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 County results Precinct resultsBurr: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Marshall: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||
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The2010 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 2, 2010. The filing deadline for the primaries was February 26; the primaries were held on May 4, with aDemocratic primary runoff held on June 22.[1] Incumbent Republican U.S. SenatorRichard Burr won re-election to a second term. Burr is the first incumbent to win re-election for this seat sinceSam Ervin's last re-election in1968.[2]
Burr was the first Republican re-elected to this seat. Burr's 54.8% also represented the highest vote share a North Carolina Republican received since the state began directly electing its senators.
This was one of the five Republican-held Senate seats up for election in a state thatBarack Obama won in the2008 presidential election.
This Senate seat was unfavorable to incumbents over the past several decades. No person elected to this seat was re-elected sinceSam Ervin in1968. His successor, DemocratRobert Burren Morgan, was defeated for re-election in1980, along with many other incumbents from his party. His Republican successor,John Porter East, committed suicide in 1986. East's appointed successor,Jim Broyhill, served for just four months, resigning upon his November1986 election loss to former Democratic GovernorTerry Sanford. In1992, the seat changed hands yet again, as Sanford was defeated by wealthy GOP businessmanLauch Faircloth, who himself lost in his bid for a second term six years later byJohn Edwards. In2004, no incumbent was defeated, as Edwards wasrunning for vice president and was not allowed to be on the ballot in both races. However, that year the seat did change parties for the fifth time in a row, withRichard Burr defeating Bill Clinton's onetime Chief of StaffErskine Bowles.
| Poll source | Dates administered | Richard Burr | Brad Jones | Eddie Burks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[7] | February 15, 2010 | 55% | 10% | 3% |
| Public Policy Polling[8] | March 12–15, 2010 | 58% | 5% | 4% |
| Public Policy Polling[9] | April 8–11, 2010 | 67% | 7% | 3% |
| Survey USA[10] | April 26, 2010 | 59% | 6% | 3% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Burr (incumbent) | 297,993 | 80.1% | |
| Republican | Brad Jones | 37,616 | 10.1% | |
| Republican | Eddie Burks | 22,111 | 5.9% | |
| Republican | Larry Linney | 14,248 | 3.8% | |
| Total votes | 371,968 | 100.0% | ||
From the North Carolina State Board of Elections:[5]
| Poll source | Dates administered | Elaine Marshall | Cal Cunningham | Kenneth Lewis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall[18] | December 1, 2009 | 42% | 5% | 7% |
| Public Policy Polling[7] | February 15, 2010 | 29% | 12% | 5% |
| Public Policy Polling[8] | March 12–15, 2010 | 20% | 16% | 11% |
| Public Policy Polling[9] | April 8–11, 2010 | 23% | 17% | 9% |
| WRAL-TV/SurveyUSA[19] | April 25, 2010 | 23% | 19% | 10% |
| Public Policy Polling[20] | April 27, 2010 | 26% | 23% | 7% |
| Public Policy Polling[21] | May 1–2, 2010 | 28% | 21% | 9% |
| Rasmussen Reports[22] | May 4, 2010 | 42% | 37% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[23] | May 8–10, 2010 | 36% | 36% | –– |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elaine Marshall | 154,605 | 36.4% | |
| Democratic | Cal Cunningham | 115,851 | 27.3% | |
| Democratic | Ken Lewis | 72,510 | 17.1% | |
| Democratic | Marcus W. Williams | 35,984 | 8.5% | |
| Democratic | Susan Harris | 29,738 | 7.0% | |
| Democratic | Ann Worthy | 16,655 | 3.9% | |
| Total votes | 425,343 | 100.0% | ||
* Note: Since no candidate received 40% of the vote on May 4, state law allowed arunoff (or "second primary") election if requested by the second-place finisher. Cunningham requested such a runoff.[24]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elaine Marshall | 95,390 | 60.0% | |
| Democratic | Cal Cunningham | 63,691 | 40.0% | |
| Total votes | 159,081 | 100.0% | ||
Marshall was endorsed byThe Charlotte Observer,The Wilmington Star-News, theElizabeth City Daily Advance andThe Southern Pines Pilot.[26] Burr was endorsed by theGreensboro News & Record[27] and theAsheville Citizen-Times.[28]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Cook Political Report[32] | Likely R | October 26, 2010 |
| Rothenberg[33] | Likely R | October 22, 2010 |
| RealClearPolitics[34] | Likely R | October 26, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[35] | Likely R | October 21, 2010 |
| CQ Politics[36] | Likely R | October 26, 2010 |
| Poll source | Dates administered | MoE | Richard Burr (R) | Elaine Marshall (D) | Michael Beitler (L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[37] | March 12–15, 2009 | ± 3.1% | 43% | 35% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[38] | August 4–10, 2009 | ± 3.6% | 43% | 31% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[39] | September 2–8, 2009 | ± 4.0% | 42% | 31% | –– |
| Rasmussen Reports[40] | September 15, 2009 | ± 4.5% | 48% | 38% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[41] | October 2–4, 2009 | ± 3.8% | 44% | 32% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[42] | November 9–11, 2009 | ± 3.7% | 45% | 34% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[43] | December 11–13, 2009 | ± 4.0% | 42% | 37% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[44] | January 15–18, 2010 | ± 3.8% | 44% | 37% | –– |
| Rasmussen Reports[45] | January 27, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 47% | 37% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[46] | February 12–15, 2010 | ± 3.5% | 43% | 33% | –– |
| Rasmussen Reports[47] | February 23, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 50% | 34% | –– |
| Rasmussen Reports[48] | March 22, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 51% | 35% | –– |
| Rasmussen Reports[49] | April 19, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 50% | 32% | –– |
| Rasmussen Reports[50] | May 5, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 48% | 40% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[51] | May 8–10, 2010 | ± 3.9% | 43% | 42% | –– |
| Rasmussen Reports[52] | June 3, 2010 | ± 3.0% | 50% | 36% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[53] | June 4–6, 2010 | ± 3.9% | 46% | 39% | –– |
| Rasmussen Reports[54] | June 23, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 44% | 43% | –– |
| SurveyUSA[55] | June 23–24, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 50% | 40% | 6% |
| Public Policy Polling[56] | June 26–27, 2010 | ± 4.4% | 38% | 33% | 10% |
| Rasmussen Reports[57] | July 6, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 52% | 37% | –– |
| Survey USA[58] | July 8–11, 2010 | ± 4.2% | 46% | 36% | 6% |
| Lake Research[59] | July 15–19, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 35% | 37% | 5% |
| Public Policy Polling[60] | July 27–31, 2010 | ± 3.9% | 39% | 37% | 7% |
| Rasmussen Reports[61] | August 3, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 49% | 40% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[62] | August 27–29, 2010 | ± 3.6% | 43% | 38% | 6% |
| Rasmussen Reports[57] | September 8, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 54% | 38% | –– |
| SurveyUSA[63] | September 14, 2010 | ± 4.1% | 58% | 32% | 6% |
| Civitas[64] | September 15–17, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 49% | 29% | 3% |
| Public Polling Policy[65] | September 23–26, 2010 | ± 3.8% | 49% | 36% | 4% |
| High Point University[66] | September 25–30, 2010 | ± 5.0% | 45% | 31% | 4% |
| Rasmussen Reports[57] | October 12, 2010 | ± 4.5% | 52% | 38% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling[67] | October 15–17, 2010 | ± 4.0% | 48% | 40% | 3% |
| SurveyUSA[68] | October 22–25, 2010 | ± 4.1% | 53% | 38% | 5% |
| Public Policy Polling[69] | October 29–31, 2010 | ± 3.4% | 52% | 40% | 2% |
| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Burr (R) | $8,444,115 | $8,735,725 | $1,600,695 | $0 |
| Elaine Marshall (D) | $2,561,900 | $2,229,840 | $329,886 | $71,500 |
| Michael Beitler (L) | $16,302 | $9,951 | $6,350 | $11,906 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[70] | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Burr (incumbent) | 1,458,046 | 54.81% | +3.21% | |
| Democratic | Elaine Marshall | 1,145,074 | 43.05% | −3.97% | |
| Libertarian | Mike Beitler | 55,682 | 2.09% | +0.72% | |
| Write-in | 1,272 | 0.05% | +0.04% | ||
| Total votes | 2,660,079 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Republicanhold | |||||
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Debates
Official campaign sites (archived)
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