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 2024, this was the last congressional election in Rhode Island to be won by a Republican.

2000 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

← 1994 November 7, 2000 2006 →
 
Nominee Lincoln Chafee Robert Weygand
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 222,588 161,023
Percentage 56.88% 41.15%

Chafee:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Weygand:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Lincoln Chafee[a]
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Lincoln Chafee
Republican

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Weygand defeated former nominee Licht in the Democratic primary by a fair margin.

Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert Weygand 51,769 57.49
Democratic Richard A. Licht 38,281 42.51
Total votes 90,050 100.00

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Republican Party primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lincoln Chafee (Incumbent) 2,221 100.00
Total votes 2,221 100.00

General election

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At a state and federal level, Rhode Island has been one of the most Democratic states in the country since the 1930s. The state voted Republican only in landslide presidential elections. In the concurrent 2000 presidential election, Al Gore was safely favored to win by the state.

Nonetheless, former Senator John Chafee managed to continually win re-election as a moderate Republican. Chafee died in 1999 and his son, Lincoln, was appointed to the seat. Lincoln Chafee similarly was a moderate Republican as Mayor of Warwick.

In the general election, Republican Chafee won a full term with 57% of the vote to his opponent due to heavy ticket splitting. Al Gore carried Rhode Island in the concurrent presidential election with 61% of the vote.

Candidates

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Debates

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Results

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General election results[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Lincoln Chafee (Incumbent) 222,588 56.88% −7.65%
Democratic Robert Weygand 161,023 41.15% +5.67%
Reform Christopher Young 4,107 1.05%
Independent Kenneth Proulx 3,635 0.93%
Majority 61,565 15.73% −13.32%
Turnout 391,353
Republican hold Swing

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ In October 1999, Chafee was appointed by Governor Lincoln Almond to fill the vacancy caused by the death of (his father) Senator John Chafee.

References

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  1. ^ "Results summary". www.elections.state.ri.us. 2000. Archived from the original (PHP) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  2. ^ "Results summary". www.elections.state.ri.us. 2000. Archived from the original (PHP) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  3. ^ "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved May 7, 2021.