2008 United States Senate election in Alabama

The 2008 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 4, 2008, to elect one of Alabama's members to the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions won re-election to a third term.

Background
Since 1980, Alabama voters have increasingly voted for Republican candidates at the Federal level, especially in Presidential elections. By contrast, Democratic candidates have been elected to many state-level offices and, until 2010, comprised a longstanding majority in the Alabama Legislature; see Dixiecrat.

In the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush won Alabama's nine electoral votes by a margin of 25 percentage points with 62.5% of the vote. The eleven counties that voted Democratic are part of the Black Belt counties, where African Americans are the majority racial group.

On January 10, 2007, Rep. Artur Davis announced that he would not run for the seat. Despite voting heavily for George W. Bush in 2004, Alabama still had a strong Democratic presence in 2008, and Democrats controlled majorities in both chambers in the Alabama Legislature. Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Ron Sparks appeared to be preparing for a run, but on June 12, 2007, he announced that he would not seek the Senate seat, in order to avoid a primary battle with State Senator Vivian Davis Figures.

Primary elections were held on June 3.

Republican primary
Sessions' approval rating was 56% in December 2007.

Candidates

 * Earl Mack Gavin, perennial candidate
 * Jeff Sessions, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1997

Candidates

 * Vivian Davis Figures, State Senator from Mobile
 * Johnny Swanson, Army veteran
 * Mark Townsend, candidate for Governor in 2002

Candidates

 * Vivian Figures, State Senator from Mobile (Democratic)
 * Darryl W. Perry (write-in), candidate for Pennsylvania State Treasurer in 2004 and candidate for Mayor of Birmingham in 2007
 * Jeff Sessions, incumbent U.S. Senator (Republican)

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Marengo (largest municipality: Linden)
 * Pickens (Largest city: Aliceville)
 * Colbert (Largest city: Muscle Shoals)
 * Lawrence (Largest city: Moulton)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

 * Montgomery (largest municipality: Montgomery)