Rob Andrews (NJ-1) by a margin of 62% to 32%. In November 2006, the senator had the lowest approval rating of any Democrat running for re-election in 2008 (with 39% approving and 45% disapproving), with his approval standing only at 42% as of September 2007 with voters saying he does not deserve re-election 46%-36%. The Republican nominee was former Congressman and 1996 senatorial candidate Dick Zimmer. Sara Lobman of the Socialist Workers Party and Independent Anthony Fisher were also declared candidates. Furthermore, in the wake of the financial crisis, Carl Peter Klapper entered the race as a write-in candidate. Lautenberg won re-election, winning 56%-42%. New Mexico While senator Pete Domenici had declared that he would seek re-election in New Mexico, he changed his mind and announced on October 4, 2007, that he was retiring at the end of his current term due to a degenerative brain disorder. Domenici normally would have been expected to win re-election easily, having won his current term with the support of two out of three New Mexico voters; however, he was to be investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee for his role in firing U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. Domenici's role in the developing scandal had reduced the probability he would have been re-elected, and a SurveyUSA poll showed his approval ratings at 41%, with 54% disapproving. The potential scandal may have also contributed to his decision to leave the Senate. Tom Udall, the popular Representative from New Mexico's 3rd District, was the Democratic nominee. The Republican nominee was Rep. Steve Pearce, who represented the more conservative southern part of the state. When asked whether the Republicans were abandoning their hopes of holding onto Domenici's seat, senator John Ensign, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, responded that "You don’t waste money on races that don’t need it or you can’t win." Udall won the election with 61% of the vote, with Pearce taking 39%. North Carolina In North Carolina, there had been rumors that senator Elizabeth Dole would retire from the Senate and run for governor, but she said in 2006 that she intended to run for re-election. There was early speculation that North Carolina Governor Mike Easley might be pressured into running against her but this did not come to pass. The Democratic nominee was state senator Kay Hagan, who defeated Jim Neal and Dustin Lassiter in the Democratic primary. A Rasmussen poll