United States Senate elections in Wyoming, 2008

The Wyoming United States Senate elections for 2008 will be held on November 4, 2008. The simultaneous elections resulting from the death of Senator Craig L. Thomas in 2007, will mark a rarity in United States Senate elections, in which both seats will be up for election simultaneously. The last instance of this was in Kansas in 1996; Oregon had a similar situation that year, though the elections were held on different dates. It will also occur in 2008 in Mississippi, where Senator Trent Lott's 2007 retirement forced a special election.

The seats up for election are those held by incumbent Mike Enzi, a Senator from Senate Class II, who was last elected in 2002, and by John Barrasso, who was appointed to succeed Thomas, from Class I.

Special election for Class I seat

This is a special election, so designated because it will fill the remainder of the unexpired Senate term of the late Craig L. Thomas, which began on January 3, 2007.
John Barrasso was appointed by Governor Dave Freudenthal to succeed the deceased senator Craig Thomas. Barrasso is running unopposed for the Republican nomination to serve the remainder of Thomas's term.cite news
title=Barrasso plans Monday kickoff
first=Mead
last=Gruver
publisher=Associated Press
work=trib.com
url=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/0-0&fp=482f55c992ed627d&ei=XmkvSPnRBY2eqwO6hsiVBQ&url=http%3A//www.trib.com/articles/2008/05/16/news/wyoming/34d4cc4b7e7e6d718725744b00003e35.txt&cid=1213243537&usg=AFrqEzeSTLcvF9OGO3QKMVLjXq-MTEYvog
date=May 16, 2008
accessdate=2008-05-17] Speculation about potential Republican challengers had included the other finalists to succeed Thomas, Cynthia Lummis and Tom Sansonetti; as well as former state House Speaker Randall Luthi, and former U.S. Attorney Matt Mead. [cite news | url=http://www.trib.com/articles/2007/06/23/news/top_story/9d52a191dcca6bbd8725730300056fa2.txt | title=Barrasso ready to pick up where Thomas left off | publisher=Casper Star-Tribune | author=Jared Miller and Barbara Nordby | date=2007-06-23 | accessdate=2007-06-23]

Democrats Keith Goodenough, a former state senator, and Nick Carter, a Gillette attorney, sought their party's nomination. [cite web |url=http://www.kulr8.com/news/wyoming/16099422.html |title=Goodenough Announces Senate Bid Against Barrasso] Governor Dave Freudenthal, former Governor Mike Sullivan, State Senator Mike Massie and Paul Hickey, Cheyenne lawyer and son of former Wyoming Governor John J. Hickey, who came second to Freudenthal in the 2002 gubernatorial primary, all were considered potential candidates for the Democratic nomination, but all four declined.

Candidates

Republican Party

*John Barasso of Casper (incumbent) ( [http://www.barrasso2008.com/ campaign website] )

Democratic Party

*Nick Carter, a Gillette attorney ( [http://www.nickforsenate.com/ campaign website] )

Defeated in Primary

*Keith Goodenough of Casper, Casper city councilman

Polling

Election Results

Democratic Primary

Unofficial results [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2008/by_state/WY_US_Senate_0819.html?SITE=WYCHE&SECTION=POLITICS] :Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = Nick Carter
votes = 12,273
percentage = 50.7
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = Keith Goodenough
votes = 11,920
percentage = 49.3
change = Election box turnout
votes = 24,193
percentage =
change =

General Election

Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (United States)
candidate = John Barasso
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = Nick Carter
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box majority
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change =

General election for Class II seat

This is a regular election for a full, six-year term, beginning January 3, 2009.

After months of speculation as to whether he would run again, incumbent Mike Enzi formally announced on April 26, 2008 that he is running for re-election. [ [http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002712167 Wyoming’s Enzi Will Run Again] "CQ Politics", April 26, 2008] Chemical engineer, diplomat and university instructor Chris Rothfuss easily won the Democratic primary against perennial candidate Al Hamburg. "CQ Politics" ranks the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Candidates

Democratic Party

Infobox Congressional Candidate
honorific-prefix =
name = Chris Rothfuss
honorific-suffix =


state = Illinois
nominee = U.S. Senate for Wyoming, At-large District
opponent = Mike Enzi (R)
incumbent = Mike Enzi
election_date = November 4, 2008
party = Democratic
date of birth=birth date and age|1972|10|21
place of birth = Ann Arbor, Michigan
date of death=
place of death=
alma_mater = University of Wyoming,
University of Washington
profession = chemical engineer, nanotechnologist, diplomat, university instructor
spouse = Dr. Heather Rothfuss
residence = Laramie, Wyoming
religion =
website = [http://www.rothfussforsenate.com/ www.rothfussforsenate.com]

*Chris Rothfuss - ( [http://www.rothfussforsenate.com/ campaign website] )Chris Rothfuss is a chemical engineer, nanotechnologist, diplomat and university instructor. He is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Wyoming, running on a platform of sustainable energy policies, defending our Constitutional rights, and restoring fiscal responsibility to the federal government.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies in 1994 at the University of Wyoming, presenting his Honors thesis on sustainable development. He was captain of the UW Debate Team in his senior year. In 1996 he earned a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering, researching the use of a spent tire and waste oil derived carbonous residue as an asphalt modifier. In 2002 he completed his Ph.D in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington and defended his dissertation entitled "The Influence of High Electric Fields on Water and Methanol Surface Electrochemistry". He concurrently earned his Master of Science Degree in Applied Physics, and received the McCarthy Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award.

In 1997 Rothfuss began working for Chemical Tracers, Inc. (CTI), an oilfield service company based in Laramie, evaluating enhanced oil recovery programs and existing oil reserves. Dr. Rothfuss worked on the North Slope of Alaska, in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, off the coast of Brazil and in the Elk Hills Oil Field of California.

Rothfuss was selected as a Science and Technology Diplomacy Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). From 2003 through 2006, he served in the United States Department of State, first in the Office of Science and Technology Policyadviser to the Secretary, and then in the Office of Space and Advanced Technology. He was the senior nanotechnology advisor for the Department, and a U.S. delegate to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) ( [http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/COPUOS/index.html website] ). He was also responsible for providing expert scientific advice and analysis to aid in the development of U.S. foreign policy for a wide range of issues, including remote sensing, missile technology export control, and advanced energy technologies. As nanotechnology advisor, he represented U.S. interests in bilateral and multilateral meetings and negotiations, and coordinated U.S. foreign policy on nanotechnology-related issues, in cooperation with other federal agencies and the intelligence community. He served as the first chairman of the Global Issues in Nanotechnology (GIN) Working Group of the NSTC Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee, and was the Department’s representative to the NSET itself. As a U.S. delegate to the UN COPUOS, and the UN COPUOS Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, Dr. Rothfuss was a member of the Space Debris and Space Nuclear Power groups, working to develop international guidelines and agreements that will help to preserve safe access to space for all countries.

Rothfuss is currently at the University of Wyoming, teaching courses on Diplomacy and Negotiations through the Political Science and International Studies Departments, and Nanotechnology through the University Honors Program. His wife, Dr. Heather Rothfuss, is a chemical engineering research scientist at the University. They have two children.

Republican Party

*Mike Enzi of Gillette (incumbent) ( [http://www.enziforwyoming.com/ campaign website] )

Lost Primary

*Al Hamburg - perennial candidate

Polling

Election Results

Democratic Primary

Unofficial results [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2008/by_state/WY_US_Senate_0819.html?SITE=WYCHE&SECTION=POLITICS] :Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = Chris Rothfuss
votes = 14,145
percentage = 62.3
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = Al Hamburg
votes = 8,543
percentage = 37.7
change = Election box turnout
votes = 22,688
percentage =
change =

General Election

Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (United States)
candidate = Mike Enzi
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = Chris Rothfuss
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box majority
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change =

References

External links

* [http://soswy.state.wy.us/Elections/Elections.aspx Elections] from the "Wyoming Secretary of State"
* [http://www.votesmart.org/election_congress_state.php?state_id=WY&go33.x=9&go33.y=8 U.S. Congress candidates for Wyoming] at Project Vote Smart
* [http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=senate-WY 2008 Wyoming Senate race] from CQ Politics
* [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=370596 Wyoming U.S. Senate - Class I] [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=294975 Class II] from "OurCampaigns.com"
* [http://www.2008racetracker.com/page/WY-Sen-B Wyoming U.S. Senate race - Class I] [http://www.2008racetracker.com/page/WY-Sen Class II] from "2008 Race Tracker"
* [http://www.opensecrets.org/races/election.php?state=WY Campaign contributions for Wyoming congressional races] from OpenSecrets.org
*dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Wyoming/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Candidates_and_Campaigns/US_Senate
**dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Wyoming/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Candidates_and_Campaigns/US_Senate/Chris_Rothfuss_%5bD%5d|Chris Rothfuss
**dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Government/Legislative_Branch/Senate/Members/Enzi,_Michael_B._%5bR-WY%5d|Mike Enzi
*"Official campaign websites"
** [http://www.barrasso2008.com/ John Barrasso] , Republican incumbent candidate (Class I)
** [http://www.nickforsenate.com/ Nick Carter] Democratic candidate (Class I)
** [http://www.enziforwyoming.com/ Mike Enzi] , Republican incumbent candidate (Class II)
** [http://www.rothfussforsenate.com/ Chris Rothfuss] , Democratic candidate (Class II)