2002 United States Senate election in New Hampshire

The 2002 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Bob Smith was defeated in the Republican primary by U.S. Representative John E. Sununu. Sununu won the open seat, defeating Democratic Governor Jeanne Shaheen. , this was the last time Republicans or a male candidate won the Class 2 Senate seat in New Hampshire; Shaheen defeated Sununu in their 2008 rematch for this seat and has held it since 2009. This was Shaheen’s only unsuccessful run for elected office. Smith later ran for this seat again in 2014 and lost the Republican primary.

Republican primary

Campaign Senator Bob Smith, the incumbent Republican Senator, briefly left the party in 1999 to run for president as an independent, claiming that the Republican platform was "not worth the paper it's written on". He rejoined the GOP a few months later, saying he made a mistake. Nonetheless, the party never fully forgave him, and some of his fellow Republican Senators went so far as to endorse his primary opponent, Rep. John Sununu, who would go on to win by more than eight percentage points.

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error BobSmith JohnSununu Other UndecidedUniversity of New Hampshire/WMURAugust 26 – September 3, 2002335 (LV)± 5.0%34%56%1%9%University of New HampshireJune 23 – July 1, 2002230 (LV)± 6.0%40%52%3%9%American Research GroupJune 21–25, 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%41%48%–11%American Research GroupJune 3–5, 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%38%55%–7%American Research GroupApril 30 – May 2, 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%29%56%–15%University of New Hampshire/WMURApril 10–14 2002237 (LV)± 6.4%30%59%2%10%American Research GroupApril 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%33%51%–16%American Research GroupFebruary 6–10, 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%34%44%–22%University of New HampshireJanuary 25 – February 5, 2002230 (LV)± 6.5%37%51%4%8%American Research GroupJanuary 5, 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%27%51%–22%American Research GroupNovember 16–20 2001600 (LV)± 4.0%47%39%–14%University of New HampshireOctober 19–29, 2001202 (LV)± 6.7%35%53%4%8%American Research GroupOctober 16–18, 2001600 (LV)± 4.0%47%41%–12%

Results

General election Candidates Ken Blevens (Libertarian) Jeanne Shaheen, Governor of New Hampshire (Democratic) John E. Sununu, U.S. Representative (Republican)

Campaign

During the campaign, there was a major scandal that involved the use of a telemarketing firm hired by that state's Republican Party (NHGOP) for election tampering. The GOP Marketplace, based in Northern Virginia, jammed another phone bank being used by the state Democratic Party and the firefighters' union for efforts to turn out voters on behalf of then-governor Jeanne Shaheen on Election Day. The tampering involved using a call center to jam the phone lines of a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) operation. In the end, 900 calls were made for 45 minutes of disruption to the Democratic-leaning call centers. In addition to criminal prosecutions, disclosures in the case have come from a civil suit filed by the state's Democratic Party against the state's Republican Party (now settled). Four men have been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, federal crimes and sentenced to prison for their involvement . One conviction has been reversed by an appeals court, a decision prosecutors are appealing. James Tobin, freed on appeal, was later indicted on charges of lying to the FBI during the original investigation.

Predictions SourceRankingAs ofSabato's Crystal Ball November 4, 2002

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error JohnSununu (R) JeanneShaheen (D) Other UndecidedAmerican Research GroupNovember 2–3, 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%48%44%–8%UNH/CNN/USA TodayOctober 30 – November 2, 2002644 (LV)± 3.8%46%45%6%2%47%46%6%–Concord MonitorOctober 29–31, 2002––46%47%–7%American Research GroupOctober 28–30, 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%48%46%–6%Franklin Pierce College/WNDS-TVOctober 27–30, 2002926 (RV)± 3.0%40%45%4%10%University of New Hampshire/WMUROctober 23–29, 2002648 (LV)± 3.8%42%46%4%7%American Research GroupOctober 20–22, 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%48%46%–6%American Research GroupOctober 16, 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%51%43%–6%University of New Hampshire/WMUROctober 3–10, 2002651 (LV)± 4.0%44%47%4%5%American Research GroupOctober 2, 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%55%34%–11%GQR (D)September 18–19, 2002––46%43%–11%American Research GroupSeptember 14–18, 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%47%38%–15%University of New HampshireJune 23 – July 1, 2002529 (LV)± 4.0%51%42%3%4%American Research GroupJune 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%37%33%–30%University of New HampshireApril 10–14, 2002526 (LV)± 4.3%50%42%2%6%American Research GroupMarch 2002600 (LV)± 4.0%40%36%–24%University of New HampshireJanuary 25 – February 5, 2002554 (RV)± 4.1%49%42%4%6%American Research GroupDecember 2001600 (LV)± 4.0%39%29%–32%University of New HampshireOctober 19–29, 2001505 (RV)± 4.4%50%38%3%9%American Research GroupSeptember 2001600 (LV)± 4.0%47%39%–14%American Research GroupJuly 2001600 (LV)± 4.0%49%35%–16%American Research GroupJune 2001600 (LV)± 4.0%50%35%–15%

Bob Smith vs. Jeanne Shaheen Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error BobSmith (R) JeanneShaheen (D) Other UndecidedUniversity of New HampshireJune 23 – July 1, 2002529 (LV)± 4.0%45%47%3%4%University of New HampshireApril 10–14 2002526 (LV)± 4.3%42%49%5%4%University of New HampshireJanuary 25 – February 5, 2002558 (RV)± 4.1%43%46%4%6%University of New HampshireOctober 19–29, 2001505 (RV)± 4.4%44%45%5%6%

Results

Results by county CountyJohn E. SununuRepublicanJeanne ShaheenDemocraticVarious candidatesMarginTotal votes cast # % # % # % # % Belknap 12,658 57.7% 8,765 39.9% 519 2.4% 3,893 17.8% 21,942 Carroll 10,650 55.2% 8,134 42.2% 503 2.5% 2,516 13.0% 19,287 Cheshire 10,737 41.5% 14,200 54.9% 918 3.6% -3,463 -13.4% 25,855 Coös 5,055 44.6% 5,957 52.6% 316 2.8% -902 -8.0% 11,328 Grafton 14,081 46.7% 15,266 50.7% 773 2.6% -1,185 -4.0% 30,120 Hillsborough 68,320 53.0% 57,354 44.5% 3,298 2.5% 10,966 8.5% 128,972 Merrimack 25,263 47.2% 26,898 50.3% 1,366 2.5% -1,635 -3.1% 53,527 Rockingham 55,710 54.2% 43,968 42.8% 3,099 3.0% 11,742 3.16% 102,777 Strafford 17,418 45.0% 20,109 52.0% 1,149 3.0% -2,691 -7.0% 38,676 Sullivan 7,337 50.1% 6,827 46.6% 487 3.3% 510 3.5% 14,651Totals227,22950.8%207,47846.4%12,4282.8%19,7514.4%447,135 Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Grafton (largest city: Lebanon)

See also 2002 United States Senate election

Notes

References

External links Candidates at Vote Smart Campaign finance at FEC Campaign finance at OpenSecrets

Official campaign websites (archived) John E. Sununu Jeanne Shaheen