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2006 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

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2006 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

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FieldValue
election_name2006 United States Senate election in Rhode Island
countryRhode Island
typepresidential
ongoingno
previous_election2000 United States Senate election in Rhode Island
previous_year2000
next_election2012 United States Senate election in Rhode Island
next_year2012
election_dateNovember 7, 2006
image_sizex150px
image1File:Sen Sheldon Whitehouse.jpg
nominee1Sheldon Whitehouse
party1Democratic Party (United States)
popular_vote1206,109
percentage153.52%
image2File:Lincoln Chafee official portrait (cropped 2).jpg
nominee2Lincoln Chafee
party2Republican Party (United States)
popular_vote2179,001
percentage246.48%
map{{switcher
map_captionWhitehouse:
Chafee:
titleU.S. Senator
before_electionLincoln Chafee
before_partyRepublican Party (United States)
after_electionSheldon Whitehouse
after_partyDemocratic Party (United States)

|[[File:2006 United States Senate election in Rhode Island results map by county.svg|250px]] |County results |[[File:2006 United States Senate election in Rhode Island results map by municipality.svg|250px]] |Municipality results}} Chafee:
The 2006 United States Senate election in Rhode Island was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican Lincoln Chafee sought re-election to a second full term in office, the seat he had held since 1999 when he was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of his father John Chafee. He lost to Democratic nominee, former state Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse by a 7-point margin. Lincoln Chafee later left the Republican Party in September 2007 before running successfully as an Independent for Governor of Rhode Island in 2010.

Whitehouse carried Providence County, which contains approximately 60% of the state's population, with 59% to Chafee's 41%. Chafee's strongest showing was in Washington County (South County), where he took 55% of the vote against Whitehouse's 45%. After the election, when asked by a reporter if he thought his defeat would help the country by giving Democrats control of Congress, Chafee replied, "to be honest, yes."

, this was the last time the Republican candidates won the counties of Bristol and Washington in a statewide election. Democrats won this Senate seat for the first time since 1970; this also marked the first time since that election that the winner of Rhode Island's Class 1 Senate seat was not a member of the Chafee family. Chafee would go on to run for governor and was elected in 2010. Sheldon Whitehouse's inauguration or swearing-in marked the first time since the resignation of John Pastore in 1976 that Democrats held both Senate seats from Rhode Island.

Along with Maine and Pennsylvania, this was one of the three Republican-held Senate seats up for election in a state that John Kerry won in the 2004 presidential election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

  • Carl Sheeler, Marine veteran
  • Sheldon Whitehouse, former Attorney General of Rhode Island and former U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island
  • Christopher F. Young, activist and perennial candidate

Withdrew

  • Matt Brown, secretary of state of Rhode Island (endorsed Whitehouse)

Campaign

Whitehouse was endorsed by U.S. Senator Jack Reed, U.S. Congressmen Jim Langevin and Patrick J. Kennedy, as well as by former candidate Matt Brown. Sheeler, a former U.S. Marine, a business owner, and an adjunct professor of business, ran on a more progressive platform. Ultimately, however, Whitehouse would trounce his competition in the primary on September 12, winning his party's support by a large margin.

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

  • Lincoln Chafee, incumbent U.S. Senator
  • Steve Laffey, Mayor of Cranston

Campaign

Incumbent Lincoln Chafee was one of the most liberal members of the Republican Party in the Senate by 2006, and was challenged for the Republican nomination by Laffey who had criticized Chafee for his liberal voting record in the Senate. In early 2006, the Club for Growth, a pro-tax cut political action committee, sent a series of mailings to Rhode Island Republicans attacking Chafee's positions and voting record.

The national GOP supported Chafee in the primary campaign, believing that he was the most likely candidate to hold the seat in the general election. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Senator John McCain of Arizona and First Lady Laura Bush appeared at fundraisers for Chafee, while Senator Bill Frist's PAC donated to Chafee. The National Republican Senatorial Committee also ran ads in the state supporting Chafee. Steve Laffey, however, picked up many endorsements from Republican town committees throughout Rhode Island, the national group Club for Growth, and former candidate for the party's presidential nomination Steve Forbes. On July 10, 2006, the National Republican Senatorial Committee filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Laffey, saying that he had included a political communication in tax bills mailed to residents of Cranston.

Debates

Polling

SourceDateLincoln
ChafeeSteve
Laffey
Rhode Island CollegeApril 200656%28%
American Research GroupMay 5, 200648%39%
Club for Growth/National Research Inc.June 2, 200645%44%
Rhode Island CollegeJune 200639%38%
Rhode Island CollegeAugust 28–30, 200634%51%
RNSC/Public Opinion StrategiesAugust 30, 200653%39%

Results

Results by county:

]]

General election

Candidates

  • Lincoln Chafee (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
  • Sheldon Whitehouse (D), former state Attorney General

Campaign

Democrats believed that this was one of the most likely Senate seats to switch party control, due to the Democratic tilt of Rhode Island, as well as the fact that Chafee needed to expend part of his campaign fund to win the Republican primary election. Chafee's approval ratings also took a beating from his primary battle with Laffey and may have hurt him in the general election. Another factor that hurt Chafee was the fact that Whitehouse, the Democratic nominee, had a huge head start on him, as he was able to campaign with little opposition for at least half the year and had not had to contend with a major opponent until the general election campaign. Rhode Islanders' historically large disapproval ratings for President George W. Bush and the Republican Party as a whole was another major hurdle for Chafee.

Debates

Issues

Whitehouse and Chafee did not have large differences on political issues. On social issues, they were almost entirely in agreement with each other. Chafee was also against the Bush tax cuts. On fiscal issues, such as social security and trade, they were however in disagreement.

  • Abortion
    • Chafee - pro-choice
    • Whitehouse - pro-choice
  • Stem-Cell research
    • Chafee - support
    • Whitehouse - support
  • Death penalty
    • Chafee - strongly opposes
    • Whitehouse - support in federal level, but not in state level
  • Gay Marriage
    • Chafee - supports
    • Whitehouse - supports
  • Privatizing Social Security
    • Chafee - Partially Supports
    • Whitehouse - Strongly Against
  • Bush Tax Cuts
    • Chafee - Strongly against
    • Whitehouse - Strongly against
  • Vouchers
    • Chafee - rated 55% by NEA, representing a mixed record
    • Whitehouse - Strongly against
  • Federal Spending on Health Care
    • Chafee - Strongly supports
    • Whitehouse - Strongly supports
  • PATRIOT Act
    • Chafee - supports
    • Whitehouse - against
  • Free Trade
    • Chafee - supports
    • Whitehouse - against

http://www.issues2000.org/Senate/Sheldon_Whitehouse.htm

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political ReportNovember 6, 2006
Sabato's Crystal BallNovember 6, 2006
Rothenberg Political ReportNovember 6, 2006
Real Clear PoliticsNovember 6, 2006

Polling

SourceDateSheldon
Whitehouse (D)Lincoln
Chafee (R)
Brown UniversitySeptember 13, 200525%38%
Brown UniversityFebruary 8, 200634%40%
RasmussenFebruary 11, 200638%50%
Rhode Island CollegeApril 200632%51%
RasmussenMay 4, 200641%44%
RasmussenJune 5, 200642%44%
Rhode Island CollegeJune 21, 200640%43%
Brown UniversityJune 26, 200638%37%
RasmussenJuly 18, 200646%41%
RasmussenAugust 9, 200644%38%
Fleming & AssociatesAugust 24, 200642%43%
RasmussenSeptember 3, 200644%42%
RasmussenSeptember 17, 200651%43%
Brown UniversitySeptember 16–18, 200640%39%
American Research GroupSeptember 19, 200645%40%
Mason-Dixon/MSNBCOctober 2, 200642%41%
Reuters/ZogbyOctober 5, 200645%41%
USA Today/GallupOctober 6, 200650%39%
RasmussenOctober 10, 200649%39%
Rhode Island CollegeOctober 10, 200640%37%
Fleming & AssociatesOctober 19, 200646%42%
RasmussenOctober 19, 200650%42%
Mason-Dixon/MSNBCOctober 24, 200648%43%
Rhode Island CollegeOctober 27, 200651%43%
Reuters/ZogbyNovember 2, 200653%39%
Mason-Dixon/MSNBCNovember 5, 200645%46%
USA Today/GallupNovember 5, 200648%45%

with Steve Laffey

SourceDateSheldon
Whitehouse (D)Steve
Laffey (R)
Brown UniversitySeptember 13, 200535%25%
Brown UniversityFebruary 8, 200644%29%
Brown UniversityJune 26, 200655%25%

Results

Whitehouse defeated Chafee in his bid for a second full term. Whitehouse lost every county except Providence County, home to the majority of the state's residents. His victory here was enough to win the state.

As a testament to how Democratic Rhode Island had become, this marked the last Senate election where a Republican received more than 40% of the vote or won a county. Chafee himself would later leave the Republican Party and serve as Governor of Rhode Island as an Independent. He later joined the Democratic Party, running for president in 2016.

By county

Sheldon Whitehouse
DemocraticLincoln Chafee
RepublicanOthersCountyVotes%Votes%Votes%
Bristol10,43549.6%10,55450.1%660.3%
Kent34,34947.1%38,37052.6%2400.3%
Newport16,60949.2%17,05050.5%1140.3%
Providence119,61858.9%82,67940.7%6820.3%
Washington25,09845.1%30,34854.6%1520.3%

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

  • Providence (largest municipality: Providence)

References

References

  1. (November 7, 2006). "Democrat Whitehouse Beats Incumbent GOP Sen. Chafee in Rhode Island - Voting | Vote". FOXNews.com.
  2. "The American Spectator : A Laffey Matter".
  3. "Rhode Island Board of Elections: Elections & Voting".
  4. "NRSC". Gopsenators.com.
  5. [http://www.ric.edu/bgrs/pdf/BGRSSurveyApril2006with%25s.pdf Rhode Island College] {{Webarchive. link. (May 23, 2006)
  6. [http://americanresearchgroup.com/ American Research Group]
  7. [http://www.projo.com/digitalbulletin/content/projo-20060601-poll1.429d425f.html Club for Growth/National Research Inc.]
  8. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060818132402/http://www2.ric.edu/news/displayNews.php?id=news-294 Rhode Island College]
  9. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060903041303/http://www2.ric.edu/news/displayNews.php?id=news-305 Rhode Island College]
  10. [https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2006/08/31/family-feud/ RNSC/Public Opinion Strategies]
  11. "Rhode Island Board of Elections: Elections & Voting".
  12. "Lincoln Chafee on the Issues". Ontheissues.org.
  13. "2006 Senate Race Ratings for November 6, 2006".
  14. "Election Eve 2006: THE FINAL PREDICTIONS".
  15. "2006 Senate Ratings". The Rothenberg Political Report.
  16. "Election 2006". Real Clear Politics.
  17. [https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2005-06/05-026.html Brown University]
  18. [https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2005-06/05-073.html#questions Brown University]
  19. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060223122354/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/January%202006/Rhode%20Island%20Senate%20January.htm Rasmussen]
  20. [http://www.ric.edu/bgrs/pdf/BGRSSurveyApril2006with%25s.pdf Rhode Island College] {{Webarchive. link. (May 23, 2006)
  21. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060518052204/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/April%202006/Rhode%20Island%20April.htm Rasmussen]
  22. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060518052204/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/April%202006/Rhode%20Island%20April.htm Rasmussen]
  23. [http://www.ric.edu/bgrs/pdf/BGRSSurveyJune2006.pdf Rhode Island College] {{Webarchive. link. (July 3, 2006)
  24. [http://www.insidepolitics.org/Rel606.html Brown University]
  25. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060719154534/http://rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/July%202006/rhodeIslandSenate.htm Rasmussen]
  26. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060813122610/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/August%202006/rhodeIslandSenate.htm Rasmussen]
  27. [http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20060824_poll24.3285acd.html Fleming & Associates]
  28. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060923133629/http://rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/August%202006/rhodeIslandSenate08232006.htm Rasmussen]
  29. [https://web.archive.org/web/20061021124749/http://rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/September%202006/rhodeIslandSenate.htm Rasmussen]
  30. [https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2006-07/06-026.html Brown University]
  31. [http://americanresearchgroup.com American Research Group]
  32. [http://www.realcities.com/multimedia/nationalchannel/archive/news/polls/POLL-Monday-RI.pdf Mason-Dixon/MSNBC]
  33. [https://web.archive.org/web/20061022233537/http://elections.us.reuters.com/top/news/usnN04391119.html Reuters/Zogby]
  34. [http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=24889 USA Today/Gallup]
  35. [https://web.archive.org/web/20061021124410/http://rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/October%202006/RhodeIslandSenate.htm Rasmussen]
  36. [http://www.ric.edu/bgrs/pdf/BGRSSurveyOctober2006.pdf Rhode Island College] {{Webarchive. link. (February 21, 2007)
  37. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927185308/http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5565961 Fleming & Associates]
  38. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070304070719/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/October%202006/RhodeIslandSenate1019.htm Rasmussen]
  39. [http://www.realcities.com/multimedia/nationalchannel/news/KRT_Packages/archive/krwashington/POLL-Tues-RI.pdf Mason-Dixon/MSNBC]
  40. [http://www.ric.edu/bgrs/pdf/BGRSSurveyOctoberII2006.pdf Rhode Island College] {{Webarchive. link. (February 21, 2007)
  41. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070706021801/http://elections.us.reuters.com/top/news/usnN01191080.html Reuters/Zogby]
  42. [http://www.realcities.com/multimedia/nationalchannel/archive/mcw/pdf/110506_rhode_island_poll.pdf Mason-Dixon/MSNBC]
  43. [https://www.usatoday.com//news/polls/tables/live/2006-11-05-state-polls.htm USA Today/Gallup]
  44. [https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2005-06/05-026.html Brown University]
  45. [https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2005-06/05-073.html#questions Brown University]
  46. [http://www.insidepolitics.org/Rel606.html Brown University]
  47. "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives".
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