United States Senate election in Washington, 2010
Encyclopedia
The 2010 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 2, 2010 alongside other elections to the United States Senate
in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives
and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Patty Murray
won re-election to a fourth term.
advanced to the general election.
and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Much of Rossi's financial support comes from out of state interests that lobbied hard against those bills. He has also criticized Murray for her support for earmarks
. In response, Murray said, "You bet that seniority and leadership has a big thing to do with it, but the other part of it is, I get up every day and I work hard and I believe in this and I am going to continue fighting for the community I represent."
Official campaign websites
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Patty Murray
Patty Murray
Patricia Lynn "Patty" Murray is the senior United States Senator from Washington and a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992, becoming Washington's first female senator...
won re-election to a fourth term.
Republicans
- Dino RossiDino RossiDino Rossi is an American commercial real estate executive, former Washington State Senator, two-time Republican candidate for Governor of Washington, and former Republican candidate for United States Senate. His first run for the Governor's mansion in the 2004 election became the closest...
, former State SenatorWashington State SenateThe Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 senators, each representing a district with a population of nearly 120,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olympia....
and gubernatorial candidate - Paul AkersPaul AkersPaul Akers is a businessman and was a candidate for United States Senate from the U.S. state of Washington in the 2010 mid-term elections.-Personal life:Akers grew up in Southern California and graduated from Biola University in 1984...
, businessman - William Chovil
- Clint DidierClint DidierClint Bradley Didier is a former professional American football player. He was a tight end in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins from 1982 to 1987 and for the Green Bay Packers from 1988 to 1989...
, former NFL footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player - Norma Gruber
- Michael Latimer
Others
- Will Baker (Reform Party)
- Schalk Leonard
- Skip Mercer, professor
- Mohammad Said (Centrist Party)
Polling
| Poll source | Dates administered | Patty Murray (D) | Dino Rossi (R) | Clint Didier (R) | Paul Akers (R) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survey USA | August 6–9, 2010 | 41% | 33% | 11% | 5% | 4% |
| Public Policy Polling | July 27-August 1, 2010 | 47% | 33% | 10% | 4% | 6% |
| Survey USA | June 30, 2010 | 37% | 33% | 5% | 3% | 19% |
| Elway Research | June 13, 2010 | 43% | 31% | 5% | 2% | 17% |
| Elway Research | April 29-May 2, 2010 | 48% | –– | 4% | 8% | 36% |
Results
Candidates
The top 2 candidates from the blanket primaryBlanket primary
The blanket primary is a system used for selecting political party candidates in a primary election in the USA. In a blanket primary, voters may pick one candidate for each office without regard to party lines; for instance, a voter might select a Democratic candidate for governor and a Republican...
advanced to the general election.
- Patty MurrayPatty MurrayPatricia Lynn "Patty" Murray is the senior United States Senator from Washington and a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992, becoming Washington's first female senator...
(D), incumbent U.S. Senator - Dino RossiDino RossiDino Rossi is an American commercial real estate executive, former Washington State Senator, two-time Republican candidate for Governor of Washington, and former Republican candidate for United States Senate. His first run for the Governor's mansion in the 2004 election became the closest...
(R), former State Senator and gubernatorial candidate
Campaign
Rossi has heavily criticized Murray for her support of the 2009 economic stimulus package; however, Rossi's economic promises are nearly identical to those of President Bush who asked for the stimulus. Rossi supports repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care ActPatient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Much of Rossi's financial support comes from out of state interests that lobbied hard against those bills. He has also criticized Murray for her support for earmarks
Earmark (politics)
In United States politics, an earmark is a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees...
. In response, Murray said, "You bet that seniority and leadership has a big thing to do with it, but the other part of it is, I get up every day and I work hard and I believe in this and I am going to continue fighting for the community I represent."
Debates
Rossi offered six debates, five of which would be in-state and one nationally. Murray agreed to two debates, and only two debates were held.- SeattleSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
on KOMO-TVKOMO-TVKOMO-TV, virtual channel 4, is a television station in Seattle, Washington. It is an affiliate of ABC and broadcasts on digital channel 38. KOMO-TV is the flagship station of Fisher Communications, and its studios and offices are co-located with sister radio stations KOMO , KVI , and KPLZ-FM ...
. - SpokaneSpokane, WashingtonSpokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
on KSPS-TVKSPS-TVKSPS-TV, digital channel 7, is the Public Broadcasting Service Public television station in Spokane, Washington. It also has significant viewership in the province of Alberta, Canada, including the cities of Edmonton and Calgary. The station broadcasts its main signal from its site at Krell Hill,...
and KXLY-TVKXLY-TVKXLY-TV, virtual channel 4, is an ABC-affiliated television station in Spokane, Washington, USA. KXLY-TV is owned by Spokane Television Group, a subsidiary of Morgan Murphy Media, it is one of five local Spokane TV stations seen in Canada on the Shaw Direct satellite provider.-History:Although KHQ...
.
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Cook Political Report Cook Political Report The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five... |
Toss up | October 13, 2010 |
| FiveThirtyEight | 79% chance D | October 31, 2010 |
| Rothenberg Stuart Rothenberg Stuart Rothenberg is an American editor, publisher, and political analyst best known for his Washington-based, biweekly, self-proclaimed non-partisan political newsletter The Rothenberg Political Report... |
Toss up/Tilt D | October 8, 2010 |
| RealClearPolitics RealClearPolitics RealClearPolitics is a political news and polling data aggregator based in Chicago, Illinois. The site's founders say their goal is to give readers "ideological diversity." They have described themselves as frustrated with what they perceive as anti-conservative, anti-Christian media bias, and... |
Toss up | September 28, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball Sabato's Crystal Ball Sabato’s Crystal Ball is a free, nonpartisan weekly online newsletter and comprehensive website in the United States that analyzes the current American political scene and predicts electoral outcomes for U.S House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, governors, and U.S. president races... |
Leans D | October 28, 2010 |
| CQ Politics Congressional Quarterly Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress... |
Toss up | October 13, 2010 |
| Rasmussen Reports Rasmussen Reports Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and... |
Toss up | October 12, 2010 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size |
Margin of error |
Patty Murray (D) |
Dino Rossi (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moore Information | January 23–24, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 43% | 45% | –– | –– |
| Rasmussen Reports | February 11, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 46% | 48% | 1% | 5% |
| Rasmussen Reports | March 9, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 46% | 49% | 3% | 2% |
| Research 2000 | March 22–24, 2010 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 52% | 41% | –– | 7% |
| Rasmussen Reports | April 6, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 48% | 46% | 3% | 4% |
| Survey USA | April 22, 2010 | 517 | ± 4.4% | 42% | 52% | –– | 7% |
| The Washington Poll | May 3–23, 2010 | 626 | ± 3.9% | 44% | 40% | –– | 16% |
| Rasmussen Reports | May 4, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 48% | 46% | 2% | 3% |
| Rasmussen Reports | May 25, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 48% | 47% | 2% | 4% |
| The Washington Poll | May 24–28, 2010 | 221 | ± 6.6% | 39% | 42% | 5% | 13% |
| The Washington Poll | May 28-June 7, 2010 | 848 | ± 3.3% | 42% | 40% | –– | 12% |
| Elway Research | June 13, 2010 | 405 | ± 5.0% | 47% | 40% | –– | 13% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 22, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 47% | 47% | 3% | 3% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 14, 2010 | 750 | ± 4.0% | 45% | 48% | 3% | 3% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 30, 2010 | 750 | ± 4.0% | 49% | 47% | 2% | 2% |
| Public Policy Polling | July 27-August 1, 2010 | 1,204 | ± 2.8% | 49% | 46% | –– | 5% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 18, 2010 | 750 | ± 4.0% | 48% | 44% | 4% | 4% |
| Survey USA | August 18, 2010 | 618 | ± 4.0% | 45% | 52% | –– | –– |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 31, 2010 | 750 | ± 4.0% | 46% | 48% | 3% | 3% |
| Elway Research | September 9–12, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 50% | 41% | 3% | 7% |
| CNN/Time | September 10–14, 2010 | 906 | ± 3.5% | 53% | 44% | 2% | 1% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 16, 2010 | 750 | ± 4.0% | 51% | 46% | 1% | 2% |
| SurveyUSA | September 22, 2010 | 609 | ± 4.1% | 50% | 48% | –– | 3% |
| Fox News | September 25, 2010 | 1,000 | ± 3.0% | 48% | 47% | 2% | 3% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 28, 2010 | 750 | ± 4.0% | 47% | 48% | 2% | 3% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 6, 2010 | 750 | ± 4.0% | 46% | 49% | 3% | 2% |
| Fox News | October 9, 2010 | 1,000 | ± 3.0% | 46% | 47% | 7% | 0% |
| Elway | October 7–11, 2010 | 450 | ± 4.6% | 55% | 40% | 0% | 5% |
| CNN/Opinion Research | October 8–12, 2010 | 850 | ± 3.5% | 51% | 43% | 2% | 0% |
| The Washington Poll | October 4–14, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.3% | 50% | 42% | –– | 8% |
| SurveyUSA | October 11–14, 2010 | 606 | ± 4.1% | 50% | 47% | 0% | 3% |
| Public Policy Polling | October 14–16, 2010 | 1,873 | ± 2.3% | 49% | 47% | –– | 4% |
| McClatchy/Marist | October 14–17, 2010 | 589 | ± 4.0% | 48% | 47% | 1% | 5% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 17, 2010 | 750 | ± 4.0% | 49% | 46% | 2% | 3% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 27, 2010 | 750 | ± 4.0% | 47% | 48% | 3% | 2% |
| SurveyUSA | October 24–27, 2010 | 678 | ± 3.8% | 47% | 47% | –– | 6% |
| The Washington Poll | October 18–28, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.3% | 51% | 45% | –– | 4% |
| Marist College | October 26–28, 2010 | 838 | ± 3.5% | 49% | 48% | 2% | 1% |
| Fox News/Pulse Opinion Research | October 30, 2010 | 1,000 | ± 3.0% | 49% | 47% | 4% | 0% |
| YouGov | October 25–30, 2010 | 850 | ± 4.1% | 50.2% | 47.5% | 0.4% | 1.8% |
| Public Policy Polling | October 29–31, 2010 | 2,055 | ± 2.2% | 48% | 50% | 0% | 2% |
Results
Fundraising
| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patty Murray (D) | $10,951,403 | $12,438,133 | $1,032,034 | $0 |
| Dino Rossi (R) | $7,365,098 | $4,331,414 | $2,960,039 | $0 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission | ||||
External links
- Elections and Voting at the Washington Secretary of State
- U.S. Congress candidates for Washington at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- Washington U.S. Senate 2010 from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions from Open SecretsOpen SecretsOpen Secrets is a book of short stories by Alice Munro published by McClelland and Stewart in 1994. It was nominated for the 1994 Governor General's Award for English Fiction.-Stories:* "Carried Away"* "A Real Life"...
- 2010 Washington Senate General Election: All Head-to-Head Matchups graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
- Election 2010: Washington Senate from Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
- 2010 Washington Senate Race from Real Clear Politics
- 2010 Washington Senate Race from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Race profile from The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- Editorial board endorsement interview: Senate 2010 from The Seattle TimesThe Seattle TimesThe Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
Official campaign websites