2008 Missouri lieutenant gubernatorial election


The 2008 Missouri lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2008, to elect the Lieutenant Governor of Missouri. Republican incumbent Peter Kinder won the election narrowly, despite the fact that Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon won the 2008 Missouri gubernatorial election by nearly 20 points.

Background

On January 22, 2008, Governor Blunt unexpectedly announced that he would not seek re-election because he had already "achieved virtually everything I set out to accomplish, and more... Because I feel we have changed what I wanted to change in the first term, there is not the same sense of mission for a second."
A November 2007 poll conducted by SurveyUSA showed Blunt with a 44% approval rating. His approval among Republicans polled was 68%, but his rating among Democrats was only 23%.
On November 10, 2005, Democrat Jay Nixon filed the necessary paperwork with the Missouri Ethics Commission to launch a 2008 campaign for governor.
The gubernatorial and other statewide office primaries were held August 5, 2008. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Leans Democratic'.

Timeline