2008 United States Senate election in North Carolina

The 2008 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 4, 2008, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of North Carolina. Democratic state senator Kay Hagan defeated Republican one-term incumbent Elizabeth Dole.

The November general election was the first time in North Carolina history, and only the eighth time in U.S. history, that the two major-party candidates for a U.S. Senate seat were both women. In addition, Hagan became the first woman to defeat an incumbent woman in a U.S. Senate election.

As of 2026, this is the last time that a Democrat won a U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, and the only time since 1998, as well as the only time Democrats have won this seat since 1966.

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Elizabeth Dole, incumbent U.S. senator (2003–2009)

Eliminated in primary Pete DiLauro

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Kay Hagan, state senator from the 27th district (1999–2009) Eliminated in primary Duskin Lassiter, trucker Jim Neal, businessman Howard Staley, doctor Marcus Williams, attorney Declined Mike Easley, governor of North Carolina (2001–2009) Brad Miller, U.S. representative from North Carolina's 13th congressional district (2003–2013) Jim Hunt, former governor of North Carolina (1977–1985, 1993–2001)

Campaign Hagan, initially an unknown politician, decided to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole.

National Democrats attempted to recruit incumbent Governor Mike Easley to make the race. Easley declined to run, as did Congressman Brad Miller, who expressed interest in early 2007.newsobserver.com | Miller looking at Senate race Draft dodger? | newsobserver.com projects Former Governor Jim Hunt who was defeated in 1984 by Dole's predecessor Jesse Helms also declined to compete against Dole.

Neal earned the endorsement of the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. He also was endorsed by Blue America PAC, eQualityGiving, the Independent Weekly and YES ! Weekly.

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error KayHagan JimNeal MarcusWilliams Other UndecidedMason-Dixon Polling & StrategyApril 28–29, 2008400 (LV)± 4.9%42%17%5%3%33%

Results

Libertarian primary Candidates Nominee Chris Cole, perennial candidate

General election

Campaign

Dole was initially a heavy favorite for reelection, especially after several potential top-tier challengers such as Congressman Brad Miller, Governor Mike Easley and former Governor Jim Hunt all declined to compete against Dole. Ultimately, Kay Hagan, a state senator from Greensboro, won the Democratic primary election and became Dole's general election opponent. Reports late in the campaign suggested that Dole, once considered a safe bet for reelection, suffered from Barack Obama's decision to aggressively contest North Carolina in the presidential election.

Hagan was initially given little chance against Dole, but Hagan was helped by independent 527 groups lobbying/advertising against incumbent Dole. The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee expended more money in North Carolina than in any other state during the 2008 election season. However, Dole benefited from more out-of-state funding overall than Hagan."Elizabeth Dole: Campaign Finance/Money - Summary." OpenSecrets http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?type=C&cid=N00008071&newMem=N&cycle= The efforts appeared to be effective, as Hagan began to take the lead in several polls beginning in September.

In late October, Dole released a controversial television ad attacking Hagan for reportedly taking donations from individuals involved in the Godless Americans PAC, a group which advocates for the rights of people who do not believe in God. The ad also included a female voice saying, "There is no God."Kraushaar, Josh. Hagan's campaign says the ad sought to put inflammatory words in their candidate's mouth; The Dole campaign says the ad correctly shows who Hagan will associate with in order to raise campaign funds.Dole still keeping the faith. Politico. October 29, 2008.Brown, Campbell. Commentary: Mudslinging to get elected. CNN.com. October 29, 2008. The Dole campaign said the ad correctly shows who Hagan will associate with in order to raise campaign funds, and on November 1, Bob Dole also defended it, asserting that "it never questions her faith," and that "the issue is why she was there. There's no question about her faith. I think it's [the ad's] fair game."Bob Dole Defends "Godless" TV Ad. Small Business VoIP. November 1, 2008.

Hagan, who is a member of the Presbyterian Church and a former Sunday school teacher, condemned the ad as "fabricated and pathetic," and, according to Hagan's campaign website, a cease-and-desist letter was "hand-delivered to Dole's Raleigh office, faxed to her Salisbury office and sent to her home at the Watergate in Washington, DC."KayHagan.com. Kay on Dole Ad Attacking Her Christian Faith: A Fabricated, Pathetic Ad . October 30, 2008. Hagan also filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court accusing Dole of defamation and libel.Dole Sued for 'Godless' Attack Ad , ABC News. October 30, 2008.Dole challenger irate over suggestion she is "godless". CNN.com. October 30, 2008.

The ad has met exceptionally strong criticism from the public as well as many local and several national media outlets. CNN's Campbell Brown said about the ad: "[A]mid all the attack ads on the airwaves competing to out-ugly one another, we think we've found a winner."Brown, Campbell. Commentary: Mudslinging to get elected. CNN.com. October 29, 2008. The ad has been described as "ridiculously outrageous,"Frank, James. Dole 'Godless' ad shows progress, sort of . Chicago Tribune. October 31, 2008. "indecent,"Dole's desperate turn to Big Lie advertising . The Charlotte Observer. October 30, 2008. a "gross misrepresentation,"As election nears, negative ads a distraction. Asheville Citizen-Times. October 30, 2008. "worse than dishonest"Editorial: Dole's attack on Hagan's faith drives heated campaign lower. Greensboro News & Record. October 30, 2008. and "beyond the bounds of acceptable political disagreement," among other harsh criticism.ELIZABETH DOLE ATTACKS KAY HAGAN'S CHRISTIAN FAITH . AmericanChronicle.com. November 2, 2008. Another ad issued by the Dole campaign in mid-October 2008 was described by The Fayetteville Observer as "[setting] the low mark in negative political campaigning."Dole's new ads set the low mark in negative political campaigning. The Fayetteville Observer. October 15, 2008. The media reported, that within 48 hours of the first ad Hagan received over 3,600 contributions, including major donors as well as individual support from a range of atheists, agnostics and followers of other religious beliefs who felt they were being attacked by Dole. Following the second ad Hagan's lead doubled according to some polls.

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report October 23, 2008 CQ PoliticsRace Ratings Chart: Senate CQ Politics October 31, 2008 Rothenberg Political Report November 2, 2008 Real Clear Politics November 2, 2008

Polling Aggregate polls Source of pollaggregationDatesadministeredDatesupdated ElizabethDole (R) KayHagan (D) Other/UndecidedMarginRealClearPoliticsOctober 28–November 2, 2008November 2, 200845.0%49.3%6.7%Hagan +4.3%

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error ElizabethDole (R) KayHagan (D) Other UndecidedPublic Policy Polling (D)October 31 – November 2, 20082,100 (LV)± 2.1%44%51%3%1%SurveyUSAOctober 30 – November 2, 2008682 (LV)± 3.8%43%50%5%2%Mason-Dixon Polling & StrategyOctober 29–30, 2008625 (LV)–46%45%–9%Research 2000October 28–30, 2008600 (LV)± 4.0%45%50%3%2%Rasmussen ReportsOctober 29, 2008700 (LV)± 4.0%46%52%–2%Tel Opinion Research (R)October 27–29, 2008600 (LV)± 4.2%43%45%4%7%CNN/TIME/Opinion Research CorporationOctober 23–28, 2008667 (LV)± 4.0%44%53%–3%Financial DynamicsOctober 23–27, 2008402 (RV)± 4.9%37%43%–20%Public Policy Polling (D)October 25–26, 20081,038 (LV)± 2.8%45%48%4%3%GfK Roper Public Affairs & MediaOctober 22–26, 2008601 (LV)± 4.0%43%47%7%1%Mason-Dixon Polling & StrategyOctober 22–24, 2008800 (LV)± 3.5%46%42%3%9%Marshall Marketing & CommunicationsOctober 20–21, 2008500 (LV)± 4.5%43%44%5%8%Tel Opinion Research (R)October 18–20, 2008600 (RV)± 4.2%41%44%4%11%SurveyUSAOctober 18–20, 2008627 (LV)± 4.0%45%46%5%3%Public Policy Polling (D)October 18–19, 20081,200 (LV)± 2.8%42%49%4%5%Research 2000October 14–15, 2008600 (LV)± 4.0%45%49%3%3%Public Policy Polling (D)October 11–12, 20081,196 (LV)± 2.8%44%46%5%5%Rasmussen ReportsOctober 8, 2008700 (LV)–44%49%–7%Tel Opinion Research (R)October 6–8, 2008600 (LV)± 4.0%42%45%2%11%WSOC-TVOctober 6–7, 2008500 (LV)± 4.5%43%44%4%9%SurveyUSAOctober 5–6, 2008617 (LV)± 4.0%44%43%7%6%Public Policy Polling (D)September 28–29, 20081,041 (LV)± 3.0%38%46%6%10%Rasmussen ReportsSeptember 23, 2008500 (LV)–45%48%–7%Tel Opinion Research (R)September 17–20, 2008600 (RV)± 4.2%43%41%5%11%Public Policy Polling (D)September 17–19, 20081,060 (LV)± 3.0%41%46%6%7%Rasmussen ReportsSeptember 18, 2008500 (LV)–45%51%–4%Research 2000September 8–10, 2008600 (LV)± 4.0%48%42%4%6%Public Policy Polling (D)September 9, 2008626 (LV)± 3.9%42%43%6%9%SurveyUSASeptember 6–8, 2008671 (LV)± 3.9%48%40%7%5%Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group (D)September 5–7, 2008605 (LV)–48%46%–6%Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (D)August 20–26, 2008852 (LV)± 3.4%45%50%–6%InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion ResearchAugust 19, 2008614 (LV)± 3.8%40%40%7%14%Tel Opinion Research (R)August 14–17, 2008600 (LV)± 4.2%44%41%4%11%SurveyUSAAugust 9–11, 2008655 (LV)± 3.9%46%41%7%5%Research 2000July 28–30, 2008600 (LV)± 4.0%50%42%–8%Public Policy Polling (D)July 23–27, 2008823 (LV)± 3.4%49%40%4%7%Tel Opinion Research (R)July 14–16, 2008600 (RV)± 4.0%47%38%2%13%Rasmussen ReportsJuly 15, 2008500 (LV)± 4.5%53%41%1%4%SurveyUSAJuly 12–14, 2008676 (LV)± 3.8%54%42%–4%Tarrance Group (R)July 7–9, 2008550 (LV)± 4.2%51%36%6%7%Public Policy Polling (D)June 26–29, 20081,048 (LV)± 3.0%51%37%–12%Tel Opinion Research (R)June 11–13, 2008600 (RV)± 4.0%48%38%1%13%Rasmussen ReportsJune 10, 2008500 (LV)± 4.5%53%39%2%3%Public Policy Polling (D)May 28–29, 2008543 (LV)± 4.2%47%39%–14%Anzalone Liszt Research (D)May 14–21, 2008800 (LV)± 3.5%48%44%–8%SurveyUSAMay 17–19, 2008713 (LV)± 3.7%50%46%–4%Tel Opinion Research (R) May 14–17, 2008800 (RV)± 3.7%45%43%–12%Public Policy Polling (D)May 8–9, 2008616 (LV)± 4.0%48%43%–10%Rasmussen ReportsMay 8, 2008500 (LV)± 4.5%47%48%2%3%Research 2000April 28–30, 2008600 (LV)± 4.0%48%41%–11%Rasmussen ReportsApril 10, 2008500 (LV)± 4.5%52%39%3%6%Public Policy Polling (D)February 18, 2008686 (LV)± 3.7%50%33%–18%Rasmussen ReportsDecember 19, 2007500 (LV)± 4.5%55%35%4%6%Research 2000December 16–18, 2007600 (LV)± 4.0%46%39%–15%

Elizabeth Dole vs. Mike Easley Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error ElizabethDole (R) MikeEasley (D) Other UndecidedRasmussen ReportOctober 17, 2007500 (LV)± 4.5%42%50%3%4%Public Policy Polling (D)January 22, 2007501 (LV)± 4.3%41%44%–15%

Elizabeth Dole vs. Brad Miller Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error ElizabethDole (R) BradMiller (D) UndecidedPublic Policy Polling (D)April 11, 2007556 (LV)± 4.1%44%33%22%

Elizabeth Dole vs. Jim Neal Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error ElizabethDole (R) JimNeal (D) Other UndecidedResearch 2000April 28–30, 2008600 (LV)± 4.0%49%39%–12%Rasmussen ReportsApril 10, 2008500 (LV)± 4.5%51%37%3%8%Public Policy Polling (D)February 18, 2008686 (LV)± 3.7%50%29%–20%Research 2000December 16–18, 2007600 (LV)± 4.0%47%37%–16%

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Perquimans (Largest city: Hertford) Camden (Largest city: Camden)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Franklin (Largest city: Wake Forest) Montgomery (Largest city: Troy) Nash (largest municipality: Rocky Mount)