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2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee

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2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee

← 2000 November 7, 2006 2012 →
Turnout49.97% Decrease[1] 13.06 pp
  Bobcorker (cropped).jpg Harold Ford, Congressional photo portrait.jpg
Nominee Bob Corker Harold Ford Jr.
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 929,911 879,976
Percentage 50.7% 48.0%

2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee results map by county.svg
County results
Corker:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Ford:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Bill Frist
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Bob Corker
Republican

The 2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican Senator Bill Frist, the Majority Leader, retired after two terms in office. The open seat was won by Republican nominee Bob Corker, who defeated Democratic nominee Harold Ford Jr.

The race between Ford and Corker was one of the most competitive Senate races of 2006, with Corker winning the race by less than three percent of the vote. Corker was the only non-incumbent Republican to win a U.S. Senate seat in 2006. Since 1994, the Republican Party has held both of Tennessee's U.S. Senate seats.

Since this election (along with the gubernatorial election held the same day), only seven of the state's 95 counties–Davidson, Shelby, Haywood, Hardeman, Houston, Jackson, and Lake–have gone to the Democratic candidate in a statewide election, with Jackson and Lake only going Democratic once. Only five counties have voted for a Democratic candidate in a Presidential, Senate, or gubernatorial race multiple times since 2006. Only three–Davidson, Shelby, and Haywood–have voted Democratic in a Senate race since 2006.

The election marks the last very competitive statewide election in Tennessee history, as the Republican Party has gained intense strength in both Tennessee and predominantly white, rural Southeast regions that were usually Democratic-leaning outside of presidential elections.

Discover more about 2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee related topics

Republican Party (United States)

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP, is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The GOP was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which allowed for the potential expansion of chattel slavery into the western territories. It has been the main political rival of the Democratic Party since the mid-1850s. Like them, the Republican Party is a big tent of competing and often opposing ideologies. Presently, the Republican Party contains prominent conservative, centrist, populist, and right-libertarian factions.

Bill Frist

Bill Frist

William Harrison Frist is an American physician, businessman, conservationist and policymaker who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1995 to 2007. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as Senate Majority Leader from 2003 to 2007. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Frist studied government and health care policy at Princeton University and earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Harvard Medical School. He trained as a cardiothoracic transplant surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital and Stanford University School of Medicine, and later founded the Vanderbilt Transplant Center. In the 1994 Republican Wave, he defeated incumbent Democratic Senator Jim Sasser. He pledged to only serve two terms.

Bob Corker

Bob Corker

Robert Phillips Corker Jr. is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2015 to 2019.

Democratic Party (United States)

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States. Founded in 1828, it was predominantly built by Martin Van Buren, who assembled politicians in every state behind war hero Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. Its main political rival has been the Republican Party since the 1850s, with both parties being big tents of competing and often opposing viewpoints. Modern American liberalism — a variant of social liberalism — is the party's majority ideology. The party also has notable centrist, social democratic, and left-libertarian factions.

Harold Ford Jr.

Harold Ford Jr.

Harold Eugene Ford Jr. is an American financial managing director, pundit, author, and former U.S. Congressman who served from 1997–2007 in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party from Tennessee's 9th congressional district, centered in Memphis. He is a member of the Ford political family from Memphis, and is the son of former Congressman Harold Ford Sr., who held the same seat for 22 years. In 2006, Ford made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the retiring Bill Frist. He was also the last chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC).

2006 Tennessee gubernatorial election

2006 Tennessee gubernatorial election

The 2006 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic governor Phil Bredesen defeated Republican State Senator Jim Bryson in a landslide to win a second term as Governor of Tennessee, winning every county in the state.

Davidson County, Tennessee

Davidson County, Tennessee

Davidson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the heart of Middle Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 715,884, making it the second most populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Nashville, the state capital and largest city.

Haywood County, Tennessee

Haywood County, Tennessee

Haywood County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee, in the region known as West Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,864. Its county seat and largest city is Brownsville. It is one of only two remaining counties in Tennessee, along with Shelby County, with a majority African-American population.

Hardeman County, Tennessee

Hardeman County, Tennessee

Hardeman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,462. Its county seat is Bolivar.

Houston County, Tennessee

Houston County, Tennessee

Houston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,283. Its county seat is Erin. The county was founded in 1871. It was named for Sam Houston.

Jackson County, Tennessee

Jackson County, Tennessee

Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 11,617 at the 2020 census. Its county seat is Gainesboro. Jackson is part of the Cookeville Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Lake County, Tennessee

Lake County, Tennessee

Lake County is a county located in the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,005, making it the fifth-least populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Tiptonville. It shares a border with Kentucky to the north and is separated from Missouri to the west by the Mississippi River.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Campaign

Harold Ford was a Congressman from the 9th Congressional District, based in Memphis, and he was a member of a political family, with many relatives also serving or formerly in political office. He was known nationally for his keynote address at the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, and for a challenge to Nancy Pelosi for leadership of the House Democrats in 2002.[2][3] He had also served as a national campaign co-chair for the John Kerry presidential campaign in 2004.[4]

Ford filed paperwork to run for the U.S. Senate in May 2005.[5]

Democratic State Senator Rosalind Kurita, from the 22nd District, centered on Clarksville, Tennessee had entered the race prior to Ford,[6] and initially appeared to be competitive, releasing internal polls showing her as strong as Ford in the general election.[7] But she dropped out of the race in early April 2006, as a result of financial and organizational challenges.[8][9]

Ford enjoyed substantial support from Democratic leaders in Washington and Nashville and held a substantial lead in fundraising.

Results

Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Harold Ford Jr. 333,789 79.10%
Democratic Gary Gene Davis 41,802 9.91%
Democratic John Jay Hooker 27,175 6.44%
Democratic Charles Smith 14,724 3.49%
Democratic Alvin Strauss 4,410 1.05%
Total votes 421,900 100

Discover more about Democratic primary related topics

Harold Ford Jr.

Harold Ford Jr.

Harold Eugene Ford Jr. is an American financial managing director, pundit, author, and former U.S. Congressman who served from 1997–2007 in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party from Tennessee's 9th congressional district, centered in Memphis. He is a member of the Ford political family from Memphis, and is the son of former Congressman Harold Ford Sr., who held the same seat for 22 years. In 2006, Ford made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the retiring Bill Frist. He was also the last chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC).

2000 Democratic National Convention

2000 Democratic National Convention

The 2000 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention for the Democratic Party. The convention nominated Vice President Al Gore for president and Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut for vice president. The convention was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California from August 14 to August 17, 2000. Gore accepted the presidential nomination on August 17, the final night of the convention.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles

Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. Los Angeles is the largest city in the state of California, the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, and one of the world's most populous megacities. With a population of roughly 3.9 million residents within the city limits as of 2020, Los Angeles is known for its Mediterranean climate, ethnic and cultural diversity, being the home of the Hollywood film industry, and its sprawling metropolitan area. The majority of the city proper lies in a basin in Southern California adjacent to the Pacific Ocean in the west and extending partly through the Santa Monica Mountains and north into the San Fernando Valley, with the city bordering the San Gabriel Valley to its east. It covers about 469 square miles (1,210 km2), and is the county seat of Los Angeles County, which is the most populous county in the United States with an estimated 9.86 million residents as of 2022.

Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Patricia Pelosi is an American politician who served as the 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first woman elected Speaker and the first woman to lead a major political party in either chamber of Congress, leading the House Democrats for 20 years, from 2003 to 2023. She has represented California's 11th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 1987. The district, numbered as the 5th district from 1987 to 1993, the 8th from 1993 to 2013, and the 12th from 2013 to 2023, includes most of the city of San Francisco.

John Kerry

John Kerry

John Forbes Kerry is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 under Barack Obama and as a United States senator from Massachusetts from 1985 to 2013. He was the Democratic nominee for president of the United States in the 2004 election, losing to incumbent President George W. Bush.

Clarksville, Tennessee

Clarksville, Tennessee

Clarksville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States. It is the fifth-largest city in the state behind Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. The city had a population of 166,722 as of the 2020 United States census.

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the fourth most populous city in the southeastern U.S. Located on the Cumberland River, the city is the center of the Nashville metropolitan area, which is one of the fastest growing in the nation.

Democratic Party (United States)

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States. Founded in 1828, it was predominantly built by Martin Van Buren, who assembled politicians in every state behind war hero Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. Its main political rival has been the Republican Party since the 1850s, with both parties being big tents of competing and often opposing viewpoints. Modern American liberalism — a variant of social liberalism — is the party's majority ideology. The party also has notable centrist, social democratic, and left-libertarian factions.

Republican primary

Candidates

Campaign

Election winner Bob Corker.
Election winner Bob Corker.

Only 11 percent of Tennesseans knew who Corker was when he began running for the Senate race.[10] All three have run statewide campaigns in the past, albeit unsuccessful ones: Bryant for the 2002 Republican Senate nomination, losing to Lamar Alexander; Corker for the U.S. Senate in 1994, losing to Frist in the Republican primary; and Hilleary for Tennessee Governor in 2002, losing to Democrat Phil Bredesen.

Debates

The three Republican candidates met for a debate at the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville on June 29, 2006. All three candidates expressed skepticism regarding global warming and recent publication of scientific consensus on the issue, supported continued American involvement in Iraq, opposed income tax increases, and "showed varying degrees of interest in replacing the federal income tax with a national sales tax," prompting Corker to state in his closing statement "[t]here's not any difference, that I can tell, on the issues."[11]

Polling

Source Date Hilleary Bryant Corker Other Undecided
City Paper/Supertalk 99.7 WTN May 9, 2006 34% 23% 19% 24%
SurveyUSA May 16, 2006 40% 28% 23% 9%
SurveyUSA May 23, 2006 28% 23% 38% 8%
University of Tennessee July 20, 2006 15% 26% 37% 4% 17%
Mason-Dixon/Chattanooga Times Free Press July 23, 2006 22% 23% 39% 16%
SurveyUSA July 24, 2006 15% 29% 49% 3% 4%
SurveyUSA August 2, 2006 20% 31% 45% 1% 3%

Results

Republican primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Corker 231,541 48.13%
Republican Ed Bryant 161,189 33.50%
Republican Van Hilleary 83,078 17.27%
Republican Tate Harrison 5,309 1.10%
Total votes 481,117 100

Discover more about Republican primary related topics

Ed Bryant

Ed Bryant

Edward Glenn Bryant is an American politician who is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee (1995–2003). From 1991–1993, he served as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. On December 12, 2008, Bryant was sworn in as a United States magistrate judge for the Western District of Tennessee. He retired from this position on February 28, 2019.

Bob Corker

Bob Corker

Robert Phillips Corker Jr. is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2015 to 2019.

2002 Tennessee gubernatorial election

2002 Tennessee gubernatorial election

The 2002 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002. The incumbent, Don Sundquist, was term-limited and is prohibited by the Constitution of Tennessee from seeking a third consecutive term. To succeed him, former Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen, the Democratic nominee, who had run against Sundquist in 1994, narrowly defeated United States Congressman Van Hilleary, the Republican nominee, in the general election.

2002 United States Senate election in Tennessee

2002 United States Senate election in Tennessee

The 2002 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Fred Thompson decided to retire. Republican Lamar Alexander won the open seat.

Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

Andrew Lamar Alexander Jr. is a retired American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2003 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he also was the 45th governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987 and the 5th United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993, where he helped the implementation of Education 2000.

1994 United States Senate election in Tennessee

1994 United States Senate election in Tennessee

The 1994 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held November 8, 1994. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Jim Sasser ran for re-election to a fourth term but was defeated by Republican nominee Bill Frist.

Phil Bredesen

Phil Bredesen

Philip Norman Bredesen Jr. is an American politician and businessman who served as the 48th governor of Tennessee from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected in 2002 with 50.6% of the vote and re-elected in 2006 with 68.6%. He is the most recent Democrat elected to a statewide office in the state. He served as the 66th mayor of Nashville from 1991 to 1999. Bredesen is the founder of the HealthAmerica Corporation, which he sold in 1986.

University of Tennessee

University of Tennessee

The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, it is the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee system, with ten undergraduate colleges and eleven graduate colleges. It hosts more than 30,000 students from all 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".

Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 869,046 in 2019.

Iraq War

Iraq War

The Iraq War was a protracted armed conflict in Iraq from 2003 to 2011 that began with the invasion of Iraq by the United States-led coalition that overthrew the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for much of the next decade as an insurgency emerged to oppose the coalition forces and the post-invasion Iraqi government. US troops were officially withdrawn in 2011. The United States became re-involved in 2014 at the head of a new coalition, and the insurgency and many dimensions of the armed conflict are ongoing. The invasion occurred as part of the George W. Bush administration's war on terror following the September 11 attacks, despite no connection between Iraq and the attacks.

Income tax

Income tax

An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them. Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Taxation rates may vary by type or characteristics of the taxpayer and the type of income.

Republican Party (United States)

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP, is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The GOP was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which allowed for the potential expansion of chattel slavery into the western territories. It has been the main political rival of the Democratic Party since the mid-1850s. Like them, the Republican Party is a big tent of competing and often opposing ideologies. Presently, the Republican Party contains prominent conservative, centrist, populist, and right-libertarian factions.

General election

Candidates

Major

Minor

  • Ed Choate (I)[12]
  • Gary Keplinger (I)[13]
  • Bo Heyward (I)
  • Chris Lugo (G), peace activist
  • David "None of the Above" Gatchell (I)[14]

[15]

Campaign

Harold Ford Jr. on the campaign trail
Harold Ford Jr. on the campaign trail

Not long after Corker's primary victory was assured, Ford, at a rally of his supporters attended by Bill Clinton, challenged Corker to seven televised debates across the state. In response, Corker said he will debate Ford but did not agree to Ford's request of seven debates.[16] Both of Corker's primary opponents endorsed Corker immediately after they conceded the race.[16]

On August 8, 2006, the Tennessee Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Corker for allegedly violating campaign financial disclosure rules.[17]

On August 25, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that Corker had received a subpoena regarding an environmental lawsuit filed three years ago. The lawsuit centers on the actions Corker took as mayor to allegedly demolish a conservation site to build a road that leads to a Wal-Mart SuperCenter. Corker was scheduled to testify on October 18,[18] but the case was settled on October 13.[19]

Ford, a member of the Blue Dog Coalition in Congress, sought to run as a centrist, recognizing that Tennessee was a conservative state. While he was a member of a political dynasty in Memphis, this also served as a liability, as his state senator uncle was indicted on federal corruption charges the day after he announced his Senate candidacy.[20]

On October 1, Corker replaced his campaign manager.[21]

As the campaign entered October, Ford was leading in some polls.[22] Despite running a strong campaign, he was hampered by his family's legal issues and the fact that his base was in West Tennessee, as opposed to Corker's base in East Tennessee.[23]

Before a Corker press conference in Memphis on October 20, Ford approached Corker in a parking lot and confronted his opponent about Iraq in front of local news cameras, pointing out that some of Corker's fellow Republicans are changing their minds on the war and wanting to debate him about the issue. In response, Corker said, "I came to talk about ethics, and I have a press conference. And I think it's a true sign of desperation that you would pull your bus up when I'm having a press conference." Ford replied that he could never find Corker. Corker then walked away to his press conference.[24]

On November 2, Nielsen Monitor Plus indicated that the Corker campaign had purchased more television advertising than any other Senate candidate in the country through October 15.[25]

Debates

3 debates were held between Corker and Ford. They participated in a televised debate in Memphis on October 7, in Chattanooga on October 10, and in Nashville on October 28.[26]

In the October 7, 2006 debate in Memphis, the candidates covered a wide range of issues, including immigration, Iraq, cutting health care costs, abortion, and Social Security.[27] Commenting on Ford's political family, Corker said, "I think it's evident there's been a Ford in this (9th District congressional district) seat for 32 years, and if you look at the number of Fords that are on the ballot—especially I think the most recent one, I know it concerns a lot of people right here in Memphis." Ford responded, "I don't know why Mr. Corker keeps bringing up my family. . . . It's you and I running for the Senate. It's our ideas, our plans to make the future better for everybody. Let's stick to you and I. And if you come up with a recipe to pick family, say it. Otherwise be quiet and let's run for the Senate."[27]

The October 10 Chattanooga debate covered many of the same issues, with Corker again attempting to make Ford's family an issue and Ford claiming that Corker would be merely a "rubber stamp" for the Bush administration and Republican Party in the Senate.[28]

The final debate took place on October 28, in Nashville and mostly covered the economy.

Controversial advertisement

"Harold, call me," says a blonde woman in RNC's controversial attack ad against Ford.
"Harold, call me," says a blonde woman in RNC's controversial attack ad against Ford.

A negative ad titled "Who Hasn't?" sponsored by the Republican National Committee ("RNC") that aired during the third and fourth weeks of October gained national attention and was condemned by both Ford and Corker. The ad ridiculed Ford through interviews of fictional citizens giving deadpan endorsements that satirized Ford's policies and reputation, such as "terrorists need their privacy" and "taxes after I'm dead". The last of these is a scantily clad white woman (Johanna Goldsmith) acting as a Playboy bunny who "met Harold at the Playboy party", who invites Ford to "call me".[29][30]

Responding to questions about the ad, a Ford spokesperson said that Ford went to a 2005 Playboy-sponsored Super Bowl party that was attended by more than 3,000 people,[31] and Ford himself said that he likes "football and girls" and makes no apology for either.[32]

The NAACP described the ad as "a powerful innuendo that plays to pre-existing prejudices about African-American men and white women", and a former Republican Senator called it "a very serious appeal to a racist sentiment.[33] Corker condemned the RNC ad, calling it "tacky" and stating that his campaign has asked to have it pulled.[30] The RNC, however, continued to endorse the ad, said it had no plans to stop airing it, and dismissed charges of racism, saying it "wouldn't even entertain the premise" that the ad was racist.[29][30] In an October 24 interview with Tim Russert, RNC chairman Ken Mehlman said that he thought the ad was "fair" and that he did not have the authority to pull it.[34]

The ad was also denounced by Canada's ambassador to the United States, Michael Wilson, and in the Parliament of Canada by MP Omar Alghabra. The ad became an issue in Canada because of an actor's statement in the advertisement, "Canada can take care of North Korea. They’re not busy." Alghabra, in the House of Commons, responded, "Is this what Canadians should be expecting as the outcome of cozying up to Mr. Bush by the prime minister and his Conservatives?"[35]

On October 25, Mehlman announced that the ad was "down now" during an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN.[36] In its place, Tennessee television stations ran a different RNC ad.[37]

Endorsements

Ford received endorsements from, among others, The Tennessean (Nashville's predominant daily newspaper),[38] The Commercial Appeal (Memphis's predominant daily newspaper),[39] the Jackson Sun (Jackson's predominant daily newspaper),[40] the Bristol Herald Courier,[41] Metro Pulse (Knoxville),[42] the Professional Firefighters Association of Tennessee, and the Tennessee State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police.[43]

Corker was endorsed by, among others, the National Rifle Association,[44] the Knoxville News-Sentinel, the United States Chamber of Commerce, Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, Lebanon Democrat, Kingsport Times News, Nashville City Paper, the National Federation of Independent Businesses,[45] and the National Right to Life Committee,[46] though the Tennessee Right to Life Committee has refused to endorse Corker, claiming he is a "pro-abortion" politician.[47]

Both Corker and Ford were endorsed by the Chattanooga Times Free Press (Chattanooga's predominant daily newspaper still maintains two separate editorial pages left over from when its two daily newspapers merged): Ford by The Times editors,[48] and Corker by Free Press editors.[49]

Fundraising

Through October 18, 2006, Corker had raised more money than Ford and had also spent more, according to the candidates' most recent filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Corker tapped into his personal fortune to help fund his campaign, loaning his campaign a total of $4.1 million.[50] Corker loaned $2 million of this amount on Wednesday, November 1, less than a week before the election, triggering the "millionaire's amendment" of the 2002 Campaign Reform Act and allowing Ford to seek $12,600 from individual donors instead of $2,100, the normal limit, for the final days of the campaign.[50]

President Bush attended two fund raiser dinners on behalf of the Corker campaign in Nashville and Memphis which raised $2.6 million for Corker's campaign by charging over $2,000 a plate. Former President Bill Clinton attended a rally for the Ford campaign in Nashville that raised about $1 million.[51]

None of the third party candidates filed reports with the FEC.

Candidate Funds Raised Cash On-Hand
Bob Corker (R)[52] $13,145,585 $973,171
Harold Ford (D)[53] $9,889,498 $356,175

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[54] Tossup November 6, 2006
Sabato's Crystal Ball[55] Tossup November 6, 2006
Rothenberg Political Report[56] Tossup November 6, 2006
Real Clear Politics[57] Lean R November 6, 2006

Polling

In the general election, polls showed Corker with a statistically insignificant lead in the week before the election.

Source Date Harold
Ford Jr. (D)
Bob
Corker (R)
Global Strategy Group March 2005 39% 34%
Global Strategy Group October 31, 2005 39% 36%
Rasmussen December 20, 2005 42% 36%
Rasmussen January 30, 2006 40% 42%
Rasmussen March 6, 2006 35% 39%
Rasmussen May 7, 2006 39% 43%
Zogby June 13, 2006 42% 46%
Zogby/WSJ June 21, 2006 41% 42%
University of Tennessee July 20, 2006 35% 42%
Zogby/WSJ July 24, 2006 44% 43%
Mason-Dixon July 24, 2006 36% 49%
Rasmussen July 26, 2006 37% 49%
Rasmussen August 10, 2006 42% 48%
Benenson Strategy Group (D) August 21, 2006 44% 42%
Zogby/WSJ August 28, 2006 44% 48%
Rasmussen September 5, 2006 44% 45%
Zogby/WSJ September 11, 2006 43% 45%
SurveyUSA September 11, 2006 48% 45%
Benenson Strategy Group (D) September 23, 2006 45% 39%
Zogby/WSJ September 25, 2006 42% 48%
Mason-Dixon September 27, 2006 43% 42%
Middle Tennessee State University September 30, 2006 42% 43%
Rasmussen October 1, 2006 48% 43%
Reuters/Zogby October 5, 2006 40% 40%
USA Today/Gallup (RV) October 5, 2006 46% 36%
USA Today/Gallup (LV) October 5, 2006 50% 45%
SurveyUSA October 10, 2006 46% 48%
Hamilton Beattie (D) October 10, 2006 51% 44%
Rasmussen October 13, 2006 48% 46%
Zogby/Wall Street Journal October 19, 2006 42% 49%
Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg October 24, 2006 44% 49%
Mason-Dixon/MSNBC-McClatchy October 24, 2006 43% 45%
Rasmussen October 24, 2006 46% 47%
SurveyUSA October 25, 2006 48% 48%
Hamilton Beattie (D) October 26, 2006 47% 45%
Benenson Strategy Group (D) October 30, 2006 48% 43%
CNN October 31, 2006 44% 52%
CNN October 31, 2006 45% 47%
Zogby/Wall Street Journal October 31, 2006 48% 49%
Mason-Dixon November 1, 2006 38% 50%
Rasmussen November 1, 2006 47% 49%
Rasmussen November 2, 2006 45% 53%
Reuters/Zogby November 2, 2006 43% 53%
Hamilton Beattie (D) November 3, 2006 46% 40%
Rasmussen November 4, 2006 45% 53%
USA Today/Gallup November 4, 2006 46% 49%
Survey USA November 5, 2006 46% 51%
Rasmussen November 5, 2006 47% 51%
OnPoint Polling and Research November 6, 2006 47% 48%

Results

United States Senate election in Tennessee, 2006[58]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bob Corker 929,911 50.71% -14.39
Democratic Harold Ford, Jr. 879,976 47.99% +15.78
Independent Ed Choate 10,831 0.59% N/A
Independent David Gatchell 3,746 0.20% N/A
Independent Emory "Bo" Heyward 3,580 0.20% N/A
Independent H. Gary Keplinger 3,033 0.17% N/A
Green Chris Lugo 2,589 0.14% N/A
Write-in 29 0.00% N/A
Majority 49,935 2.72%
Turnout 1,833,695 47.49%
Republican hold Swing -14.39

Discover more about General election related topics

Harold Ford Jr.

Harold Ford Jr.

Harold Eugene Ford Jr. is an American financial managing director, pundit, author, and former U.S. Congressman who served from 1997–2007 in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party from Tennessee's 9th congressional district, centered in Memphis. He is a member of the Ford political family from Memphis, and is the son of former Congressman Harold Ford Sr., who held the same seat for 22 years. In 2006, Ford made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the retiring Bill Frist. He was also the last chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC).

Bob Corker

Bob Corker

Robert Phillips Corker Jr. is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2015 to 2019.

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee's fourth-largest city and one of the two principal cities of East Tennessee, along with Knoxville. It anchors the Chattanooga metropolitan area, Tennessee's fourth-largest metropolitan statistical area, as well as a larger three-state area that includes Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, and Northeast Alabama.

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

William Jefferson Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again from 1983 to 1992, and as attorney general of Arkansas from 1977 to 1979. A member of the Democratic Party, Clinton became known as a New Democrat, as many of his policies reflected a centrist "Third Way" political philosophy. He is the husband of Hillary Clinton, who was a U.S. senator from New York from 2001 to 2009, secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 and the Democratic nominee for president in the 2016 presidential election.

Federal Election Commission

Federal Election Commission

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act, the commission describes its duties as "to disclose campaign finance information, to enforce the provisions of the law such as the limits and prohibitions on contributions, and to oversee the public funding of Presidential elections."

Chattanooga Times Free Press

Chattanooga Times Free Press

The Chattanooga Times Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is distributed in the metropolitan Chattanooga region of southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. It is one of Tennessee's major newspapers and is owned by WEHCO Media, Inc., a diversified communications company with ownership in 14 daily newspapers, 11 weekly newspapers and 13 cable television companies in six states.

Environmental law

Environmental law

Environmental law is a collective term encompassing aspects of the law that provide protection to the environment. A related but distinct set of regulatory regimes, now strongly influenced by environmental legal principles, focus on the management of specific natural resources, such as forests, minerals, or fisheries. Other areas, such as environmental impact assessment, may not fit neatly into either category, but are nonetheless important components of environmental law.

Blue Dog Coalition

Blue Dog Coalition

The Blue Dog Coalition is a caucus in the United States House of Representatives comprising centrist members from the Democratic Party. The caucus was founded as a group of conservative Democrats in 1995 in response to defeats in the 1994 elections. Historically, the Blue Dog Coalition has been fiscally and socially conservative, representing the center-right in the Democratic Party. The modern Blue Dog Coalition remains the most conservative grouping of Democrats in the House, broadly adopting socially liberal and fiscally conservative policies and promoting fiscal restraint. Blue Dogs are mostly elected in Republican-leaning districts.

East Tennessee

East Tennessee

East Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. Geographically and socioculturally distinct, it comprises approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely Bledsoe, Cumberland, and Marion. East Tennessee is entirely located within the Appalachian Mountains, although the landforms range from densely forested 6,000-foot (1,800 m) mountains to broad river valleys. The region contains the major cities of Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee's third and fourth largest cities, respectively, and the Tri-Cities, the state's sixth largest population center.

Health care prices in the United States

Health care prices in the United States

Health care prices in the United States of America describes market and non-market factors that determine pricing, along with possible causes as to why prices are higher than other countries. Compared to other OECD countries, U.S. healthcare costs are one-third higher or more relative to the size of the economy (GDP). According to the CDC, during 2015 health expenditures per-person were nearly $10,000 on average, with total expenditures of $3.2 trillion or 17.8% GDP. Proximate reasons for the differences with other countries include: higher prices for the same services and greater use of healthcare. Higher administrative costs, higher per-capita income, and less government intervention to drive down prices are deeper causes. While the annual inflation rate in healthcare costs has declined in recent decades; it still remains above the rate of economic growth, resulting in a steady increase in healthcare expenditures relative to GDP from 6% in 1970 to nearly 18% in 2015.

Attack ad

Attack ad

In political campaigns, an attack ad is an advertisement designed to wage a personal attack against an opposing candidate or political party in order to gain support for the attacking candidate and attract voters. Attack ads often form part of negative campaigning or smear campaigns, and in large or well-financed campaigns, may be disseminated via mass media.

Deadpan

Deadpan

Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant to be blunt, ironic, laconic, or apparently unintentional.

Source: "2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 4th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_United_States_Senate_election_in_Tennessee.

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References
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