2002 United States Senate special election in Missouri

none March 2026 November 2017 2002 United States Senate special election in Missouri Missouri presidential no 2000 United States Senate election in Missouri 2000 2006 United States Senate election in Missouri 2006 November 5, 2002 150x150px Jim Talent official photo.jpg Jim Talent Republican Party (United States) 935,032 49.80% Jean Carnahan.jpg Jean Carnahan Democratic Party (United States) 913,778 48.67% 2002 United States Senate special election in Missouri results map by county.svg 275px County resultsTalent: #ffb2b2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #d72f30 70–80%Carnahan: #a5b0ff 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% U.S. Senator Jean CarnahanIn December 2000, Carnahan was appointed by Governor Roger B. Wilson to begin Mel Carnahan's six-year term, as he was killed in a plane crash and elected posthumously. Democratic Party (United States) Jim Talent Republican Party (United States) The 2002 United States Senate special election in Missouri was held on November 5, 2002, to decide who would serve the rest of Democrat Mel Carnahan's term, after he died while campaigning and posthumously won the 2000 election. The winner would serve the remainder of the term ending in 2007. Governor Roger Wilson appointed Carnahan's wife Jean, also a Democrat, to serve temporarily. She decided to run to serve the remainder of the term, but she was narrowly defeated by Republican nominee Jim Talent. Technically, the race flipped control of the Senate from Democrats to Republicans, but the Senate had adjourned before Talent could take office, so no change in leadership occurred until the 108th Congress opened session on January 3, 2003.https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/partydiv.htm U.S. Senate: Party Division With a margin of 1.1%, this election was the second-closest race of the 2002 Senate election cycle, behind only the election in South Dakota. This was one of the six Democratic-held Senate seats up for election in a state that George W. Bush won in the 2000 presidential election. Background In the November 2000 elections, Democratic Governor of Missouri Mel Carnahan, who had died in a plane crash three weeks before, remained on the ballot for election to the U.S. Senate. Carnahan received more votes than his Republican opponent, incumbent Senator John Ashcroft, who did not legally contest being defeated by a dead candidate. Lieutenant Governor Roger B. Wilson ascended to serve the remaining three months of Carnahan's gubernatorial term, and promised to appoint Carnahan's widow in her husband's place should Carnahan posthumously defeat Ashcroft. Accordingly, Jean Carnahan was appointed to the Senate effective on January 3, 2001; a special election was scheduled in 2002 for the balance of Carnahan's Senate term.Witcover Jules In Mo., tragic loss for Democrats https://www.baltimoresun.com/2000/10/18/in-mo-tragic-loss-for-democrats/ October 3, 2017 October 18, 2000Governor's Widow Goes to Senate The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/06/us/governor-s-widow-goes-to-senate.html October 3, 2017 December 6, 2000 The Seventeenth Amendment requires that appointments to the Senate last only until a special election is held. Democratic primary Candidates Jean Carnahan, incumbent U.S. senator Darrel D. Day Results Democratic primary resultshttp://www.sos.mo.gov/enrweb/allresults.asp?arc=1&eid=78 Office of Secretary of State, Missouri May 21, 2013 August 21, 2001 Official Election Returns State of Missouri Primary Election October 23, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121023203406/http://www.sos.mo.gov/enrweb/allresults.asp?arc=1&eid=78 dead Jean Carnahan (incumbent) Democratic Party (United States) 368,149 83.22 Darrel D. Day Democratic Party (United States) 74,237 16.78 442,386 100.00 Republican primary Candidates Scott Craig Babbitt Doris Bass Landfather, St. Louis alderman and perennial candidate Martin Lindstedt, perennial candidate Joseph A. May, dentist Jim Talent, former U.S. representative and nominee for governor in 2000 Results Republican primary results Jim Talent Republican Party (United States) 395,994 89.58 Joseph A. May Republican Party (United States) 18,525 4.19 Doris Bass Landfather Republican Party (United States) 14,074 3.18 Scott Craig Babbitt Republican Party (United States) 7,705 1.74 Martin Lindstedt Republican Party (United States) 5,773 1.31 442,071 100.00 Libertarian primary Candidates Edward Joseph Manley Tamara A. Millay, perennial candidate Results Libertarian primary results Tamara A. Millay Libertarian Party (United States) 1,942 59.35 Edward Joseph Manley Libertarian Party (United States) 1,330 40.65 3,272 100.00 General election Candidates Jean Carnahan (D), incumbent U.S. senator Tamara Millay (L), perennial candidate Daniel Romano (G) Jim Talent (R), former U.S. representative and nominee for governor in 2000 Campaign National security and Carnahan's vote against fellow Missourian John Ashcroft as attorney general were major issues in the campaign. Republicans argued that Carnahan owed her vote to Ashcroft, who had lost his bid for re-election to the Senate to Carnahan's husband.Horner, William T. Showdown in the Show-Me State: The Fight over Conceal-and-carry Gun Laws in Missouri. Page 159. University of Missouri Press, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2015. Talent, citing Carnahan's votes against homeland-security legislation and missile defense, accused her of being soft on national security, which she objected to, saying he was "doubt[ing] her patriotism."https://archive.today/20150427232234/http://www.foxnews.com/story/2002/10/22/expectations-game-plays-for-both-mo-senate-candidates/ Expectations Game Plays for Both Mo. Senate Candidates. Fox News. October 22, 2002. Retrieved April 27, 2015. Jack Abramoff contributed $2,000 to Talent's 2002 senatorial campaign,http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_ind/S2MO00353/1/A/ FEC Disclosure Report Search Results March 14, 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150608143244/http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_ind/S2MO00353/1/A/ June 8, 2015 and Preston Gates & Ellis, a former Abramoff employer, contributed $1,000 to Talent's campaign.http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_give/S2MO00353 FEC Disclosure Report Search Results March 14, 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150608145029/http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_give/S2MO00353 June 8, 2015 Talent later returned both contributions.http://www.citizensforethics.org/filelibrary/HotlineListofReturnedDoations01.06.06.pdfJuly 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Talent's win returned Republican control of the Senate which had a small Democratic majority after Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party to become an Independent caucusing with Democrats. Talent's victory was not certified until November 21, 2002, one day before Congress adjourned, which prevented them from claiming a Senate majority. He automatically became a senator the following day because, under federal law, he formally took office the day after both chambers of Congress adjourned. Because Republicans would hold the majority in the following Congress, they saw no need to hold a special session in the 107th to take advantage of their brief majority.Vlahos Kelley Beaucar After the Celebration: What Can a GOP Senate Do? http://www.foxnews.com/story/2002/11/07/after-celebration-what-can-gop-senate-do.html October 3, 2017 November 7, 2002Mannies Jo It's official: With election results certified, Talent will be a senator starting Saturday St. Louis Dispatch November 22, 2002 Predictions SourceRankingAs ofSabato's Crystal Ballhttp://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/senate_all.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20021118115505/http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/senate_all.htm November 18, 2002 Senate Races www.centerforpolitics.org en-US November 4, 2002 June 25, 2021 dead mdy-all Lean R FlipNovember 4, 2002 Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesizekey Key:A – all adultsRV – registered votersLV – likely votersV – unclear Marginof error JeanCarnahan (D) JimTalent (R) Other /UndecidedSurveyUSASurveyUSA October 31 – November 3, 2002 958 (LV) ± 3.3% 49% 47% 4% Results Carnahan only won 26 counties and the independent city of St. Louis out of the state's 114 counties. She kept the race close by running up margins in St. Louis and in Jackson County home of Kansas City, though her victory in St. Louis County was a close one. Ultimately Talent was able to win the seat by running up decent margins in rural areas of the state. General election resultshttp://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/2002/2002Stat.htm#25 Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives Republican Party (United States) Jim Talent 935,032 49.80% +1.41% Democratic Party (United States) Jean Carnahan (incumbent) 913,778 48.67% -1.80% Libertarian Party (United States) Tamara A. Millay 18,345 0.98% +0.55% Green Party (United States) Daniel Romano 10,465 0.56% +0.11% 21,254 1.13% -0.94% 1,877,620 Republican Party (United States) Democratic Party (United States) Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Schuyler (largest city: Lancaster) Bates (largest city: Butler) Shannon (largest city: Winona) Washington (largest city: Potosi) Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Dunklin (largest city: Kennett) Callaway (largest city: Fulton) Howard (largest city: Fayette) Randolph (largest city: Moberly) See also 2002 United States Senate elections Notes References External links Official campaign websites (archived) Jim Talent (R) for Senate Jean Carnahan (D) for Senate Missouri 2002 2002 Missouri Category:2002 Missouri elections Missouri United States Senate 2002