2010 United States Senate special election in Delaware explained

Election Name:2010 United States Senate special election in Delaware
Country:Delaware
Type:presidential
Ongoing:No
Previous Election:2008 United States Senate election in Delaware
Previous Year:2008
Next Election:2014 United States Senate election in Delaware
Next Year:2014
Election Date:November 2, 2010
Image1:Chris Coons, official portrait, 112th Congress (cropped).jpg
Nominee1:Chris Coons
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:174,012
Percentage1:56.61%
Nominee2:Christine O'Donnell
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:123,053
Percentage2:40.03%
Map Size:210px
U.S. Senator
Before Election:Ted Kaufman
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Chris Coons
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)

The 2010 United States Senate special election in Delaware took place on November 2, 2010, concurrently with 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. It was a special election to fill Delaware's Class II Senate seat, then held by Democrat Ted Kaufman, an appointee. The seat had been previously held by the state's longest-serving senator, Democrat Joe Biden, who vacated it when he became Vice President of the United States in 2009.

The state's primary election occurred on September 14, 2010.[1] Republican U.S. Representative and former Governor Mike Castle was believed to be heavily favored to win both the primary and the general election.[2] However, Castle was upset by Christine O'Donnell in a primary contest that had national visibility. During the general election campaign, O'Donnell, a Tea Party candidate, drew media attention for making several false claims and gaffes, as well as an unusual campaign ad in which she denied that she was a witch. In the general election, O'Donnell lost to Democratic nominee Chris Coons by a vote of 57% to 40%.[3] Coons was sworn in on November 15, 2010, and served out the remainder of the term ending in 2015. This was the first open Senate seat in Delaware since 1970, and the first in this seat since 1913.

Background

In this seat's most recent election in 2008, longtime Democratic incumbent Joe Biden had defeated Republican Christine O'Donnell.[4] However, Biden was also elected Vice President of the United States in 2008 and was required to resign from the Senate by Article I, Section 6 of the United States Constitution in order to assume the Vice Presidency. Although Biden was sworn in for a seventh term early in January 2009, he resigned from the Senate on January 15, 2009, and was succeeded by Kaufman the following day.[5]

Those discussed as possible appointees to replace Biden included his son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, outgoing Lt. Gov. John Carney, Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Myron T. Steele, Delaware Secretary of State Harriet Smith Windsor, Delaware Correction Commissioner Carl C. Danberg, former Delaware House of Representatives member Robert L. Byrd, and New Castle County Executive Chris Coons.[6]

On November 24, 2008, after Biden's election to the vice presidency but before his resignation, outgoing Governor Ruth Ann Minner announced that she would appoint Biden's former chief of staff, a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors named Ted Kaufman, as Biden's temporary successor.[7] Minner said, "I believe Ted Kaufman meets every test I set for this office. His political views are close to Sen. Biden's, and he has agreed to focus solely on doing the people's work, not seeking re-election."[6] Biden resigned in January 2009; Minner formally appointed Kaufman to the seat shortly thereafter.

Republican primary

Candidates

Campaign

In April 2009, Representative Mike Castle stated, "there's probably a better chance I'll run for the Senate than the House. [But] I said there's a chance I won't run at all."[8] On October 6, 2009, Castle announced that he would in fact run for the Senate seat.[9] After her 2008 loss to Biden, Christine O'Donnell had indicated she would strongly consider running for the seat again in 2010, asking supporters on her website to "save your yard sign!!"[10] On February 12, 2009, O'Donnell had announced her candidacy.[11] She reiterated that she was in the race even after Castle announced his candidacy in October 2009,[12] and formally launched her campaign on March 10, 2010.[13] In her remarks, O'Donnell criticized excessive government spending, said that Castle was the most liberal Republican in the House, and said that the Tea Party movement and grassroots anti-incumbent trends would be in her favor.[14] [15]

When a report from The News Journal in March 2010 detailed O'Donnell's fiscal difficulties, she attributed the problems to misunderstandings and errors, and said, "I think the fact that I have struggled financially is what makes me so sympathetic."[16] [17] [18] Nevertheless, her financial problems became a focal point of establishment Republican attacks against her.A July 2010 Rasmussen Reports poll showed O'Donnell running ahead of Democratic Senate candidate Chris Coons by a margin of 41 to 39 percent in a hypothetical matchup.[19] During this time she picked up the endorsements of the Susan B. Anthony List, the Tea Party Express, which called her a "strong voice for conservative constitutionalist principles",[20] and the Family Research Council.[21]

O'Donnell supporters were heartened by the late August primary victory in Alaska of little-known, Tea Party-backed insurgent Joe Miller over incumbent Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski.[22] The Tea Party Express said it might spend as much as $600,000 backing O'Donnell.[22] The added buzz about her campaign and the possibility that another establishment Republican figure might be defeated by an insurgent brought national attention to the race.[22] [23] The same attention also brought additional scrutiny on her record and financial history, including a contentious interview on WGMD radio. She had claimed that she beat or tied Joe Biden in two of the state's three counties in their 2008 campaign. Later, she admitted this was inaccurate, and that she had lost all three counties.[24] [25]

As September began, the tone of the race grew nastier, with Delaware Republican Party chair Tom Ross saying, "Is Christine O'Donnell actually this unhinged from reality? Or is she simply a liar, whose total lack of respect for Delaware voters leads her to deliberately and repeatedly deny the clear facts surrounding her many personal and professional failures?"[26] Ross also said, "She's not a viable candidate for any office in the state of Delaware. She could not be elected dog catcher."[27] The O'Donnell campaign generated controversy in early September when a political consulting firm hired by O'Donnell released a web video insinuating that her opponent Castle was having a gay affair.[28] O'Donnell quickly distanced herself from the claims, pointing out that the firm in question was no longer working for her campaign, though the manner in which she denied involvement in the rumor led some to suspect that she was intentionally engaging in a whisper campaign by deliberately repeating the rumor while denying it.[29] O'Donnell later appeared on Mark Levin's radio show, where she blasted Castle's "unmanly tactics" during the campaign, saying, "this is not a bake-off, put your man-pants on."[30]

Kristen Murray, O'Donnell's 2008 campaign manager, starred in a Delaware Republican Party-funded robocall in which she accused O'Donnell of misusing campaign funds.[31] Says Murray, "This is her third senate race in five years. As O'Donnell's manager, I found out she was living on campaign donations - using them for rent and personal expenses, while leaving her workers unpaid and piling up thousands in debt. She wasn't concerned about conservative causes. O'Donnell just wanted to make a buck."[31] O'Donnell denied most of what Murray said and stated that she had fired Murray.[32]

With days to go before the primary, O'Donnell was bolstered by an endorsement from former Governor of Alaska and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.[33] A few days later, The Weekly Standard broke new details of O'Donnell's 2005 $6.95 million gender discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit against her former employer, the conservative Intercollegiate Studies Institute.[34]

Castle was considered the favorite to prevail in the general election.[35] [36] [37] Polls that considered a matchup of Castle against Democrat Chris Coons indicated that Castle would defeat Coons by a significant margin.[38] [36] In September, a poll by Public Policy Polling showed Castle leading Coons by a 10-point margin.[39]

However, on September 14, O'Donnell won an upset victory over Castle in the Republican primary.[35] [40] [41] O'Donnell was considered far less electable in a general election than Castle; Politico reported, "The path to a Republican Senate takeover narrowed to the point of vanishing Tuesday night, as marketing consultant Christine O’Donnell upset Rep. Mike Castle in Delaware’s Senate primary and likely dashed the GOP’s hopes of capturing the seat in the process".[37]

Results

General election

Candidates

Campaign

Incumbent U.S. Senator Ted Kaufman opted not to seek election for the remainder of the term in 2010.[43] Former Lieutenant Governor John Carney[44] and State Attorney General Beau Biden,[45] both Democrats, opted not to seek the Senate seat, either. New Castle County Executive Chris Coons became the Democratic Party nominee by default,[35] [36] as he did not face a primary challenge.[40] [41]

Following her upset victory in the Republican primary, O'Donnell continued to face a split reaction from the leaders in the local, state, and national Republican Party. Castle said he would not support O'Donnell.[46] The National Republican Senatorial Committee similarly released a statement almost immediately following O'Donnell's primary win, stating that they would not spend money to support her or her campaign.[31] [47] However, Texas Senator John Cornyn, chairman of the NRSC, released a statement later stating he did not know where the release from within his organization originated. He then offered the maximum $42,000 donation to her campaign; Cornyn acknowledged, however, that he was not sure if she could win.[48] Former Governor of Massachusetts and future 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney also contributed to O'Donnell's general election funds.[46] However, former White House adviser and Republican strategist Karl Rove said following O'Donnell's primary victory, "This is not a race we're going to be able to win."[46]

The morning following the primary, Public Policy Polling released a tweet indicating that their polling found that primary voters who voted for Mike Castle supported Coons, the Democratic opponent, over O'Donnell 44 percent to 28 percent in a general election.[49] An October 16 report by CNN indicated that Coons was leading O'Donnell by double digits in polls.[36]

In September 2010, comedian Bill Maher aired a 1999 clip of O'Donnell[50] in which O'Donnell said, "I dabbled into witchcraft – I never joined a coven. ... I hung around people who were doing these things... We went to a movie and then had a little midnight picnic on a satanic altar. And I didn't know it."[50] [51] [52] [53] [54] Her admission received widespread media coverage,[55] and O'Donnell explained that she had been referring to high school experiences.[56] [57] During her campaign for the general election, O'Donnell followed up with a TV advertisement which featured her declaring, "I'm not a witch". This ad inspired many video parodies,[58] [59] most famously by comedian Kristen Wiig on Saturday Night Live.[60]

An October 19, 2010, debate between Coons and O'Donnell at Widener University School of Law featured an exchange about separation of church and state in the United States and whether it is explicitly in the U.S. constitution. O'Donnell said it was not;[61] afterward her campaign manager said, "Christine O'Donnell was not questioning the concept of separation of church and state as subsequently established by the courts. She simply made the point that the phrase appears nowhere in the Constitution." (That phrase was "substantively" read into the First Amendment in the U.S. Supreme Court case Engel v. Vitale in 1962 and does not appear verbatim in the Constitution.[62])

Fundraising

Candidate (Party)ReceiptsDisbursementsCash On HandDebtDate
Chris Coons (D)$4,207,479$3,479,819$727,660$250,000through 11/22/10
Christine O'Donnell (R)$7,340,167$6,406,246$924,745$2,692through 11/22/10
Source: Federal Election Commission[63]

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Cook Political Report[64] October 30, 2010
Rothenberg[65] October 28, 2010
RealClearPolitics[66] October 30, 2010
Sabato's Crystal Ball[67] October 28, 2010
CQ Politics[68] October 30, 2010
Rasmussen Reports[69] October 27, 2010

Polling

Poll sourceChris
Coons (D)
Christine
O'Donnell (R)
Glenn
Miller (I)
OtherUndecidedRefused
align=left Research 2000[70] February 22–24, 2010600± 4.0%47%31%––22%––
align=left Rasmussen Reports[71] July 14, 2010500± 4.5%39%41%––7%12%
align=left Rasmussen Reports[72] August 5, 2010500± 4.5%46%36%––10%8%
align=left Public Policy Polling[73] August 7–8, 2010600± 4.0%44%37%––––19%
align=left Rasmussen Reports[74] September 2, 2010500± 4.5%47%36%––8%9%
align=left Public Policy Polling[75] September 11–12, 2010958± 3.2%50%34%––––16%
align=left Rasmussen ReportsSeptember 16, 2010500± 4.5%53%42%––1%4%
align=left CNN[76] September 17–21, 2010703± 3.5%55%39%––––––
align=left Rasmussen ReportsSeptember 26, 2010500± 4.5%49%40%5%0%5%
align=left Fairleigh Dickinson University's Public Mind[77] September 27 – October 3, 2010801± 3.5%53%36%––––8%3%
align=left FOX News/Pulse Opinion Research[78] October 9, 20101,000± 3.0%54%38%––3%5%
align=left Magellan[79] October 10, 2010928± 3.3%54%36%––3%7%
align=left Monmouth[80] October 8–11, 2010790± 3.5%57%38%––5%––
align=left Survey USA/University of Delaware[81] October 11–12, 20102,355± 2.1%54%33%––5%9%
align=left Rasmussen ReportsOctober 14, 2010500± 4.5%51%40%––5%4%
align=left Fairleigh Dickinson University[82] October 20–26, 2010797± 3.5%57%36%––––––
align=left Monmouth University[83] October 25–27, 20101,171± 2.9%51%41%––4%4%
Poll sourceMike
Castle (R)
Chris
Coons (D)
OtherUndecided
align=left Research 2000[84] October 12–14, 2009600± 4.0%51%39%––10%
align=left Rasmussen Reports[85] January 25, 2010500± 4.5%56%27%5%13%
align=left Rasmussen Reports[86] February 22, 2010500± 4.5%53%32%8%8%
align=left Research 2000February 22–24, 2010600± 4.0%53%35%––12%
align=left Rasmussen Reports[87] April 29, 2010500± 4.5%55%32%7%7%
align=left Rasmussen ReportsJuly 14, 2010500± 4.5%47%36%6%11%
align=left Rasmussen ReportsAugust 5, 2010500± 4.5%49%37%5%9%
align=left Public Policy PollingAugust 7–8, 2010600± 4.0%48%35%––17%
align=left Rasmussen ReportsSeptember 2, 2010500± 4.5%48%37%6%9%
align=left Public Policy PollingSeptember 11–12, 2010958± 3.2%45%35%––20%

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Aftermath

After O'Donnell's poor performance, there was considerable discussion within Republican circles regarding whether the party had lost a sure Senate seat by nominating her instead of Castle.[88] Party pragmatists said that this was the case, pointing to other races in Nevada and Colorado where Tea Party-favored candidates had lost races against Democratic rivals.[89] For her own part, O'Donnell criticized divisions within the Delaware Republican Party following her primary win and said the consequent lack of support had led to her defeat.[90] [91]

External links

Official candidate websites (Archived)

Notes and References

  1. http://elections.delaware.gov/pdf/2010%20Election%20Calendar.pdf 2010 Delaware Election Calendar
  2. Web site: Kraushaar . Josh . 2009-10-06 . Castle enters big race in small state . https://web.archive.org/web/20230627161055/https://www.politico.com/story/2009/10/castle-enters-big-race-in-small-state-027977 . June 27, 2023 . 2023-06-27 . POLITICO . en.
  3. Web site: Evans . Ben . Chase . Randall . Coons Beats O'Donnell in Delaware Senate Race . ABC News . November 2, 2010 . November 3, 2010.
  4. News: Biden wins 7th Senate term but may not serve . Nuckols . Ben . Associated Press . November 6, 2008 . February 25, 2019.
  5. News: J. Taylor . Rushing . January 15, 2009 . Biden bids farewell to Senate . . Washington, D.C. . February 25, 2019.
  6. News: Jeff . Montgomery . Minner taps Kaufman for Biden's seat . November 24, 2008 . . November 24, 2008 .
  7. News: Former Biden advisor picked as Senate replacement . Kornreich, Lauren . CNN . November 24, 2008 . November 24, 2008 . January 25, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160125221929/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/24/former-biden-advisor-senate-replacement-picked/#more-31280 . dead .
  8. News: Castle More Likely to Run for Senate Than Re-Election . McArdle . John . . April 23, 2009.
  9. News: Delaware GOP Congressman to Run for Biden's Former Senate Seat . Fox News . October 6, 2009 . June 14, 2010.
  10. Web site: Dear Supporters . O'Donnell, Christine . Christine O'Donnell for U.S. Senate . December 17, 2008.
  11. Web site: The Delaware Business Ledger - Newark, DE . Ledgerdelaware.com . June 14, 2010.
  12. Web site: O'Donnell: Won't drop out for Castle . October 7, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091011024356/http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20091006/NEWS/91006074 . October 11, 2009 .
  13. Web site: Delaware politics: Christine O'Donnell to announce primary bid against Rep. Mike Castle for Senate seat . https://web.archive.org/web/20150923213733/http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100309/NEWS/100309008 . dead . September 23, 2015 . March 9, 2010 . March 9, 2010 . The News Journal.
  14. News: O'Donnell Announces Run Against Castle . Tucker, Jeremy . . March 11, 2010 . March 15, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100918220944/http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=12118077 . September 18, 2010 . dead . mdy-all .
  15. News: O'Donnell takes aim at Castle in Senate campaign kick-off . Eichmann, Mark . . March 10, 2010 . March 15, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101114211009/http://whyy.org/cms/news/government-politics/2010/03/10/odonnell-takes-aim-at-castle-in-senate-campaign-kick-off/32928 . November 14, 2010 . dead . mdy-all .
  16. News: Delaware politics: O'Donnell faces campaign debt, back-tax issues . Gibson, Ginger . . Wilmington . March 20, 2010 . March 25, 2010.
  17. News: Been There, Vote For Me . . March 22, 2010 . March 26, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100327205429/http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/03/been-there-vote-for-me.html . March 27, 2010 . dead . mdy-all .
  18. News: GOP Senate Candidate Admits Financial Woes . . . March 20, 2010 . March 26, 2010.
  19. News: Election 2010: Delaware Senate . . July 15, 2010 .
  20. News: O'Donnell gets Tea Party backing . Catanese, David . . July 27, 2010 . August 1, 2010.
  21. FRC Action PAC Endorses Christine O'Donnell for Senate . . July 27, 2010 . August 14, 2010.
  22. News: Tea Party Backs O'Donnell in Delaware . Weisman, Jonathan . . August 30, 2010 . September 1, 2010.
  23. News: 'Tea party' candidate in Delaware rattles the Republican Party . Mascaro, Lisa . . September 12, 2010 . September 12, 2010.
  24. Web site: Dan Gaffney Audio: Christine O'Donnell for Senate Interview . WGMD . September 2, 2010 . September 28, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100906144047/http://www.wgmd.com/?p=9496 . September 6, 2010 . dead . mdy-all .
  25. News: Christine O'Donnell plays defense on radio . Catanese, Dan . . September 2, 2010 . September 2, 2010.
  26. News: Delaware GOP Suggests Tea Party Senate Challenger Is a 'Liar' . . September 3, 2010 . September 4, 2010.
  27. News: GOP tries to take out tea party-backed candidate . . Elliott, Philip . September 12, 2010 . September 15, 2010.
  28. Web site: Smith . Ben . O'Donnell backer makes sex charge in Delaware race . Politico . September 1, 2010 . September 28, 2010.
  29. Web site: Rachel Maddow Show . https://web.archive.org/web/20090526094755/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#39108270 . dead . May 26, 2009 . MSNBC . September 28, 2010.
  30. Web site: Kleefeld . Eric . O'Donnell Blasts Castle's 'Un-Manly' Tactics (AUDIO) . Tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com . September 10, 2010 . September 28, 2010.
  31. Web site: Can O'Donnell Pivot to the Center? . . . September 14, 2010 . September 15, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130124232000/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908 . January 24, 2013 .
  32. News: Rebel Republican Marching on, With Baggage . Steinhauer, Jennifer . Rutenberg, Jim . . September 15, 2010 . September 15, 2010.
  33. News: Palin Endorses O'Donnell in Delaware . Weigel, David . . September 9, 2010 . September 11, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100910145521/http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/weigel/archive/2010/09/09/palin-endorses-o-donnell-in-delaware.aspx . September 10, 2010 . dead .
  34. Web site: Citing 'Mental Anguish,' Christine O'Donnell Sought $6.9 Million in Gender Discrimination Lawsuit Against Conservative Group . John . McCormack . . September 12, 2010.
  35. Web site: Stunning Primary Season Reaches A Stunning End. Liz. Halloran. September 14, 2010. NPR.
  36. Web site: A locked-up win for Chris Coons in Delaware? . CNN.
  37. Web site: GOP nightmare: O'Donnell prevails. Politico.
  38. Web site: Chris Coons Defeats Christine O'Donnell In Delaware: CNN, AP. Frank. James. November 2, 2010. NPR.
  39. Web site: Coons Leads, First State Could Decide Senate Control . PublicPolicyPolling.com . September 13, 2010 .
  40. Web site: State of Delaware - Department of Elections - State Of Delaware. elections.delaware.gov. December 29, 2021. November 11, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181111120517/https://elections.delaware.gov/archive/elect10/elect10_Primary/html/election.shtml. dead.
  41. Web site: Delaware Primary Results - Election 2010. The New York Times.
  42. http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_DE_912806.pdf Public Policy Polling
  43. News: Susan . Brumfield . Longtime Biden aide picked to fill his Senate seat . November 24, 2008 . Associated Press . November 25, 2008.
  44. Web site: John Carney . Johncarneyforcongress.com . April 15, 2009 . June 14, 2010 . September 15, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090915211906/http://www.johncarneyforcongress.com/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=cmpNews&htmlID=12081&s=carney . dead .
  45. News: Silva . Mark . Beau Biden takes a pass on a Senate run . Los Angeles Times . January 25, 2010 . June 14, 2010.
  46. Web site: Christine O'Donnell in spotlight after primary victory . Chase . Randal . 3 News (New Zealand) . September 16, 2010 . September 16, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120929003634/http://www.3news.co.nz/Christine-ODonnell-in-spotlight-after-primary-victory/tabid/417/articleID/176409/Default.aspx . September 29, 2012 . dead . mdy-all .
  47. News: Tea Party Claims Big Win . Wallsten, Peter . King, Neil Jr. . amp . The Wall Street Journal . September 15, 2010 . September 15, 2010.
  48. News: Cornyn: NRSC Aides Don't Speak For Me - O'Donnell is GOP Nominee; Not Sure She Can Win . . Turner, Trish . September 15, 2010 . September 15, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100921000300/http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/09/15/cornyn-nrsc-aides-dont-speak-me-odonnell-gop-nominee-not-sure-she-can-win . September 21, 2010 . dead . mdy-all .
  49. Web site: Twitter PublicPolicyPolling: Castle primary voters supp . Twitter . September 28, 2010.
  50. News: McGreal . Chris. Christine O'Donnell: I dabbled in witchcraft . September 20, 2010 . The Guardian . London. September 20, 2010.
  51. News: Christine O'Donnell Practiced Witchcraft . September 17, 2010 . Politically Incorrect . . April 18, 2011.
  52. News: Mooney . Alexander . O'Donnell in 1999: I dabbled in witchcraft . September 18, 2010 . Political Ticker . CNN . April 18, 2011 . November 25, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101125162922/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/18/o%E2%80%99donnell-in-1999-i-dabbled-in-witchcraft/ . dead .
  53. News: MacAskill. Ewen. Christine O'Donnell keeps rightwingers spellbound despite witchcraft claim. September 20, 2010. The Guardian . September 20, 2010. London.
  54. News: Christine O'Donnell Condemned Witchcraft. Politically Incorrect . YouTube. July 5, 2011.
  55. News: Bauder . David . O'Reilly, Maher both have old O'Donnell footage . https://web.archive.org/web/20100924044613/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g4RSQ56a3WTiFTp5aeSm9-hts8MAD9ICFDMG2 . dead . September 24, 2010 . Associated Press . September 1, 2010 . September 23, 2010.
  56. News: Chase . Randall . O'Donnell makes light of witchcraft comment . Associated Press . September 19, 2010 . The Buffalo News . September 19, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110610220819/http://www.buffalonews.com/wire-feeds/24-hour-national-news/article195045.ece . June 10, 2011 . dead . mdy .
  57. News: Stelter. Brian. Political Cauldron Stirred by Old Video of Candidate. The New York Times. September 19, 2010. September 20, 2010.
  58. News: Elvira Spoofs Christine O'Donnell's 'I'm Not A Witch' Ad . HuffPost. October 20, 2010 . December 3, 2010 . Katla . McGlynn.
  59. News: "I'm Not A Witch" — The Remix. The Ca10-2626-10. December 3, 2010. Ashley. Parker. October 26, 2010.
  60. News: 'SNL' Does The Best Parody Of Christine O'Donnell's 'Not A Witch' Ad Yet. HuffPost. McGlynn. Katia. October 10, 2010. December 3, 2010.
  61. News: Chicago Tribune . October 20, 2010 . Section 1, page 3 . It's really not debatable.
  62. Web site: Shear . Michael D. . O'Donnell Questions Church-State Separation . Thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com . October 19, 2010 . November 3, 2010.
  63. Web site: 2010 House and Senate Campaign Finance for Delaware . fec.gov . October 31, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100809230202/http://www.fec.gov/DisclosureSearch/HSProcessCandList.do?category=stateS_all&stateName=DE&election_yr=2010 . August 9, 2010 . dead . mdy-all .
  64. Web site: Senate . . October 30, 2010.
  65. Web site: Senate Ratings . . October 30, 2010.
  66. Web site: Battle for the Senate . . October 30, 2010.
  67. Web site: 2010 Senate Ratings . . October 30, 2010 . October 28, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101028092918/http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/category/2010-senate/ . dead .
  68. Web site: Race Ratings Chart: Senate . . October 30, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101028234525/http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=ratings-senate . October 28, 2010 .
  69. Web site: Election 2010: Senate Balance Of Power . . October 30, 2010.
  70. http://www.dailykos.com/statepoll/2010/2/24/DE/455 Research 2000
  71. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/delaware/toplines/toplines_delaware_senate_july_14_2010 Rasmussen Reports
  72. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/delaware/election_2010_delaware_senate Rasmussen Reports
  73. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/8/10/891639/-DE-Sen,-DE-AL:-Castle-(R)-under-50,-Coons-(D)-still-unknown Public Policy Polling
  74. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/delaware/toplines/toplines_delaware_senate_september_2_2010 Rasmussen Reports
  75. http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_DE_915424.pdf Public Policy Polling
  76. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/22/cnntime-poll-coons-up-16-over-odonnell CNN
  77. http://publicmind.fdu.edu/desenate Fairleigh Dickinson University's Public Mind
  78. http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/DE_Topline.pdf FOX News/Pulse Opinion Research
  79. http://www.magellanstrategies.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Magellan-Delaware-US-Senate-Survey-Topline-Results-101010.pdf Magellan
  80. https://web.archive.org/web/20101125210326/http://monmouth.edu/polling/admin/polls/MUP37_DE.pdf Monmouth
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