Republican hold in light red, Republican pickup in dark red, Democratic hold in light blue, Democratic pickup in dark blue.

The U.S. Senate election, 2002 was a fiercely-contested race that resulted in a victory for the Republican Party, which gained two seats and thus a narrow majority from the Democratic Party in the United States Senate. Image File history File links Show results of U.S. Senate election, 2002 -- Republican hold in light red, Republican pickup in dark red, Democratic hold in light blue, Democratic pickup in dark blue. ... Image File history File links Show results of U.S. Senate election, 2002 -- Republican hold in light red, Republican pickup in dark red, Democratic hold in light blue, Democratic pickup in dark blue. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two houses of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ...

The Democrats had originally hoped to do well in this year, as four veteran Republicans and no Democrats had retired this year, and open seats are always viewed as the most competitive. However, the open seats were all in the South, and the Republicans found fairly strong candidates who were able to hold all four.

Notable races

Democratic gains

• Arkansas: Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-AR), who was personally unpopular, perhaps due to divorcing his wife and marrying a young staffer, was defeated by Democratic challenger Mark Pryor, Arkansas Attorney General and the son of a popular former Senator and Governor.

State nickname: The Natural State Other U.S. States Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Governor Mike Huckabee (R) Official languages English Area 137,732 km² (29th)  - Land 134,856 km²  - Water 2,876 km² (2. ... Timothy Hutchinson (born August 11, 1949) is a politician from the state of Arkansas. ... Mark Lunsford Pryor (born January 10, 1963) is a politician in Arkansas. ...

Republican gains

• Georgia: Sen. Max Cleland (D-GA) was defeated by Representative Saxby Chambliss in a tough campaign marked by attacks on Cleland's stance on a Department of Homeland Security. Local Georgia issues may also have played a role in the campaign, with Republicans also taking the governorship over unhappiness with the Georgia state flag.
• Missouri: Sen. Jean Carnahan (D-MO) had been appointed to the Senate after her husband, Mel Carnahan, had narrowly won the 2000 election posthumously. How much Mel Carnahan's victory had been due to sympathy following his death was unclear, but his wife was unable to hold the seat, losing narrowly to former Congressman Jim Talent.
• Minnesota: Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN), in the middle of a tough fight against former St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman, abruptly died in a plane crash. Many observers expected that this would lead to a sympathy boost for his replacement, liberal stalwart and former Vice President Walter Mondale, but the Democrats received negative press after Wellstone's funeral was marked by political speeches, and Coleman won a close race.

Joseph Maxwell Cleland (born August 24, 1942) is an American politician of Georgia. ... Saxby Chambliss - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The current flag of Georgia was adopted on May 8, 2003 after years of controversy. ... Missouri, named after the Missouri Siouan Indian tribe meaning canoe, is a Southern state in the United States with Jefferson City as its capital. ... Senator Jean Carnahan, D-Missouri, who served in the Senate from 2001-2002 Jean Carnahan (born December 20, 1933) was a member of the United States Senate from 2001 to 2002. ... Melvin Eugene Mel Carnahan (February 11, 1934 – October 16, 2000) was an American politician who was Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. ... Republican hold in light red, Republican pickup in dark red, Democratic hold in light blue, Democratic pickup in dark blue. ... James Matthes Jim Talent (born October 18, 1956) is an American politician, the junior Senator from Missouri. ... State nickname: North Star State Other U.S. States Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) Official languages None Area 225,365 km² (12th)  - Land 206,375 km²  - Water 18,990 km² (8. ... Paul David Wellstone (July 21, 1944 – October 25, 2002) was an American politician and two-term U.S. Senator from Minnesota. ... Norm Coleman Norman Bertram Norm Coleman Jr. ... The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest executive official of the United States government, the person who is, in the words of Adlai Stevenson, a heartbeat from the presidency. ... Walter Frederick Fritz Mondale (born January 5, 1928 in Ceylon, Minnesota) is an American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. ...

Democratic holds

• South Dakota: The Democratic Party also invested heavily in South Dakota to keep Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) in office by 500 votes over Republican challenger John Thune, who accused Johnson and Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) of pushing liberal policies that were different from the promises they made to South Dakota voters. Thune's strategy would work successfully when he defeated Daschle himself in 2004.
• New Jersey: Democratic incumbent Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) was dogged by scandal, and eventually quit the race so that the party could replace him with a better candidate, retired Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), who went on to win. Republicans challenged this late replacement of a weak candidate, but were not successful in the courts.
• Louisiana: Republicans ran several candidates at once against incumbent Mary Landrieu (D-LA), hoping to push her vote below 50% and force a runoff in December (according to Louisiana law). They did force a runoff, but Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell narrowly lost the runoff.

State nickname: The Mount Rushmore State Other U.S. States Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Governor Mike Rounds (R) Official languages English Area 199,905 km² (17th)  - Land 196,735 km²  - Water 3,173 km² (1. ... State nickname: The Mount Rushmore State Other U.S. States Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Governor Mike Rounds (R) Official languages English Area 199,905 km² (17th)  - Land 196,735 km²  - Water 3,173 km² (1. ... Timothy Peter Johnson (born December 28, 1946) is a United States Senator from South Dakota. ... John Randolph Thune (born January 7, 1961) is the junior U.S. Senator from the state of South Dakota. ... Tom Daschle Thomas Andrew Daschle (born December 9, 1947), known as Tom Daschle, was a U.S. Senator from South Dakota and the Senate Minority Leader. ... Results -- light red represents Republican holds, dark red Republican pickups, light blue Democratic holds, dark blue Democratic pickups. ... State nickname: The Garden State Other U.S. States Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey (D)Acting Official languages None defined Area 22,608 km² (47th)  - Land 19,231 km²  - Water 3,378 km² (14. ... Robert Guy Torricelli (born August 27, 1951), nicknamed the Torch, is an American politician from the U.S. state of New Jersey. ... Frank Lautenberg at a press conference in Washington, D.C. Frank Raleigh Lautenberg (born January 23, 1924) is an American politician. ... State nickname: Pelican State Other U.S. States Capital Baton Rouge Largest city Baton Rouge due to the evacuation of New Orleans Governor Kathleen Blanco (D) Official languages None; English and French de facto Area 134,382 km² (31st)  - Land 112,927 km²  - Water 21,455 km² (16%) Population (2000... Mary Loretta Landrieu (born November 23, 1955) is a Democratic United States Senator for the state of Louisiana. ...

Republican holds

• New Hampshire: Incumbent Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) had previously quit and rejoined the Republican party in a dispute over his candidacy in the 2000 presidential election, and Republican leaders pushed the candidacy of John E. Sununu, who defeated Smith in the primary and went on to defeat Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, the retiring governor, in the general election.

State nickname: The Granite State Other U.S. States Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Governor John Lynch (D) Official languages English Area 24,239 km² (46th)  - Land 23,249 km²  - Water 814 km² (3. ... Robert C. Bob Smith (born March 30, 1941) is an American politician who has served in both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... John Edward Sununu (born September 10, 1964) is a Republican United States Senator from New Hampshire. ... Official Photo Jeanne Shaheen (born January 28, 1947) was the first woman to be elected governor of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. ...

Senate contests in 2002

¹ special election due to death of Mel Carnahan -- next regular election to be held in 2006 State nickname: Camellia State, The Heart of Dixie¹, Yellowhammer State Other U.S. States Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Governor Bob Riley (R) Official languages English Area 84,360 mi²/135,765 km² (30th)  - Land 81,664 mi²/131,426 km²  - Water 2,696 mi²/4,338 km² (3. ... Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (born December 24, 1946) is the junior United States Senator from Alabama. ... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski (R) Official languages English Area 1,067,653 mi² / 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 1,481,347 km²  - Water 236,507 km² (13. ... Theodore Fulton Ted Stevens (born November 18, 1923) is an American politician from Alaska. ... Jim Sykes (born 1952 in Rapid City, South Dakota) is a journalist (primarily radio), producer, and Alaskan politician and founder of the Green Party of Alaska. ... State nickname: The Natural State Other U.S. States Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Governor Mike Huckabee (R) Official languages English Area 137,732 km² (29th)  - Land 134,856 km²  - Water 2,876 km² (2. ... Timothy Hutchinson (born August 11, 1949) is a politician from the state of Arkansas. ... Mark Lunsford Pryor (born January 10, 1963) is a politician in Arkansas. ... This is the article on the state. ... Office: Senior Senator, Colorado Political party: Republican Term of office: January, 1997–Present Preceded by: Hank Brown Succeeded by: Incumbent (2009) Date of birth: December 2, 1943 Place of birth: Fort Collins, Colorado Marriage: Joan Malcolm Alan Wayne Allard (born December 2, 1943) is a United States Senator from Colorado... State nickname: The First State Other U.S. States Capital Dover Largest city Wilmington Governor Ruth Ann Minner Official languages None Area 6,452 km² (49th)  - Land 5,068 km²  - Water 1,387 km² (21. ... Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. ... Joseph Maxwell Cleland (born August 24, 1942) is an American politician of Georgia. ... Saxby Chambliss - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... State nickname: Gem State Other U.S. States Capital Boise Largest city Boise Governor Dirk Kempthorne (R) Official languages none Area 216,632 km² (14th)  - Land 214,499 km²  - Water 2,133 km² (0. ... Larry Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is the senior United States Senator from Idaho. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Other U.S. States Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) Official languages American English (as oppossed to Englands English) Area 149,998 km² (25th)  - Land 143,968 km²  - Water 6,030 km² (4. ... Richard Joseph Durbin (born November 21, 1944) is an American politician. ... State nickname: The Hawkeye State Other U.S. States Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Governor Thomas Vilsack (D) Official languages English Area 145,743 km² (26th)  - Land 144,701 km²  - Water 1,042 km² (0. ... Thomas Richard Harkin (born November 19, 1939) is the junior United States Senator from Iowa. ... Greg Ganske (born March 31, 1949) is a politician from the U.S. State of Iowa. ... State nickname: The Sunflower State Other U.S. States Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D) Official languages None Area 82,277 mi²; 213,096 km² (15th)  - Land 81,815 mi²; 211,900 km²  - Water 462 mi²; 1,196 km² (0. ... Charles Patrick Roberts (born April 20, 1936) is a United States Senator from Kansas. ... State nickname: Bluegrass State Other U.S. States Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) Official languages English Area 104,749 km² (37th)  - Land 102,989 km²  - Water 1,760 km² (1. ... Addison Mitchell Mitch McConnell, Jr. ... State nickname: Pelican State Other U.S. States Capital Baton Rouge Largest city Baton Rouge due to the evacuation of New Orleans Governor Kathleen Blanco (D) Official languages None; English and French de facto Area 134,382 km² (31st)  - Land 112,927 km²  - Water 21,455 km² (16%) Population (2000... Mary Loretta Landrieu (born November 23, 1955) is a Democratic United States Senator for the state of Louisiana. ... State nickname: The Pine Tree State Other U.S. States Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Governor John Baldacci (D) Official languages None Area 86,542 km² (39th)  - Land 80,005 km²  - Water 11,724 km² (13. ... Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952) is the junior U.S. Senator from Maine and a Republican. ... Chellie Pingree (born April 2, 1955) in Minneapolis is President and CEO of Common Cause, a nonpartisan citizens lobbying group based in Washington, DC. Prior to her appointment as head of the organization in March of 2003, Pingree was senate majority leader in the Maine State Senate, representing her island... State nickname: Bay State Other U.S. States Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney (R) Official languages English Area 27,360 km² (44th)  - Land 20,317 km²  - Water 7,043 km² (25. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... Michael Cloud was the Massachusetts Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. Senate in 2002. ... State nickname: Wolverine State or Great Lakes State Other U.S. States Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) Official languages English Area 250,941 km² (11th)  - Land 147,255 km²  - Water 103,687 km² (41. ... Senator Carl Levin Carl Milton Levin (born June 28, 1934) is a Democratic United States Senator from Michigan. ... State nickname: North Star State Other U.S. States Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) Official languages None Area 225,365 km² (12th)  - Land 206,375 km²  - Water 18,990 km² (8. ... Paul David Wellstone (July 21, 1944 – October 25, 2002) was an American politician and two-term U.S. Senator from Minnesota. ... Norm Coleman Norman Bertram Norm Coleman Jr. ... Walter Frederick Fritz Mondale (born January 5, 1928 in Ceylon, Minnesota) is an American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. ... State nickname: Magnolia State Other U.S. States Capital Jackson Largest city Jackson Governor Haley Barbour (R) Official languages English Area 125,546 km² (32nd)  - Land 121,606 km²  - Water 3,940 km² (3%) Population (2000)  - Population 2,697,243 (31st)  - Density 23. ... William Thad Cochran (born December 7, 1937) is a Mississippi Republican U.S. Senator. ... Missouri, named after the Missouri Siouan Indian tribe meaning canoe, is a Southern state in the United States with Jefferson City as its capital. ... Senator Jean Carnahan, D-Missouri, who served in the Senate from 2001-2002 Jean Carnahan (born December 20, 1933) was a member of the United States Senate from 2001 to 2002. ... James Matthes Jim Talent (born October 18, 1956) is an American politician, the junior Senator from Missouri. ... State nickname: Treasure State Other U.S. States Capital Helena Largest city Billings Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) Official languages English Area 381,156 km² (4th)  - Land 377,295 km²  - Water 3,862 km² (1%) Population (2000)  - Population 902,195 (44th)  - Density 2. ... Max Sieben Baucus (born December 11, 1941) is the senior United States Senator from Montana and is a member of the Democratic Party. ... Mike Taylor was a Formula One driver from the United States. ... State nickname: Cornhusker State Other U.S. States Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Governor Dave Heineman (R) Official languages English Area 200,520 km² (16th)  - Land 199,099 km²  - Water 1,247 km² (0. ... Charles Timothy Chuck Hagel (born October 4, 1946) is the senior United States Senator from Nebraska. ... State nickname: The Granite State Other U.S. States Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Governor John Lynch (D) Official languages English Area 24,239 km² (46th)  - Land 23,249 km²  - Water 814 km² (3. ... Robert C. Bob Smith (born March 30, 1941) is an American politician who has served in both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate. ... John Edward Sununu (born September 10, 1964) is a Republican United States Senator from New Hampshire. ... Official Photo Jeanne Shaheen (born January 28, 1947) was the first woman to be elected governor of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. ... State nickname: The Garden State Other U.S. States Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey (D)Acting Official languages None defined Area 22,608 km² (47th)  - Land 19,231 km²  - Water 3,378 km² (14. ... Robert Guy Torricelli (born August 27, 1951), nicknamed the Torch, is an American politician from the U.S. state of New Jersey. ... Frank Lautenberg at a press conference in Washington, D.C. Frank Raleigh Lautenberg (born January 23, 1924) is an American politician. ... Mayor Douglas Forrester Douglas Forrester is an American government contractor in New Jersey with a long history in both New Jersey business and politics. ... State nickname: Land of Enchantment Other U.S. States Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Governor Bill Richardson Official languages English and Spanish Area 315,194 km² (5th)  - Land 314,590 km²  - Water 607 km² (0. ... Office: Senior Senator, New Mexico Political party: Republican Term of office: January 1973 – Present Preceded by: Clinton P. Anderson Succeeded by: Incumbent (2009) Date of birth: May 7, 1932 Place of birth: Albuquerque, New Mexico Marriage: Nancy Burk Domenici Peter Vichi Domenici (born May 7, 1932) has served as a... State nickname: Tar Heel State Other U.S. States Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Governor Michael Easley (D) Official languages English Area 139,509 km² (28th)  - Land 126,256 km²  - Water 13,227 km² (9. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Elizabeth Hanford Liddy Dole (born July 29, 1936) was elected to the United States Senate in 2002 to represent North Carolina for a term ending in 2009. ... Erskine Bowles Erskine B. Bowles (born 8 August 1945) is an American businessman and political figure from the U.S. state of North Carolina. ... Oklahoma is a South Central state of the United States (with strong Southern, Western, and Midwestern influences) and its U.S. postal abbreviation is OK; others abbreviate the states name Okla. ... James Mountain Inhofe (born November 17, 1934) is an American politician from Oklahoma. ... David Lee Walters (born November 20, 1951) was the Democratic governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma from 1991 to 1995. ... State nickname: Beaver State Other U.S. States Capital Salem Largest city Portland Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) Official languages None Area 255,026 km² (9th)  - Land 248,849 km²  - Water 6,177 km² (2. ... Gordon Harold Smith (born May 25, 1952) is a United States Senator from Oregon. ... State nickname: The Ocean State, Little Rhody Other U.S. States Capital Providence Largest city Providence Governor Donald Carcieri (R) Official languages None Area 4,005 km² (50th)  - Land 2,709 km²  - Water 1,296 km² (32. ... John Francis Jack Reed (b. ... State nickname: Palmetto State Other U.S. States Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Governor Mark Sanford (R) Official languages English Area 82,965 km² (40th)  - Land 78,051 km²  - Water 4,915 km² (6%) Population (2000)  - Population {{{2000Pop}}} (26th)  - Density 51. ... Strom Thurmond James Strom Thurmond (December 5, 1902 – June 26, 2003) represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to April 1956 and November 1956 to 1964 as a Democrat and from 1964 to 2003 as a Republican. ... Lindsey Olin Graham (born July 9, 1955) is an American politician from South Carolina. ... Alex Sanders is an American politician from the state of South Carolina He is the former chief judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals and former President of the College of Charleston. ... State nickname: The Mount Rushmore State Other U.S. States Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Governor Mike Rounds (R) Official languages English Area 199,905 km² (17th)  - Land 196,735 km²  - Water 3,173 km² (1. ... Timothy Peter Johnson (born December 28, 1946) is a United States Senator from South Dakota. ... John Randolph Thune (born January 7, 1961) is one of the U.S. senators from the state of South Dakota. ... State nickname: Volunteer State Other U.S. States Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Governor Phil Bredesen (D) Official languages English Area 109,247 km² (36th)  - Land 106,846 km²  - Water 2,400 km² (2. ... Fred Dalton Thompson (born August 19, 1942) is an American lawyer, actor and former Republican senator from Tennessee. ... Andrew Lamar Alexander (born July 3, 1940) is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee and a member of the Republican Party. ... Robert Bob Clement (born 1944) is a Tennessee politician and a member of the Democratic Party. ... Prior to 1821, Texas was part of the Spanish colony of New Spain. ... Phil Gramm William Philip Phil Gramm (born July 8, 1942 in Fort Benning, Georgia) served as a Democratic Congressman (1978-1983), a Republican Congressman (1983-1984), and a Republican Senator from Texas (1985-2002). ... Senator John Cornyn John Cornyn III (born February 2, 1952) is the junior United States Senator from Texas. ... Ron Kirk (born June 27, 1954) was the first African American mayor of Dallas, Texas who also ran for the United States Senate in 2002. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... John Warner John William Warner (born February 18, 1927) is an American statesman and politician, who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972-1974 and has served as a Republican senator from Virginia since 1978. ... State nickname: Mountain State Other U.S. States Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Governor Joe Manchin (D) Official languages English Area 62,809 km² (41st)  - Land 62,436 km²  - Water 376 km² (0. ... John D. Jay Rockefeller IV John Davison Rockefeller IV (born June 18, 1937) is a member of the prominent United States Rockefeller family who has served as a Democratic U.S. Senator from West Virginia since 1985. ... Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jay Rockefeller in 2002. ... State nickname: Equality State Other U.S. States Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Governor Dave Freudenthal (D) Official languages English Area 253,554 km² (10th)  - Land 251,706 km²  - Water 1,851 km² (0. ... Michael Bradley Mike Enzi (born February 1, 1944) is a United States senator from Wyoming. ... Melvin Eugene Mel Carnahan (February 11, 1934 – October 16, 2000) was an American politician who was Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. ... Seats up for election. ...

See also

• U.S. House election, 2002

The U.S. House election, 2002 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 2002 in the middle of President George W. Bushs first term. ...

Senate composition before and after elections

The 107th Congress met from January 3, 2001 to January 3, 2003. ... The 108th United States Congress met from January 7, 2003, to January 3, 2005. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ...