,614Rutherford59,89258.78%40,46039.71%1,5471.51%19,43219.07%101,899Scott4,93172.70%1,72025.36%1321.94%3,21147.34%6,783Sequatchie3,61066.40%1,71731.58%1102.02%1,89334.82%5,437Sevier24,92273.43%8,60425.35%4151.22%16,31848.08%33,941Shelby145,45835.96%256,29763.35%2,8000.69%-110,839-27.39%404,555Smith4,56358.95%2,99238.65%1862.40%1,57120.30%7,741Stewart2,95653.68%2,47044.85%811.47%4868.83%5,507Sullivan44,80870.02%18,35428.68%8351.30%26,45441.34%63,997Sumner44,94966.73%21,48731.90%9261.37%23,46234.83%67,362Tipton17,16567.80%7,93131.33%2200.87%9,23436.47%25,316Trousdale1,68852.11%1,47545.54%762.35%2136.57%3,239Unicoi5,01169.38%2,10729.17%1051.45%2,90440.21%7,223Union4,46769.81%1,82928.58%1031.61%2,63841.23%6,399Van Buren1,29458.66%84938.49%632.85%44520.17%2,206Warren8,56259.46%5,51538.30%3232.24%3,04721.16%14,400Washington32,34166.03%15,94132.54%7001.43%16,40033.49%48,982Wayne4,07673.75%1,35524.52%961.73%2,72149.23%5,527Weakley8,85564.68%4,59633.57%2391.75%4,25931.11%13,690White6,10363.26%3,37234.95%1721.79%2,73128.31%9,647Williamson64,85869.12%27,88629.72%1,0921.16%36,97239.40%93,836Wilson34,59567.62%15,88631.05%6781.33%18,70936.57%51,159Totals1,479,17856.85%1,087,43741.79%35,3671.36%391,74115.06%2,601,982

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Benton (largest municipality: Camden) Clay (largest municipality: Celina) Grundy (largest municipality: Altamont) Humphreys (largest municipality: Waverly) Lake (largest municipality: Tiptonville) Lauderdale (largest municipality: Ripley) Overton (largest municipality: Livingston) Perry (largest municipality: Linden) Smith (largest municipality: Carthage) Stewart (largest municipality: Dover) Trousdale (largest municipality: Hartsville) Van Buren (largest municipality: Spencer)

By congressional district John McCain swept the state and carried seven of the state's nine congressional districts, including three districts held by Democrats. Barack Obama carried the state's two congressional districts anchored by the two largest cities of Memphis and Nashville.

District McCain Obama Representative69.77%28.77%David Davis (110th Congress)Phil Roe (111th Congress) 64.21% 34.28%John J. Duncan Jr. 61.87% 36.86%Zach Wamp 64.06% 34.25%Lincoln Davis 42.94% 55.85%Jim Cooper 61.87% 36.59%Bart Gordon 64.76% 34.29%Marsha Blackburn 56.01% 42.73%John S. Tanner 22.51% 76.92%Steve Cohen

Electors

Technically the voters of Tennessee cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Tennessee is allocated 11 electors because it has 9 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 11 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 11 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 15, 2008, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.

The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 11 were pledged to John McCain and Sarah Palin: Sara Sellers Jim Haslam Wayne Cropp Lisa Wheeler Beth Campbell Albert McCall Shirley Curry Marilucile Counce Colin Richmond Winfield Dunn Chrystal Horn

Analysis Despite narrowly voting for Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996 when former Tennessee Senator Al Gore was on the ticket as Vice President, the state, along with neighboring Arkansas has steadily been trending Republican since then. George W. Bush narrowly carried the state in 2000 over Gore and easily won in 2004 over John Kerry.