2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, District 1
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee ran for a fourth non-consecutive term in Congress from this fairly liberal district rooted in portions of the Kitsap Peninsula and Seattle’s northern suburbs. Inslee faced Republican candidate, State Senator Dan McDonald, winning re-election by a wide margin.


2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, District 2
Incumbent Republican Congressman Jack Metcalf retired instead of seeking a fourth term. The open seat pitted Republican John Koster, a member of the Washington House of Representatives against Democrat Rick Larsen, a member of the Snohomish County Council. Larsen won the election flipping the seat from Republican to Democrat, although by a very slim majority of the vote. As of 2021, he is the second longest-serving representative from Washington.


2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, District 3
Though the southwestern Washington-based district that two-term Democratic incumbent Congressman Brian Baird represents is essentially a centrist district, the Congressman was able to beat challenger Trent R. Matson by a wide margin.


2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, District 4
In this solidly conservative, central Washington congressional district, incumbent Republican Congressman Doc Hastings faced Democrat Jim Davis. Owing to Congressman Hastings’s popularity and his district’s strong proclivity towards electing Republican candidates, the Congressman was yet again re-elected in a landslide..


2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, District 5
Incumbent Republican Congressman George Nethercutt easily won a fourth term in Congress facing off against Democratic candidate Tom Keefe and Libertarian candidate Greg Holmes as obstacles to another term. In this staunchly conservative district rooted in the socially conservative counties of eastern Washington, the 5th district had been represented by former speaker of the House Tom Foley until his defeat in 1994 by Nethercutt.


2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, District 6
Long-serving Democratic Congressman Norm Dicks, the longest-serving of Washington congressmen, has represented this liberal-leaning, Kitsap Peninsula-based district since he was first elected in 1976. Congressman Dicks faced Air Force veteran and Republican nominee Bob Lawrence in the general election. Lawrence was defeated in a landslide margin by Dicks who would go on to serve until 2013.


2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, District 7
This district, the most liberal in Washington, encompasses most of the city of Seattle and has been represented by Democratic Congressman Jim McDermott since he was first elected in 1988. Running for a seventh term, McDermott was challenged by Green Party candidate Joe Szwaja and Libertarian Joel Gruzs, the Republicans did not field a candidate in this race. McDermott easily won re-election defeating both the Green and Libertarian candidates by a landslide margin.


2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, District 8
Incumbent Republican Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn ran for a fifth term in this liberal-leaning district and faced Democratic nominee Heidi Behrens-Benedict and Libertarian Bernard Mcllroy in the general election. The general election was a rematch between Gunn and Behrens-Benedict. Despite the 8th district, based in the eastern Seattle suburbs, having voted for Al Gore by a slim margin, Dunn won a fifth term by a wide margin.


2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, District 9
Running for a third term, incumbent Democratic Congressman Adam Smith was opposed by Republican, King County Councilmember Chris Vance and Libertarian candidate Jonathan V. Wright in the general election. Congressman Smith represents a liberal-leaning district that runs from the state’s capital of Olympia to some of the southern suburbs of Seattle, Smith won by a wide margin.


2000 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia
The 2000 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia were held on November 7, 2000, to determine who will represent the state of West Virginia in the United States House of Representatives. West Virginia has three seats in the House, apportioned according to the 1990 United States Census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms.


2000 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, District 1
Incumbent Democrat Alan Mollohan defeated Libertarian Richard Kerr. This district covered the northern part of the state.


2000 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, District 2
Incumbent Republican Shelley Moore Capito defeated Democrat Jim Humphreys after incumbent Bob Wise retired to run for governor. This district covers the central part of the state.


2000 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, District 3
Incumbent Democrat Nick Rahall defeated Libertarian Jeff Robinson. This district covers the southern part of the state.


2000 United States Olympic Trials (swimming)
The 2000 United States Olympic Trials for swimming events was held from August 9–16 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the qualifying meet for American swimmers who hoped to compete at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.


2000 United States Olympic Trials (swimming), Results
Key:  Highlighted swimmers achieved the qualification conditions to be included in the Olympic team in that respective event.


2000 United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
The 2000 United States Olympic Trials for track and field were held at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California. Organised by USA Track and Field, the ten-day competition lasted from July 14 until July 23 and served as the national championships in track and field for the United States. The Men's Marathon Trials were held May 7 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


2000 United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
The results of the event determined qualification for the American Olympic team at the 2000 Summer Olympics, held in Sydney. Provided they had achieved the Olympic "A" standard, the top three athletes gained a place on the Olympic team. In the event that a leading athlete did not hold an "A" standard, or an athlete withdrew, the next highest finishing athlete with an "A" standard was selected instead.


2000 United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
Maurice Greene, who won the 100 meter trial, and Michael Johnson, who won the 400 meter trial and was the defending 200 meter gold medallist, both pulled hamstrings in the 200 meter final. Neither qualified in that event.


2000 United States Senate election in Arizona
The 2000 United States Senate election in Arizona was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jon Kyl won re-election to a second term, as no candidate was nominated from the Democratic Party. Independent Bill Toel, Green party nominee Vance Hansen, and Libertarian party nominee Barry Hess each got more than 5% of the vote, a strong third party performance.


2000 United States Senate election in Arizona, Campaign
Jon Kyl, a popular incumbent, did not draw a Democratic opponent despite being labeled as vulnerable at one point.


2000 United States Senate election in California
The 2000 U.S. Senate election in California was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein won re-election to her second full term.


2000 United States Senate election in California, General election, Campaign
Despite touting his service as a moderate Republican representing a strongly Democratic district, Campbell was underfunded and a decided underdog against the popular, heavily financed Feinstein. By February, he spent barely $1 million without any PAC money. Campbell has generally supported gay rights and abortion. He also opposes the War on Drugs and calls himself a "maverick", similar to U.S. Senator John McCain. Campbell was easily defeated, losing by over 19 points.


2000 United States Senate election in California, Results breakdown
Green Party candidate Medea Susan Benjamin finished second (ahead of Republican Tom Campbell) in six Northern California municipalities, most of which are in the San Francisco Bay Area: Oakland (10.18%), Emeryville (13.35%), Albany (14.37%), Fairfax (15.99%), Berkeley (22.23%), and Arcata (26.77%). She tied with Jones for second place in Point Arena with 21.71% of the vote.


2000 United States Senate election in Connecticut
The 2000 United States Senate election in Connecticut took place on November 7, 2000 in conjunction with the 2000 U.S. presidential election, 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 Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman won re-election to a third term.


2000 United States Senate election in Connecticut
While running for re-election, he was also Al Gore's running mate in the 2000 presidential campaign. With Gore losing the presidency to George W. Bush, Lieberman returned to the Senate and remained there for another 12 years, when he retired. Had the Gore-Lieberman ticket won, Lieberman would have become U.S. Vice President and forced to resign his Senate seat, which would have led to a 2002 special election. It would also have led Republican Governor John G. Rowland to temporarily appoint an interim replacement.


2000 United States Senate election in Connecticut
This is the last election in which Lieberman formally ran under the Democratic ticket. In 2006, his last election prior to retirement, he ran as an independent Democrat.


2000 United States Senate election in Connecticut, General election, Campaign
Lieberman, a very popular centrist incumbent, focused on his Vice Presidential campaign. He refused to show up at the debates. Giordano was a heavy underdog, as he was ignored by the press and he debated alone.


2000 United States Senate election in Delaware
The 2000 United States Senate election in Delaware was held on November 7, 2000, in conjunction with the 2000 U.S. presidential election, 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 Republican U.S. Senator William Roth ran for re-election to a sixth term, but he was defeated by outgoing Democratic Governor Tom Carper. Carper subsequently became the first Democrat to hold this seat since 1947. It was also the first time since 1943 that both seats were held by Democrats.


2000 United States Senate election in Delaware, Campaign
For 16 years, the same four people had held all four major statewide positions in Delaware. Governor Tom Carper was term-limited and could not run for re-election again. Both he and U.S. Representative Michael Castle wanted to be U.S. Senator. However, Roth would not retire, and fellow Republican Castle decided against a primary.


2000 United States Senate election in Delaware, Campaign
Roth, 79, had served in the U.S. Senate for 30 years. He was the Chairman of the Finance Committee. Carper, 53, was a popular Governor and former U.S. Congressman of Delaware's At-large congressional district, who announced his candidacy against Roth in September 1999. Both candidates were moderates. Roth was one of the few Republicans to vote for the Brady Bill. Although Roth started the campaign with a 2-to-1 spending advantage, Carper went into the final month with more than $1 million on hand. In a contest between two popular and respected politicians, the main issue seemed to be Roth's age versus Carper's relative youth.


2000 United States Senate election in Delaware, Campaign
Carper defeated Roth by over ten points. Roth received more votes than Presidential candidate George W. Bush, suggesting the strength of the Democratic turnout was a boon to Carper's candidacy. Some consider Roth's defeat to be due to his age and health, as he collapsed twice during the campaign, once in the middle of a television interview and once during a campaign event.


2000 United States Senate election in Florida
The 2000 United States Senate election in Florida was held on November 7, 2000, on the same date as the U.S. House of Representatives and presidential election. Incumbent Republican Senator Connie Mack III decided to retire instead of seeking a third term. Democrat Bill Nelson won the open seat, even as George W. Bush triumphed over Al Gore in the state by a mere 538 votes.


2000 United States Senate election in Florida, General election, Campaign
This election was in conjunction to the presidential election, where Bush narrowly defeated Gore after an intense recount. The Senate election was evenly matched, with two U.S. Congressmen named Bill in their mid-50s. Both parties heavily targeted this senate seat. The election became very nasty as Nelson called his opponent "an extremist who would sacrifice the elderly, the poor, and the  working class to coddle the rich." McCollum called the Democrat "a liberal who would tax everything that moves, and some things that don't." The election advertisements were very negative, as both candidates talked more about each other than themselves.


2000 United States Senate election in Florida, General election, Campaign
Nelson raised only soft money, but had help from Gore and President Bill Clinton. Two days before the election, McCollum predicted he would win by a 6-point margin. On election day, he lost by a five-point margin.


2000 United States Senate election in Hawaii
The 2000 United States Senate election in Hawaii took place on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka won re-election to his second full term.


2000 United States Senate election in Indiana
The 2000 United States Senate election in Indiana was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Richard Lugar was re-elected to his fifth six-year term.


2000 United States Senate election in Indiana, Campaign, Results
Lugar easily won reelection taking 66.5% one of the largest margins in a statewide race in Indiana history. Johnson did win Lake County, a Democratic stronghold, by a wide margin, but Lugar did well elsewhere. Lugar was sworn in for a fourth term on January 3, 2001.


2000 United States Senate election in Indiana, Campaign, By county
Lugar won 91 of Indiana's 92 counties, Johnson won only the Democratic stronghold of Lake County.


2000 United States Senate election in Maine
The 2000 United States Senate election in Maine was held November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe was re-elected to a second term, defeating Democratic candidate Mark Lawrence.


2000 United States Senate election in Maine, Campaign
Snowe, a popular moderate incumbent, outpolled and outspent Lawrence. The two candidates agreed to debate on October 15 and 25.


2000 United States Senate election in Maryland
The 2000 United States Senate election in Maryland was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes won re-election to a fifth term.


2000 United States Senate election in Maryland, Campaign
Rappaport won the Republican primary against S. Rob Sobhani, Ross Zimmerman Pierpont, Robin Ficker, Kenneth R. Timmerman, Kenneth Wayman and John Stafford through a grassroots movement with a plurality of just 23%. Rappaport, a major underdog, pushed for three debates. The four-term incumbent agreed to one debate on October 26.


2000 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
The 2000 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 7, 2000. It ran concurrently with the U.S. presidential election and elections to the U.S. Senate in other states, as well as elections to the House of Representatives and various state and local elections.


2000 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy won re-election to a seventh full term. The election was notable for a strong third-party performance from Libertarian Carla Howell, who finished less than a percent behind Republican Jack E. Robinson III.


2000 United States Senate election in Michigan
The 2000 United States Senate election in Michigan was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham ran for re-election to a second term, but he was defeated by his Democratic opponent, congresswoman Debbie Stabenow. Stabenow subsequently made history as the first woman to represent Michigan in the United States Senate. By a margin of 1.6%, this election was the second-closest race of the 2000 Senate election cycle, behind only the election in Washington.


2000 United States Senate election in Michigan, Campaign
Abraham, who was first elected in the 1994 Republican Revolution despite never running for public office before, was considered vulnerable by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Major issues in the campaign included prescription drugs for the elderly. By September 4, Abraham still had failed to reach 50% in polls despite having spent over $6 million on television ads. In mid-October, he came back and reached 50% and 49% in two polls respectively.


2000 United States Senate election in Michigan, Results
The election was very close with Stabenow prevailing by just over 67,000 votes. Stabenow was also likely helped by the fact that Vice President Al Gore won Michigan on the presidential level. Ultimately, Stabenow pulled out huge numbers out of the Democratic stronghold of Wayne County, which covers the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Stabenow also performed well in other heavily populated areas such as Ingham County home to the state's capital of Lansing, and the college town of Ann Arbor.


2000 United States Senate election in Michigan, Results
Abraham did not concede right after major news networks declared Stabenow the winner; He held out hope that the few outstanding precincts could push him over the edge. At 4:00AM, Abraham conceded defeat. Senator Abraham called Stabenow and congratulated her on her victory. A historic election, Stabenow became the first woman to represent Michigan in the United States Senate.


2000 United States Senate election in Minnesota
The 2000 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 7, 2000 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota. The race pitted incumbent Republican Senator Rod Grams against former Minnesota State Auditor Mark Dayton. Dayton won with 48.83% of the vote against Grams' 43.29%. Dayton declined to run for reelection in 2006.


2000 United States Senate election in Minnesota, General election, Debates
Dayton and Grams had three debates. on October 18,  on October 26, and  on November 3.


2000 United States Senate election in Mississippi
The 2000 United States Senate election in Mississippi was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Trent Lott won re-election to a third term.


2000 United States Senate election in Missouri
The 2000 United States Senate election in Missouri was held on November 7, 2000, to select the next U.S. Senator from Missouri. Incumbent Republican Senator John Ashcroft ran for reelection to a second term, but he was defeated by Democratic Governor Mel Carnahan despite Carnahan's death in a plane crash three weeks before election day. Roger B. Wilson, the newly inaugurated Governor, appointed Carnahan's widow Jean to fill the seat. This is the most recent time an incumbent US senator lost to a deceased person.


2000 United States Senate election in Missouri, Background
In 1998, freshman Senator John Ashcroft briefly considered running for President in 2000. On January 5, 1999, he announced that he would not seek the presidency and would instead seek a second Senate term in the 2000 election. Incumbent two-term Democratic Governor Mel Carnahan ran against Ashcroft.


2000 United States Senate election in Missouri, General election, Campaign
In the general election for the state's seat in the U.S. Senate, Ashcroft was facing then-Governor Mel Carnahan in a highly competitive race, despite the Senator having a larger budget than Carnahan, a war chest that included  significant contributions from corporations such as Monsanto Company, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, which gave five times more to Ashcroft's campaign fund than to the fund of any other congressional hopeful at the time.


2000 United States Senate election in Missouri, General election, Campaign
Carnahan was killed in a plane crash three weeks before the November election date. Nonetheless, Carnahan's name remained on the ballot due to Missouri's election laws. Lieutenant Governor Roger B. Wilson became Governor upon Carnahan's death, to serve the remaining term of Carnahan's governorship. Ashcroft suspended all campaigning on the day of the plane crash in light of the tragedy and resumed it eight days before the election date.


2000 United States Senate election in Missouri, General election, Results
Despite his death, Carnahan won by a margin of approximately fifty thousand votes. He was the first person ever posthumously elected to the United States Senate. Hence, John Ashcroft became the first ever U.S. Senate candidate, incumbent or otherwise, to be defeated by a dead person. A professor of political science at the University of Missouri commented that the incumbent Senator lost the election because his candidacy was "overwhelmed" by a campaign of "emotion and symbolism."


2000 United States Senate election in Missouri, Aftermath
Governor Roger B. Wilson appointed Carnahan's 66-year-old widow, Jean Carnahan, to fill the vacant seat until a successor could be duly elected. Ashcroft stated that he hoped the appointment would be "a matter of comfort for Mrs. Carnahan."


2000 United States Senate election in Missouri, Aftermath
Asked by the media whether he would ever seek office again, Ashcroft responded, "The last thing I want to do is think about running for public office again." In December 2000, John Ashcroft was chosen for the position of United States Attorney General by President-elect George W. Bush and his nomination was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 58 to 42. He served from February 2, 2001 until February 3, 2005.


2000 United States Senate election in Missouri, Aftermath
In 2002, a special election was held in Missouri for the remainder of the six-year term of the state's Senator. Jean Carnahan ran for election to complete the term but was defeated by Republican Jim Talent with a margin of approximately twenty-two thousand votes.


2000 United States Senate election in Montana
The 2000 United States Senate election in Montana was held November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Conrad Burns won re-election to a third term. As of 2021, this is the last time the Republicans won the Class 1 Senate seat in Montana.


2000 United States Senate election in Montana, Reform primary, Results
Though Sam Rankin won the Reform Party's nomination for the United States Senate, he dropped out of the race over the summer and was replaced by Gary Lee.


2000 United States Senate election in Montana, General election, Campaign
Burns, in a poll released September 21, was leading Schweitzer 48% to 39% that went down from 49% in November 1999. Schweitzer had his polls go up by 11 points.


2000 United States Senate election in Montana, General election, Campaign
Burns faced a surprisingly difficult reelection campaign in 2000. In February 1999, he announced that he would break his 1988 promise to only hold office for two terms, claiming "Circumstances have changed, and I have rethought my position." Later that same month, while giving a speech about U.S. dependence on foreign oil to the Montana Equipment Dealers Association, he referred to Arabs as "ragheads". Burns soon apologized, saying he "became too emotionally involved" during the speech.


2000 United States Senate election in Montana, General election, Campaign
Burns faced Brian Schweitzer, a rancher from Whitefish, Montana. While Burns attempted to link Schweitzer with presidential candidate Al Gore, whom Schweitzer never met, Schweitzer "effectively portrayed himself as nonpolitical". Schweitzer primarily challenged Burns on the issue of prescription drugs, organizing busloads of senior citizens to take trips to Canada and Mexico for cheaper medicine. Burns charged that Schweitzer favored "Canadian-style government controls" and claimed that senior citizens went to doctors to have "somebody to visit with. There's nothing wrong with them." Burns also faced trouble regarding deaths from asbestos in Libby, Montana. While he initially supported a bill to limit compensation in such cases, he withdrew his support for the bill, under public criticism, and added $11.5 million for the town to an appropriations bill.


2000 United States Senate election in Montana, General election, Campaign
Burns spent twice as much money as Schweitzer on the election and only defeated him by a slim margin, 51-47 percent, while the state voted 58-33 percent for Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush. Schweitzer went on to become governor in 2004.


2000 United States Senate election in Nebraska
The 2000 United States election in Nebraska was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey retired after two terms in office, and Democrat Ben Nelson, a former two-term governor, won the open seat. As of 2021, this is the most recent statewide election in Nebraska won by a Democrat who was not the incumbent.


2000 United States Senate election in Nevada
The 2000 United States Senate election in Nevada was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democrat Richard Bryan decided to retire instead of seeking a third term. Republican nominee John Ensign won the open seat.


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey
The 2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg decided to retire, rather than seeking a fourth term. The Democratic nominee, former CEO of Goldman Sachs Jon Corzine, defeated the Republican nominee, U.S. Representative Bob Franks, in a close election.


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey, Background
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg was first elected to the Senate in 1982 in an upset victory over Rep. Millicent Fenwick. In his two re-election bids, Lautenberg had always been an underdog. He beat Pete Dawkins in 1988 by a 54%-46% margin and held back a challenge from Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytaian by a smaller margin of 50%-47%.


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey, Background
However, popular Governor Christine Todd Whitman was expected to challenge Lautenberg and opinion polls showed Lautenberg losing by a large margin. Lautenberg retired in 2000, but later regretted his decision because both Whitman and former Governor Tom Kean both declined to run for the Senate. Lautenberg would be elected to New Jersey's other Senate seat in 2002 after his colleague Senator Robert Torricelli resigned in disgrace.


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey, Democratic primary, Campaign
Corzine spent $35 million of his fortunes into this primary election alone.


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey, Democratic primary, Campaign
Governor Florio was unpopular during his tenure in office. He signed a $2.8 Billion tax increase in 1990, which resulted in Republicans winning control of the legislature in 1991, and his reelection loss in the 1993 gubernatorial election to Christine Todd Whitman.


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey, Democratic primary, Endorsements
Corzine was endorsed by State Senators Raymond Zane, Wayne Bryant, and John Adler. He was also endorsed by U.S. Representative Bob Menendez and U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli.


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey, Democratic primary, Endorsements
Florio was endorsed by the New Jersey Democratic Party, Assemblyman Joseph Doria and State Senator John A. Lynch Jr..


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey, General election, Campaign
Franks, a moderate Republican, attacked Corzine for "trying to buy the election and of advocating big-government spending programs that the nation can ill afford." Corzine accused Franks of wanting to "dismantle" the Social Security system because he supported Governor George W. Bush's partial privatization plan.


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey, General election, Campaign
During the campaign, Corzine refused to release his income tax return records. He claimed an interest in doing so, but he cited a confidentiality agreement with Goldman Sachs. Skeptics argued that he should have followed the example of his predecessor Robert Rubin, who converted his equity stake into debt upon leaving Goldman.


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey, General election, Campaign
Corzine campaigned for state government programs including universal health care, universal gun registration, mandatory public preschool, and more taxpayer funding for college education. He pushed affirmative action and same-sex marriage. David Brooks considered Corzine so liberal that although his predecessor was also a Democrat, his election helped shift the Senate to the left.


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey, General election, Campaign
During Corzine's campaign for the United States Senate, he made some controversial off-color statements. When introduced to a man with an Italian name who said he was in the construction business, Corzine quipped: "Oh, you make cement shoes!" according to Emanuel Alfano, chairman of the Italian-American One Voice Committee. Alfano also reported that when introduced to a lawyer named David Stein, Corzine said: "He's not Italian, is he? Oh, I guess he's your Jewish lawyer who is here to get the rest of you out of jail." Corzine denied mentioning religion, but did not deny the quip about Italians, claiming that some of his own ancestors were probably Italian, or maybe French.


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey, General election, Campaign
Some alleged that Corzine had exchanged endorsements from black ministers for donations, after a foundation controlled by him and his wife donated $25,000 to an influential black church. Rev. Reginald T. Jackson, the director of the Black Ministers Council, and a notable advocate against racial profiling against minority drivers in traffic stops, was criticized for endorsing Corzine after receiving a large donation from the then candidate.


2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey, General election, Campaign
Franks generally trailed Corzine in the polls until the finalweek, when he pulled even in a few polls. Corzine spent $63 million, while Franks spent only $6 million. Despite being heavily outspent, Franks lost by only three percentage points, doing better that year than Republican Governor George W. Bush in the presidential election, who obtained just 40% of the vote in the state.


2000 United States Senate election in New Mexico
The 2000 United States Senate election in New Mexico took place on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman won re-election to a fourth term.


2000 United States Senate election in New York
In the United States Senate election held in the State of New York on November 7, 2000, Hillary Rodham Clinton, then First Lady of the United States and the first First Lady to run for political office, defeated U.S. Representative Rick Lazio. The general election coincided with the U.S. presidential election.


2000 United States Senate election in New York
The race began in November 1998 when four-term incumbent Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan announced his retirement. Both the Democratic Party and Republican Party sought high-profile candidates to compete for the open seat. By early 1999 Clinton and Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani were the likely respective nominees. Clinton and her husband, President Bill Clinton, purchased a house in Chappaqua, New York, in September 1999; she thereby became eligible for the election, although she faced characterizations of carpetbagging since she had never resided in the state before.


2000 United States Senate election in New York
The lead in statewide polls swung from Clinton to Giuliani and back to Clinton as the campaigns featured both successful strategies and mistakes as well as dealing with current events. In late April and May 2000, Giuliani's medical, romantic, marital, and political lives all collided in a tumultuous four-week period, culminating in his withdrawal from the race on May 19.


2000 United States Senate election in New York
The Republicans chose lesser-known U.S. Representative Rick Lazio to replace him. The election included a record $90 million in campaign expenditures between Clinton, Lazio, and Giuliani and national visibility. Clinton showed strength in normally Republican upstate areas and a debate blunder by Lazio solidified Clinton's previously shaky support among women. Clinton won the election in November 2000 with 55 percent of the vote to Lazio's 43 percent.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Background
When four-term Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan announced his retirement in November 1998, his previously safe U.S. Senate seat became open in the 2000 U.S. Senate elections. Both parties tried to find high-profile candidates to run for it.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Background
New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was prevented by term limits from running for mayoral reelection in 2001, immediately indicated interest. Due to his high profile and visibility, Giuliani was supported by the New York State Republican Party, even though he had irritated many by endorsing incumbent Democratic Governor Mario Cuomo over Republican George Pataki in 1994. Giuliani became the presumptive Republican nominee, and by April 1999 had formed a formal exploratory committee for a Senate run. There were still possible Republican primary opponents.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Background
Rick Lazio, a U.S. Representative representing Suffolk County on Long Island, was raising money and had a candidacy announcement scheduled for August 16; he had openly discussed a primary against Giuliani, believing his more conservative record would be appealing to Republican primary voters. In early August, under pressure from state and national Republican figures, Pataki endorsed Giuliani.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Background
Pataki prevailed upon Lazio to forgo his candidacy, which Lazio agreed to despite frustration that Giuliani had still not officially announced that he was running; Lazio said, "If the mayor wants to be a candidate, I think he needs to get into this race. It is time to put the soap opera aside and step up to the plate." Nassau County U.S. Representative Peter T. King also considered running and had raised some funds.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Background
U.S. Representative Nita Lowey was the candidate first expected to be the Democratic nominee, while other mentioned possible candidates included Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Andrew Cuomo, New York State Comptroller Carl McCall, as well as U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney. State Democratic figures were concerned that neither Lowey nor the others had the star power to rival Giuliani, and that the seat would be lost. Late in 1998, prominent Democratic politicians and advisors, including U.S. Representative Charles Rangel, urged First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to run for the U.S. Senate seat.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Background
An unprecedented action if she did it, Clinton spent considerable time mulling over the idea while Lowey waited in the wings. Her political advisors told her the race would be difficult and some of them told her she would lose. She waited for the impeachment proceedings of Bill Clinton to conclude, which they did with his acquittal on February 12, 1999.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Clinton campaign
On February 16, 1999, the First Lady's office announced that she was considering running for the Senate position. Once it was clear Clinton was going to run, Lowey stepped aside, although she would be disappointed at the lost opportunity. On July 7, 1999, Clinton formally announced an exploratory committee for the Senate run; the setting was Moynihan's farm in Pindars Corners, in rural Delaware County. Bill Clinton was less than enthusiastic about her candidacy. The staging of the event was brokered by the Clintons' political consultant Mandy Grunwald.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Clinton campaign
Hillary Clinton embarked upon a "listening tour" of all parts of New York after her entrance into the race. She planned to visit all 62 counties in New York, talking to New Yorkers in small-group settings according to the principles of retail politics. During the race, she spent considerable time campaigning in traditionally Republican upstate regions. Clinton faced charges of carpetbagging, since she had never resided in the State of New York nor directly participated in state politics prior to her Senate race.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Clinton campaign
Meanwhile, in September 1999, the Clintons purchased a $1.7 million, 11-room, Dutch Colonial style home in Chappaqua, New York, north of New York City. Even the commonplace activity of house hunting leading up to this was the subject of considerable media attention; coverage of personal lives would be the norm in this contest of two "electrifying and polarizing figures" (as one reporter put it). In November 1999, Hillary Clinton announced that she would set aside most of her official duties as First Lady in order to take up residency in New York and pursue her campaign. Her move-in took place in January 2000, with the house furnished with many of the couple's possessions from their Arkansas days. It became the first time since Woodrow Wilson's first wife died in 1914 that a president lived in the White House without a spouse.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Clinton campaign
The early stages of her campaign were not without mistakes, and as she later wrote, "Mistakes in New York politics aren't easily brushed aside." In a much-publicized move, Clinton donned a New York Yankees baseball cap at a June 1999 event when she had been a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs. This brought her much criticism, and Thomas Kuiper would later write an anti-Clinton book titled: I've Always Been a Yankees Fan: Hillary Clinton in Her Own Words.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Clinton campaign
Clinton said she had to develop an American League rooting interest, since fans of the Cubs were not expected to root for the American League Chicago White Sox. In her 2003 autobiography, she said that putting on the hat had been a "bad move", but reiterated what had been reported in the press prior to the incident, that she had been "a die-hard Mickey Mantle fan;" the book included a photograph of her with a Yankees cap on from 1992.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Clinton campaign
More seriously, on November 11, 1999, at the dedication of a U.S.-funded health program in the West Bank, she exchanged kisses with Suha Arafat, wife of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, after Suha Arafat had delivered a speech claiming that Israel had deliberately poisoned Palestinians through environmental degradation and the use of "poisonous gas". Some Israeli supporters said that Clinton never should have kissed the wife of the Palestinian leader, especially after such inflammatory remarks.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Clinton campaign
The following day, Clinton denounced Suha Arafat's allegations, and said that Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat had told her Suha Arafat had been referring to 'tear gas' and not 'poison gas'. The kiss became a campaign issue, especially with Jewish voters. Clinton said it was a formality akin to a handshake, saying that to not have done so would have caused a diplomatic incident. Clinton later wrote that the live Arabic-to-English translation had failed to convey the accurate nature of her remarks: "Had I been aware of her hateful words, I would have denounced them on the spot."


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Clinton campaign
Somewhat surprisingly, Clinton faced an erosion of support from women voters during her campaign, with her numbers declining throughout 1999. This was partly a typical pattern seen with women candidates where they have an early surge of female support, which then wears off, and it was partly due to her early campaign stumbles. But it also reflected the particular set of mixed feelings that women had towards Clinton's marriage and the ambition and the power she derived from it. The problem was especially acute among some female demographics; one of her longtime advisers later said, "Women in the educated professional class? They fucking couldn't stand her. We could never figure out why. We had psychologists come in."


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Clinton campaign
Clinton's campaign to all counties, carried by a Ford conversion van, helped to defuse the carpetbagger issue, with many New York residents saying that Clinton "seems like one of us." She discussed local issues such as price supports for the dairy industry, fares for air travel, college tuition levels, and the brain drain in parts of the state. Her political positions were well matched to the different constituencies in the state that she targeted.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Clinton campaign
In a January 2000 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, she established a rapport with the host that would continue throughout her Senate years and into her 2008 presidential campaign. Clinton formally announced her official candidacy in Purchase, New York in February 2000, adopting the simple name "Hillary" for her campaign literature.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Clinton campaign
Distrustful of the press since her husband's 1992 presidential campaign and her early days as First Lady, she imposed limits on her availability to the press van following her. Associated Press reporter Beth Harpaz later recounted a typical day from this time: "But we'd been told there'd be no 'avail' today, and we'd accepted it. That didn't prevent me from feeling slightly humiliated. I was so worn down and so exasperated by the lack of access and the lack of news in this campaign that I'd given up fighting."


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Giuliani campaign
An early January 1999 Marist Institute of Public Opinion poll showed Giuliani trailing Clinton by 10 points. By January 2000, the Marist poll showed Giuliani up by 9 points. Giuliani's tactics involved intentionally baiting the Clinton campaign with deliberate overstatements, keeping them off balance and behind in the response cycle. Giuliani emphasized his depiction of Clinton as a carpetbagger. He made a one-day visit to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he announced he would fly the Arkansas state flag over New York's City Hall. When Hillary Clinton visited New York from Washington, he said, "I hope she knows the way.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Giuliani campaign
I hope she doesn't get lost on one of the side streets." Giuliani's campaign prepared a 315-page opposition research dossier that went back to her time at Wellesley College; it included eleven pages of what they termed "Stupid Actions and Remarks". The Giuliani campaign had no problems raising money, getting over 40 percent of its funds from out-of-state and outraising Clinton overall two-to-one.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Giuliani campaign
The Giuliani campaign showed some structural weaknesses. So closely identified with New York City, he had somewhat limited appeal to naturally Republican voters in Upstate New York. The Farmersville Garbage Scandal was indicative of his lower levels of support upstate. By late December 1999, Clinton adapted to Giuliani's psychological warfare, saying in response to one such gambit, "I can't be responding every time the mayor gets angry. Because that's all I would do." A February 2000 attempt by Giuliani to capitalize on a Clinton campaign event's accidental playing of Billy Joel's suburban drug tale "Captain Jack" led to more ridicule for him than for her.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Giuliani campaign
On March 11, 2000, Giuliani and Clinton met face-to-face for the first time since the campaigning began, at the New York Inner Circle press dinner, an annual event in which New York politicians and the press corps stage skits, roast each other and make fun of themselves, with proceeds going to charity.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Giuliani campaign
Giuliani was on stage in male disco garb spoofing John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, but also appeared in drag in taped video clips that reworked the "Rudy/Rudia" theme of a past Inner Circle dinner, as well as in an exchange with Joan Rivers that sought to make fun of Clinton. Other performers' skits made fun of Clinton's Yankees claim and the infidelity of her husband.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Giuliani campaign
The New York Police Department's fatal shooting of Patrick Dorismond on March 15, 2000, inflamed Giuliani's already strained relations with the city's minority communities, and Clinton seized on it as a major campaign issue. By April, reports showed Clinton gaining upstate and generally outworking Giuliani, who stated that his duties as mayor prevented him from campaigning more. He gave priority to city duties over campaign activities.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Giuliani campaign
Some Giuliani aides and national Republican figures concluded that his interest in the campaign was flagging, as although he was desirous of winning in political combat against a Clinton, he was by nature an executive personality and the prospect of serving as one of a hundred legislators was unappealing to him.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Early Giuliani campaign
By this time, Clinton was 8 to 10 points ahead of Giuliani in the polls. In retrospect, The New York Times would write that the battle so far between the two had comprised "a blistering year of mental gamesmanship, piercing attacks, contrasts in personalities and positions, and blunders played out by two outsize political figures in a super-heated atmosphere."


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
Giuliani's marriage to his wife, broadcast journalist and actress Donna Hanover, had been distant since 1996, and the two were rarely seen in public together. There had been no formal announcement of any change in their relationship, although Hanover had indicated that she and their children would not move to Washington if Giuliani won the race. Beginning in October 1999, a new woman was being spotted at mayoral functions.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
By March 2000, Giuliani had stopped wearing his wedding ring and was being seen more in the company of this other woman, including at the Inner Circle press dinner, the St. Patrick's Day parade, and town hall meetings, but it was not yet fully clear whether the relationship was personal or professional. While this woman had become a frequent subject of insider talk among the New York political circle, she had not been mentioned in the press.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
On April 20 Hanover announced that she would soon be taking over the lead role in Eve Ensler's controversial play The Vagina Monologues. Political observers speculated that Hanover was partly engaging in a political act against her husband, as Ensler was a friend and supporter of Hillary Clinton and the role would not go over well with social conservatives within the Republican Party. Giuliani declined to say whether he would attend one of her performances.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
On April 22, the New York Post obtained photographs of Giuliani openly strolling on a Manhattan street with the other woman after they left a restaurant, but did not have more than a first name for her; the Post sat on the story, but it was clear the relationship was a personal one.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
On April 26, television channel NY1 reported that Giuliani had undergone a second round of tests for prostate cancer at Mount Sinai Medical Center; the same disease had led to the death of his father. On April 28, Giuliani held a news conference to announce that he did in fact have prostate cancer, but it was in an early stage. He was unsure of which of several types of treatment he might undergo, and that decision would impact whether he could stay in the senate race or not. Hanover was not present at the conference, but issued a note saying she would support him in his decision process.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
As Giuliani mulled over his medical options, on May 1 Hanover announced that she was postponing her appearance in The Vagina Monologues due to "personal family circumstances." On May 2 the New York Daily News published a brief item about Giuliani's other woman, without name or description. On May 3 the New York Post finally published its photographs of Giuliani and the woman, now identified as Judith Nathan, leaving a restaurant together, under the front-page headline "Rudy's Mystery Brunch Pal is Upper East Side Divorcée".


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
(Some observers felt that Giuliani, known for his ability to manipulate the New York media, had been eager for news of the relationship to come out.) Later that day, Giuliani responded to a barrage of questions on the subject at a news conference by acknowledging Judith Nathan publicly for the first time, calling her "a very good friend" and expressing his annoyance that her privacy was being invaded. The next days were filled with New York media coverage on Nathan's background and on the relationship.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
On May 6 Hanover held an unusually-located news conference at the back of St. Patrick's Cathedral before the funeral of Cardinal John O'Connor; visibly trembling, she said, "I will be supportive of Rudy in his fight against his illness, as this marriage and this man have been very precious to me." The following day half the press tried to stake out Nathan's known locations while the rest pestered Nathan's hometown relatives in Hazleton, Pennsylvania; Giuliani looked weak in a public appearance.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
On May 10, Giuliani held what The New York Times described as an "extraordinary, emotional news conference" in Bryant Park to announce that he was seeking a separation from Hanover, saying, "This is very, very painful. For quite some time it's probably been apparent that Donna and I lead in many ways independent and separate lives." Regarding Nathan, Giuliani said "I'm going to need her now more than maybe I did before", making reference to his battle with cancer and her background in nursing.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
Regarding the senate race, he again did not commit to a decision, saying, "I don't really care about politics right now. I'm thinking about my family, the people that I love and what can be done that's honest and truthful and that protects them the best. I'm not thinking about politics. Politics comes at least second, maybe third, maybe fourth, somewhere else. It'll all work itself out some way politically." Giuliani had, however, neglected to inform Hanover in advance of his announcement; her reaction was described as distraught.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
Three hours later, she held her own news conference at Gracie Mansion, where she said, "Today's turn of events brings me great sadness. I had hoped to keep this marriage together. For several years, it was difficult to participate in Rudy's public life because of his relationship with one staff member." In this, she was making reference to Cristyne Lategano, the former communications director for Giuliani; Vanity Fair had reported in 1997 that Lategano and Giuliani were having an affair, which both of them had denied. Hanover continued, "Beginning last May, I made a major effort to bring us back together. Rudy and I re-established some of our personal intimacy through the fall. At that point, he chose another path."


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
State Republican leaders, who until now had avoided talk of replacements for Giuliani should he not run, now gave more attention to the matter, with the state party convention coming up on May 30. Former possible contenders Rick Lazio and Pete King immediately indicated they were available; other names mentioned included Wall Street financier Theodore J. Forstmann and Governor Pataki, although the latter indicated no interest. Giuliani continued to ponder his senate race decision; when he had dinner with Nathan on May 12, they were trailed by a flock of photographers.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
Giuliani canceled campaigning and fundraising trips to upstate New York and California on May 13, suggesting he would not run, but then resumed fundraising and suggested he was inclined towards running on May 15. Two Republican county chairmen became upset at the indecision, saying, "Like Waiting for Godot, we have Waiting for Rudy", and, "We need a decision. Like tomorrow would be nice. Because this is getting ridiculous." A top state Republican said, "He seem[s] to like the attention. He seems to be going through some sort of catharsis in public. And we're like psychiatrists watching it.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
I can't quite figure it out. I don't think anybody can." Clinton, meanwhile, said as little as possible about the situation, preferring to let Giuliani's drama play out on its own; on May 17, as he huddled with his doctors over whether to choose surgery or radiation as his treatment while facing conflicting political advice from his aides, she won the unanimous approval of delegates to the Democratic Party state convention at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, giving a constrained acceptance speech because she did not know her general election opponent.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
Finally, on May 19, Giuliani held what The New York Times again described as "an emotional, riveting news conference" that "reached a new level of introspection" to announce that he was dropping out of the senate race:  "This is not the right time for me to run for office. If it were six months ago or it were a year from now or the timing were a little different, maybe it would be different. But it isn't different and that's the way life is." He added that, "I used to think the core of me was in politics, probably.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Giuliani's tumultuous four weeks
It isn't. When you feel your mortality and your humanity you realize that, that the core of you is first of all being able to take care of your health." He said that he would instead devote the remainder of his mayoralty trying to overcome the hostile relations he had with many of the city's minority groups.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, A change of Republicans: Lazio
While previous Republican candidates and fellow Long Island Congressmen Rick Lazio and Pete King had both indicated an interest in replacing Giuliani, upon Giuliani's withdrawal the state party quickly rallied around Lazio, who had more campaign funds and who was viewed as a potentially strong candidate. In particular, Governor Pataki — who never cared much for Giuliani to begin with — was strongly in favor of Lazio, and praised him as "fresh, unencumbered challenger" to Clinton.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, A change of Republicans: Lazio
This also caused a shuffle in New York's unique third-party ballot-line alignments: the Liberal Party of New York, which was previously set to run Giuliani (whom they had supported in all three of his mayoral races), now switched to Clinton, while the Conservative Party of New York, which had previously been loath to endorse the socially liberal Giuliani (and was set to nominate former Westchester Congressman Joe DioGuardi) lined up behind Lazio. Lazio accepted the unanimous approval of delegates to the Republican Party state convention at a hotel ballroom in Buffalo on May 30.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, A change of Republicans: Lazio
Clinton now faced a lesser-known candidate in Lazio. While a relative moderate among House Republicans, Lazio had frequently supported former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a largely despised figure among many New Yorkers. Lazio did bring to the table an ethnic suburban background familiar to many New Yorkers, and had a reputation as an energetic campaigner.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, A change of Republicans: Lazio
One formality left were New York's late-in-the-season primary elections on September 12, which in this case merely served to ratify the state party conventions' choices. Lazio won unopposed, while Clinton won 82 percent of the vote in easily defeating unknown Manhattan doctor Mark McMahon, who ran on the grounds that "the Clintons have tried to hijack the Democratic Party." For her part, Clinton said that she was "surprised, in a way [to see her name in the voting booth]. I stood there for a minute, staring at my name." In any case, the general election was already well underway.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Campaign
The contest drew considerable national attention and both candidates were well-funded. By the end of the race, Democrat Clinton and Republicans Lazio and Giuliani had spent a combined $90 million, the most of any U.S. Senate race in history. Lazio outspent Clinton $40 million to $29 million, with Clinton also getting several million dollars in soft money from Democratic organizations. Among Clinton antagonists circles, direct mail-based fundraising groups such as the Emergency Committee to Stop Hillary Rodham Clinton sprung up, sending out solicitations regarding the "carpetbagging" issue.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Campaign
Clinton secured a broad base of support, including endorsements from conservation groups and organized labor, but notably not the New York City police union which endorsed Lazio while firefighters supported Hillary. While Clinton had a solid base of support in New York City, candidates and observers expected the race to be decided in upstate New York where 45 percent of the state's voters lived. During the campaign, Clinton vowed to improve the economic picture in upstate New York, promising that her plan would deliver 200,000 New York jobs over six years.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Campaign
Her plan included specific tax credits with the purpose of rewarding job creation and encouraging business investment, especially in the high-tech sector. She called for targeted personal tax cuts for college tuition and long-term care. Lazio faced a unique tactical problem campaigning upstate. The major issue there was the persistently weak local economy, which Lazio hoped to link to his opponent's husband's tenure in office. Attacks on the state of the upstate economy were frequently interpreted as criticism of incumbent Republican governor George Pataki, however, limiting the effect of this line of attack.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Campaign
In July 2000, the release of State of a Union: Inside the Complex Marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton by author Jerry Oppenheimer led to reports that Clinton had called someone a "fucking Jew bastard" in 1974. The report, which received international media coverage, "rocked" Clinton's campaign, with The Daily Telegraph describing the campaign as having "mounted a frantic damage limitation exercise after details of the alleged incident were leaked". Clinton had reportedly screamed the insult at Paul Fray, who managed Bill Clinton's unsuccessful 1974 congressional campaign.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Campaign
Fray, his wife, and another campaign staffer stated that they had heard Clinton's outburst, while both Clintons adamantly denied that she had referenced Fray's heritage (while Oppenheimer wrote that Fray's father was Jewish, in reality Fray was a Southern Baptist whose closest Jewish ancestor was a paternal great-grandmother). Bill Clinton did allow that Hillary might have simply called Fray a "bastard".


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Campaign
In media interviews, Fray and his wife acknowledged several factors that tended to undermine his credibility:  he had lost his license to practice law for altering court records; he had made false accusations against the Clintons in the past; and he had suffered a brain hemorrhage with some resultant losses of memory.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Campaign
Opponents continued to make the carpetbagging issue a focal point throughout the race and during debates. Talk radio hammered on this, with New York-based Sean Hannity issuing a daily mantra, "Name me three things Hillary Clinton has ever done for the people of New York!" Clinton's supporters pointed out that the state was receptive to national leaders, such as Robert F. Kennedy who was elected to the Senate in 1964 despite similar accusations. In the end, according to exit polls conducted in the race, a majority of the voters dismissed the carpetbagging issue as unimportant.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Campaign
During the campaign, Independent Counsel Robert Ray filed his final reports regarding the long-running Whitewater, "Travelgate", and "Filegate" investigations of the White House, each of which included specific investigations of Hillary Clinton actions. The reports exonerated her on the files matter, said there was insufficient evidence regarding her role in Whitewater, and said that she had made factually false statements regarding the Travel Office firings but there was insufficient evidence to prosecute her. Although The New York Times editorialized that the release of the reports seemed possibly timed to coincide with the Senate election, in practice the findings were not seen as likely to sway many voters' opinions.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Campaign
A September 13, 2000 debate between Lazio and Clinton proved important. Lazio was on the warpath against soft money and the amounts of it coming from the Democratic National Committee into Clinton's campaign, and challenged Clinton to agree to ban soft money from both campaigns. He left his podium and waved his proposed paper agreement in Clinton's face; many debate viewers thought he had invaded her personal space and as a result Clinton's support among women voters solidified.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Campaign
Late in the campaign Lazio criticised Clinton for accepting campaign donations from various Arab groups in the wake of the USS Cole bombing. The Lazio campaign orchestrated a wave of telephone calls to voters using this attack. This issue caused former New York Mayor Ed Koch to take out ads telling Lazio to "stop with the sleaze already," and did not change the dynamic of the race. Some of Lazio's campaign strategists would later say that the Cole-based attack had backfired and became the campaign's biggest blunder.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Analysis
Clinton won the election on November 7 with 55 percent of the vote to Lazio's 43 percent, a difference larger than most observers had expected. Clinton won the traditionally Democratic base of New York City by large margins, and carried suburban Westchester County, but lost heavily populated Long Island, part of which Lazio represented in Congress. She won 13 of 61 counties, with surprising victories in Upstate counties, such as Cayuga, Rensselaer, and Niagara. Overall, she lost Upstate to Lazio by only 3 percentage points, to which her win has been attributed.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Analysis
In comparison with other results, this 12 percentage point general election margin was smaller than Gore's 25 point margin over Bush in the state Presidential contest, was slightly larger than the 10 point margin by which fellow New York senator Charles Schumer defeated incumbent Republican Al D'Amato in the hotly contested 1998 race, but was considerably smaller than the 47 point margin by which Senator Schumer won reelection in 2004 race against little-known Republican challenger Howard Mills. The victory of a Democrat in the Senate election was not assured, because in recent decades the Republicans had won about half the elections for governor and senator.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, General election, Analysis
Lazio's bid was handicapped by the weak performance of George W. Bush in New York in the 2000 election, but it was also clear Hillary Clinton had made substantial inroads in upstate New York prior to Lazio's entry into the race. Exit polls also showed a large gender gap with Clinton running stronger than expected among moderate women and unaffiliated women.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Post-election charges, Hasidic pardons
In January 2001, two months after Hillary Rodham Clinton's election to the Senate, President Clinton pardoned four residents of the New Square Hasidic enclave in Rockland County, New York, who had been convicted of defrauding the federal government of $30 million by establishing a fictitious religious school. New Square had voted almost unanimously for Hillary Rodham Clinton in the New York Senate race.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Post-election charges, Hasidic pardons
A lawyer following the matter stated that even if Clinton had promised to lobby her husband for clemency in exchange for the town's votes — a claim for which there was no proof — it would be difficult to establish a crime had taken place: "Politicians make promises all the time. That's nothing new — or illegal." Clinton acknowledged sitting in on a post-election meeting discussing possible clemency for the four, but said she had played no part in her husband's decision.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Post-election charges, Hasidic pardons
A federal investigation launched to investigate various Clinton pardons, closed its investigation of the New Square matter in June 2002 by taking no action against Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, or any residents of New Square.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Post-election charges, Hollywood fundraiser
Hillary Clinton's former finance director, David Rosen, was indicted on January 7, 2005 on campaign finance charges related to a fund-raising event produced by Peter F. Paul. Paul, a convicted drug dealer who would soon after be convicted on stock fraud charges after being extradited from Brazil, stated that he spent $1.2 million to produce the August 12, 2000 Hollywood Gala Salute to President William Jefferson Clinton event, which was both a tribute to honor President Clinton and a fundraiser for the First Lady's 2000 Senate campaign.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Post-election charges, Hollywood fundraiser
The Justice Department indictment charged Rosen with filing false reports with the Federal Election Commission by reporting only $400,000 in contributions. On May 27, 2005, the jury acquitted Rosen on all counts. On January 5, 2006 it was reported that Clinton's campaign group agreed to pay a $35,000 fine related to the underreporting of the fundraiser's expenses.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Post-election charges, Hollywood fundraiser
Peter Paul also filed a civil suit in this matter, Paul v. Clinton. On April 10, 2006, the judge in charge of the case removed Hillary Clinton as a defendant, citing a lack of evidence, but leaving open the possibility that she might still be called to testify as a witness in the case. The removal was upheld by the California Second District Court of Appeal on October 16, 2007.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Post-election charges, Hollywood fundraiser
Meanwhile, by the time of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, a 13-minute video produced by Paul and describing his various allegations against Hillary Clinton had become quite popular on the Internet, gaining 1.4 million hits on Google Video and about 350,000 on YouTube in a single week in October 2007.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
Clinton's victory would establish her as an effective campaigner and an electoral force on her own, able to capture Republican and independent votes and overcome her polarizing image. She would easily win re-election in 2006, and in 2007 began her presidential campaign for 2008.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
Lazio gave up his House seat to run for Senate. Following his defeat, which set a record for the most money spent in a losing Senate effort, he took positions in the corporate world and avoided electoral politics until becoming a candidate in New York's 2010 gubernatorial election. However, he was defeated by a wide margin in the Republican primary.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
Giuliani would undergo treatment for his cancer and eventually recover; he would also divorce Donna Hanover and eventually marry Judith Nathan. After his campaign withdrawal, his political future looked uncertain at best. But less than a year after the senate general election, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks took place, with Giuliani still mayor. Giuliani's performance in the aftermath of September 11 earned him many accolades and resurrected his political prospects. After a successful stint in the private sector, in 2007 he also began his presidential campaign for 2008.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
Throughout much of 2007, Clinton and Giuliani led in national polls for their parties' respective nominations, and media reports often looked back to the 2000 "race that wasn't" as a preview of what might lie in wait for the entire nation in 2008. Such extrapolating ended with the Giuliani campaign's precipitous decline and January 2008 withdrawal. Clinton as well failed to gain the 2008 nomination and, in June 2008, she finished in a close second place to Illinois Senator Barack Obama.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
In December 2008, Lowey would have another chance at the Senate seat, when Clinton was nominated for U.S. Secretary of State by President-elect Obama and Lowey was considered a front-runner to be named as her appointed replacement. But Lowey withdrew from consideration, as in the intervening years she had gained enough seniority to become one of the powerful "cardinals" on the House Appropriations Committee and did not want to relinquish that position.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
When Caroline Kennedy announced her interest in the vacancy, comparisons were drawn to Clinton in 2000, with both being famous people seeking to hold elective office for the first time. Others pointed out that Clinton had won election to the office while Kennedy would first be appointed. In any case, Kennedy's effort soon faltered, in part due to not having the same desire or willingness to work for the seat as Clinton had had, and she soon withdrew as abruptly as she had entered.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
Kirsten Gillibrand received the appointment, and attention then turned to who would run against her in the 2010 Senate special election. By November 2009, Giuliani was seriously considering a run for his old would-have-been Senate seat, but the following month he announced he was not running for it or anything else in 2010, signalling an end to his political career.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
Giuliani and Clinton got another chance to battle each other during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, when she was the Democratic nominee and he was one of the few high-profile Republicans to enthusiastically campaign for that party's nominee, Donald Trump. As The Washington Post wrote, "Rudy Giuliani is finally running the race against Hillary Clinton that he first contemplated some 17 years ago: a brutish bout under a white-hot spotlight." His actions on behalf of Trump included not only fiery attacks on Clinton's record as Secretary of State but also charges that she was experiencing significant problems with her health.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
A Clinton spokesperson responded by pointing out that it was Giuliani who had left the 2000 senatorial race in part for health reasons, not Clinton. Giuliani said Clinton was "too stupid to be president" for having stayed married to her husband following the Lewinsky scandal. Clinton sent some mild barbs Giuliani's way during the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in October 2016, to which Giuliani responded to with stone-faced silence rather than the usual playing-along mirth.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
The former mayor also issued a false charge against Clinton's statements regarding her role following the September 11 attacks that he had to apologize for. And in the days leading up to the election, Giuliani implied, and then denied, that he had had inside knowledge of the FBI's late-in-the-campaign reopening of its investigation into the Clinton emails matter.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
Following Clinton's loss, Giuliani was considered to be on Trump's short list for both Attorney General – if picked, he said he would be open to prosecuting Clinton – and Clinton's past job of Secretary of State – where his potential conflicts from his post-mayoral consulting work, advisor roles, and paid speeches for foreign clients and corporations could have exposed him to some of the same charges that he had made against Clinton when she had held that position. In the event, he was not selected for either position.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
The attacks continued; in March 2018 Giuliani made a joke at a fundraiser at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, the premise of which was that Clinton was almost too fat to fit through doorways. Judith Giuliani was reported to have given her husband a "most foul look" following the remark; the Giulianis announced they were getting divorced a few weeks later. News of the breakup caused media outlets to recall how the Rudy-Judith relationship had all first come to light during the hectic weeks of the 2000 senatorial campaign.


2000 United States Senate election in New York, Legacy
Giuliani became even more in the public spotlight as a central figure in the Trump–Ukraine scandal and the attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, and then as the subject of a federal investigation about possible wrongdoing regarding his actions in the Ukraine. Asked about her onetime campaign opponent in April 2021, Clinton said that Giuliani has "been behaving so erratically and seemingly illegally for so long" that "I don't recognize him now. I don't know what's gotten into him, and we'll see what the investigation concludes."


2000 United States Senate election in North Dakota
The 2000 United States Senate election in North Dakota was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic-NPL U.S. Senator Kent Conrad won re-election to a third term.


2000 United States Senate election in Ohio
The 2000 United States Senate election in Ohio took place on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mike DeWine won re-election to a second term. DeWine's victory made him the first Republican re-elected to the Senate in Ohio since John W. Bricker in 1952. As of 2021, this is the last time the Republicans won the Class 1 Senate seat from Ohio.


2000 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania
The 2000 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Rick Santorum won re-election to a second term. As of 2021, this is the last time the Republicans won the Class 1 Senate seat from Pennsylvania.


2000 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, Campaign
Santorum had gained a reputation as a polarizing figure during his first term in the Senate, but he entered the race with a large fundraising advantage and high levels of support from the political right. The contest began for Democrats with a brutal primary challenge; U.S. Congressman Klink narrowly bested State Senator Allyson Schwartz and former Lieutenant Governor nominee Tom Foley by portraying himself as the only candidate who could defeat Santorum.


2000 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, Campaign
Klink was viewed as a viable choice because he was a traditional Democrat on most issues and had strong union ties but also was pro-life, which Democrats hoped would return votes to their party in the heavily Catholic but economically liberal coal regions of the state. However, enthusiasm around Klink's campaign quickly waned. Liberal Democrats balked at donating to a candidate who was almost as socially conservative as Santorum. This was especially true in Philadelphia, where Klink was all but unknown.


2000 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, Campaign
Klink was also badly outspent, leaving him unable to expand his presence in the state; he didn't run a single ad on Philadelphia television. Santorum, in contrast, successfully balanced his national recognition on social issues with local concerns en route to a surprisingly large victory. Ultimately, Klink only carried eight counties.


2000 United States Senate election in Rhode Island
The 2000 United States Senate election in Rhode Island was held on November 7, 2000. Republican U.S. Senator John Chafee had announced in 1999 that he would not seek reelection, leading his son, Lincoln Chafee, to announce his own candidacy. The elder Chafee, however, died a few months later; his son was appointed to fill the remainder of the unexpired term. The younger Chafee, now the incumbent, sought a full term and won, defeating Democratic U.S. Representative Bob Weygand. As of 2021, this is the last congressional election in Rhode Island to be won by a Republican.


2000 United States Senate election in Tennessee
The 2000 United States Senate election in Tennessee took place on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Bill Frist won re-election to a second term.


2000 United States Senate election in Tennessee, Democratic primary
The Democratic primary was held August 3, 2000. In a field of five candidates, Jeff Clark, a professor at Middle Tennessee State University, edged out John Jay Hooker to win the nomination.


2000 United States Senate election in Texas
The 2000 United States Senate election in Texas took place on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison won re-election to a second full term. As of 2021, this is the last time Travis County voted Republican in a statewide election.


2000 United States Senate election in Utah
The 2000 United States Senate election in Utah took place on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch won re-election to a fifth term.


2000 United States Senate election in Vermont
The 2000 United States Senate election in Vermont took place on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords won re-election to a third term in office. In May 2001, Jeffords left the Republican Party and announced that he would become an independent who would caucus with the Democratic Party. His party switch broke the 50–50 lock in the Senate and effectively gave the Democrats the majority. Despite the 40 %-point margin, Jefford's victory remains the most recent congressional election in Vermont won by a Republican, although another independent, Bernie Sanders, have won elections to both houses since.


2000 United States Senate election in Vermont, General election
Flanagan was widely seen as having little chance of beating the highly popular Jeffords, who was thought of as a Liberal Republican. Flanagan campaigned on "shaking up Washington" and portrayed himself as a reformer. Both candidates supported same-sex civil unions and remained silent on the issue of same-sex marriage, but Flanagan, who was openly gay, noted receiving backlash from voters opposed to same-sex marriage. The LGBT community in Vermont was divided between which candidate to support, as Jeffords had been strongly supportive of LGBT rights and had received a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign.


2000 United States Senate election in Virginia
The 2000 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Chuck Robb sought re-election to a third term, but he was defeated by Republican nominee George Allen. With Allen's victory, this marked the first time since 1988 that Republicans would hold both of Virginia's Senate seats. As of 2021, this is the last time the Republicans won the Class 1 Senate seat in Virginia.


2000 United States Senate election in Washington
The 2000 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Slade Gorton was seeking reelection to a third consecutive term, and his fourth overall, but he was unseated for a second time by a very narrow margin (the first time being in 1986) by former Congresswoman Maria Cantwell. The race was the most expensive contest in the state's history at the time.


2000 United States Senate election in Washington
By a margin of 0.09%, this election was the closest race of the 2000 Senate election cycle. Cantwell's victory was credited to her strength in the Puget Sound suburbs of Seattle, where she performed well. The campaign proved an expressive affair, with Cantwell spending almost $10 million of her own money she made at RealNetworks on her campaign.


2000 United States Senate election in Washington, Blanket primary, Democratic
Two major Democratic candidates entered the Senate race: Cantwell, a former member of Congress, and Senn, Washington's insurance commissioner. Cantwell was generally considered the more moderate of the two, and touted her private sector success in Seattle's booming technology industry. Senn was considered as a populist, and campaigned as a staunch critic of the insurance industry.


2000 United States Senate election in Washington, General election
In the general election, Cantwell campaigned as a modern candidate with experience in high tech who understood the modern economy; she accused Gorton of offering "19th-century solutions to 21st-century problems". Gordon criticized Cantwell for spending millions on her own campaign, arguing she was trying to buy her way into the Senate.


2000 United States Senate election in Washington, General election, Results
The victor of the race was at first unclear; the initial count reported that Cantwell was ahead by 1,953 votes. Following the recount, Cantwell was certified the winner of the election by 2,229 votes out of more than 2.4 million. Cantwell carried only five of the state’s 39 counties, but won King County (home to Seattle) by more than a 150,000-vote margin. The result was the second loss in Gorton’s political career, after he lost re-election to a second Senate term in 1986.


2000 United States Senate election in Washington, Aftermath
After her victory, Cantwell announced that there was only "One Washington"; she also said she would work to make sure the entire state benefited from the Puget Sound region’s prosperity, and that each year she would visit each of the state’s 39 counties, interpreted as a gesture to the counties which she had lost. Her victory meant that both of Washington’s senators were female (the other being Patty Murray); it was at that time one of three states to hold the distinction, along with California and Maine. Cantwell also became the thirteenth woman to serve in the Senate at the same time.


2000 United States Senate election in Washington, Aftermath
Cantwell’s election also meant that Democrats and Republicans would have a 50-50 tie in the Senate. At the time the race was called, it was still unclear whether Dick Cheney or Joe Lieberman would be Vice President and thus cast the tie-breaking vote. At the time, it was noted that if the Gore-Lieberman ticket were victorious, then Connecticut’s Republican governor would appoint Senator Lieberman’s replacement, thereby giving Republicans a majority in the chamber; if the Bush-Cheney ticket were elected (the ultimate outcome), with Cantwell the winner of her race, there would be a tie in the chamber.


2000 United States Senate election in Washington, Aftermath
In a January 2002 appearance on C-Span’s Booknotes, Ralph Nader (the 2000 Green Party presidential nominee) stated that when he met with Democratic Senator Harry Reid after the election, Reid had credited his candidacy with aiding Cantwell’s victory; Nader had received 103,000 votes in the state, and since the party didn’t run a Senate candidate, his supporters backed Cantwell down the ballot.


2000 United States Senate election in West Virginia
The 2000 United States Senate election in West Virginia took place on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Robert Byrd won re-election to an eighth term. He won every county and congressional district in the state with at least 60% of the vote.


2000 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
The 2000 United States Senate election in Wisconsin took place on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Herb Kohl won re-election to a third term by a margin of 24.5%.


2000 United States Senate election in Wyoming
The 2000 United States Senate election in Wyoming was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Craig Thomas won re-election to a second term.


2000 United States Senate elections
The 2000 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, 2000. The elections coincided with other federal and state elections, including the presidential election which was won by Republican George W. Bush. It featured a number of fiercely contested elections that resulted in a victory for the Democratic Party, which gained a net total of four seats from the Republican Party. This election marked the first election year since 1990 where Democrats made net gains in the Senate.


2000 United States Senate elections
These elections took place six years after Republicans had won a net gain of eight seats in Senate Class 1. Despite George W Bush's victory in the presidential election, the GOP lost 4 senate seats, the most a winning president's party has lost since the passage of the 17th amendment. Democrats defeated incumbent Republicans in Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Washington, and they won an open seat in Florida. In Missouri, the winner was elected posthumously. The Republicans defeated a Democratic incumbent in Virginia, and won an open seat in Nevada.


2000 United States Senate elections
These elections resulted in an equal 50–50 split between Republicans and Democrats, so the Vice President would cast the tie-breaking votes in organizing the Senate. Democrats thereby held Senate control briefly for only 17 days, since Al Gore was still Vice President and President of the Senate at the beginning of the new term on January 3, 2001. The Republicans regained control of the chamber when the new Vice President Dick Cheney was inaugurated January 20. The Republican majority would last until June 6, 2001, when Republican Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont became an independent and caucused with the Democrats.


2000 United States Senate elections
Until 2021, this was the last time that Democrats would win a Senate seat in Georgia, and the result would be a 50–50 split with control decided by the Vice President's tie-breaking vote. This was also the last election with only Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and the last elections in which Republicans won seats in Rhode Island and Vermont.


2000 United States Senate elections, Race summary, Special elections during the previous Congress
In this special election, the winner was seated between January 1, 2000, and January 2, 2001.


2000 United States Senate elections, Race summary, Elections to the next Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 2001.


2000 United States Senate elections, Closest races
In ten races the margin of victory was under 10%


2000 United States Senate elections, Arizona
Incumbent Republican Jon Kyl won re-election to a second term, as no candidate was nominated from the Democratic Party. Independent Bill Toel, Green party nominee Vance Hansen, and Libertarian party nominee Barry Hess each got more than 5% of the vote, a strong third party performance.


2000 United States Senate elections, California
The heavily financed and popular senator Dianne Feinstein (D) easily won re-election to her second full term defeating the underfunded and underdog candidate Representative Tom Campbell (R) by over 19 points. Campbell even lost his own congressional district by almost 15 points.


2000 United States Senate elections, California
Despite touting his service as a moderate Republican representing a strongly Democratic district, Campbell was underfunded and a decided underdog against the popular, heavily financed Feinstein. By February, he spent barely $1 million without any PAC money. Campbell has generally supported gay rights and abortion. He also opposes the War on Drugs and calls himself a "maverick", similar to U.S. senator John McCain. Campbell was badly defeated, losing by over 19 points.


2000 United States Senate elections, Connecticut
Incumbent Democrat Joe Lieberman won re-election to a third term over Republican Philip Giordano, Mayor of Waterbury and former State Representative. While running for re-election, he was also Al Gore's running mate in the 2000 presidential campaign. With Gore losing the presidency to George W. Bush, Lieberman returned to the Senate and remained there for another 13 years, when he retired. Had the Gore–Lieberman ticket won, Lieberman would have become U.S. Vice President and forced to resign his Senate seat, which would have led to a 2002 special election. It would also have led Republican Governor John G. Rowland to temporarily appoint an interim replacement.


2000 United States Senate elections, Connecticut
Lieberman, a very popular centrist incumbent, focused on his Vice Presidential campaign. He refused to show up at the debates. Giordano was a heavy underdog, as he was ignored by the press and as he debated alone.


2000 United States Senate elections, Delaware
Incumbent Republican William Roth ran for re-election to a sixth term, but was defeated by Governor Tom Carper.


2000 United States Senate elections, Delaware
For 16 years the same four people had held the four major statewide positions. Because of term limits on the Governor's position Thomas Carper could not run again. Both he and U.S. Representative Michael Castle wanted to be U.S. senator. Roth would not retire, and fellow Republican Castle decided against a primary.


2000 United States Senate elections, Delaware
Roth, 79, was in the U.S. Senate for 30 years. He was the Chairman of the Finance Committee. Carper, 53, was a popular Governor and former U.S. Congressman of Delaware's At-large congressional district, who announced his major candidacy against Roth back in September 1999. Both candidates were moderates. Roth was one of the few Republicans to vote for the Brady Bill. Although Roth started the campaign with a 2-to-1 spending advantage, Carper went into the final month with more than $1 million on hand. In a contest between two popular and respected politicians, the issue seemed to be Roth's age versus Carper's relative youth.


2000 United States Senate elections, Delaware
Carper defeated Roth by over ten points. However, Roth received more votes than Presidential candidate George W. Bush, suggesting the strength of the Democratic turnout was a boon to Carper's candidacy and a key element of his victory. Many consider Roth's defeat due to his age and health, as he collapsed twice during the campaign, once in the middle of a television interview and once during a campaign event.


2000 United States Senate elections, Florida
Incumbent Republican Connie Mack III decided to retire instead of seeking a third term. Democrat Bill Nelson, State Treasurer and former U.S. Representative, won the open seat over Republican Congressman Bill McCollum.


2000 United States Senate elections, Florida
This election was in conjunction to the presidential election, where Bush narrowly defeated Gore after an intense recount. The senate election was evenly matched with two U.S. Congressmen named Bill in their mid-50s. Both parties heavily targeted this senate seat. The election became very nasty as Nelson called his opponent "an extremist who would sacrifice the elderly, the poor, and the working class to coddle the rich." McCollum called the Democrat "a liberal who would tax everything that moves, and some things that don't." The election advertisements were very negative, as both candidates talked more about each other than themselves.


2000 United States Senate elections, Florida
Nelson raised only soft money, but had help from President Bill Clinton and VP Al Gore. Two days before the election, McCollum predicted he would win by a 6-point margin. On election day, he lost by a 5-point margin.


2000 United States Senate elections, Georgia (special)
Incumbent Democrat Zell Miller, who was appointed by Governor Roy Barnes to replace the late Paul Coverdell, won re-election to serve the remainder of the term, beating Republican Mack Mattingly, former Ambassador to Seychelles and former U.S. senator. Until 2020, when Raphael Warnock won this seat, and Jon Ossoff won the other Senate seat, this is the last Senate election in Georgia won by a Democrat and also until 2020, this is the last time the Democrats have won the Class III Senate seat from Georgia.


2000 United States Senate elections, Georgia (special)
One of the biggest campaign issues was Social Security. Miller attacked Mattingly for supporting a raise in the retirement age. The Republican fought back by connecting him to liberal Democrat Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, and on his vote to block legislation aimed at protecting Social Security. Mattingly said he would vote for Texas Governor George W. Bush for president, who was very popular in the state and led Vice President Al Gore in many Georgia polls. Mattingly then asked Miller who he was supporting in the presidential election.


2000 United States Senate elections, Georgia (special)
Miller conceded he would vote for Gore because he helped him when he was governor including drought relief, welfare reform, and the Atlanta Olympics. "That does not mean I agree with all of his policies," he concluded. In early October, a poll showed Miller leading with 59% of the vote, despite the fact that Bush was leading Gore by a double-digit margin.


2000 United States Senate elections, Georgia (special)
Note: This election was a non-partisan election due to it being a special election. Each candidate ran without a party. The parties below reflect which party label each candidate would have run under if given the option.


2000 United States Senate elections, Hawaii
Incumbent Democrat Daniel Akaka won re-election to his second full term, over Republican John Carroll, former State senator and former State Representative.


2000 United States Senate elections, Indiana
Incumbent Republican Richard Lugar was re-elected to his fifth six-year term over Democrat David Johnson.


2000 United States Senate elections, Indiana
Lugar easily won re-election taking 66.5% one of the largest margins in a statewide race in Indiana history. Johnson only took one county, Lake County, which borders Illinois, is a Democratic Stronghold county. Johnson did trounce Lugar in Lake County, but with Lugar doing well elsewhere in the state, it made no real dent in Lugar's lead.


2000 United States Senate elections, Maine
Incumbent Republican Olympia Snowe was re-elected to a second term, defeating Democratic candidate Mark Lawrence, former President of the Maine State Senate.


2000 United States Senate elections, Maine
Snowe, a popular moderate incumbent, outpolled and outspent Lawrence. The two candidates agreed to debate on October 15 and 25.


2000 United States Senate elections, Maryland
Incumbent Democrat Paul Sarbanes won re-election to a fifth term over Republican Paul Rappaport, former Howard County police chief and nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1994.


2000 United States Senate elections, Maryland
Rappaport won the Republican primary against S. Rob Sobhani, Ross Zimmerman Pierpont, Robin Ficker, Kenneth R. Timmerman, Kenneth Wayman and John Stafford through a grassroots movement with a plurality of just 23%. Rappaport, a major underdog, pushed for three debates. The four term incumbent actually agreed to one debate on October 26.


2000 United States Senate elections, Massachusetts
Incumbent Democrat Ted Kennedy won re-election to his seventh full term. The election was notable for a strong third-party performance from Libertarian Carla Howell, who finished with less than a percent behind Republican Jack E. Robinson.


2000 United States Senate elections, Michigan
Incumbent Republican Spencer Abraham ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Democrat Debbie Stabenow.