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Georgia voters return to polls
Tuesday, December 02, 2008 | No comments posted.
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia voters had their hands on the balance of power in the next U.S. Senate in a runoff election today, one of two unresolved races that Democrats need to win to get a 60-seat majority impervious to GOP filibusters.
Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss faced Democrat Jim Martin after a post-general election campaign that drew national political heavyweights from both parties.
In Minnesota, a recount that could take weeks is under way in a tight race between Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken.
No problems were reported after Georgia polls opened at 7 a.m., Secretary of State spokesman Matt Carrothers said. A few precincts reported short lines. Polls were scheduled to close at 7 p.m.
Chambliss and Martin both fell short of the 50-percent threshold in a three-way general election race with Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley, who drew 3.4 percent of the vote. It’s Georgia’s first Senate runoff since 1992.
, when Democratic Sen. Wyche Fowler was upset by Republican Paul Coverdell.
Chambliss is seeking a second term after winning in 2002 against Democratic Sen. Max Cleland in a campaign that infuriated Democrats with a TV ad that questioned Cleland’s commitment to national security and flashed a photo of Osama bin Laden.
Martin has aligned himself with President-elect Barack Obama’s message of change, and has vowed to provide economic relief for the middle class. Chambliss has promised to be a firewall against a Democratic-dominated Washington getting a “blank check.”
Early voting statistics were encouraging for the Chambliss camp. Of the nearly 500,000 early voters, turnout was down among black voters and higher among white males compared to advance voting before the general election.
White males normally are a solid Republican constituency in Georgia, while exit polls showed that Martin won the votes of nine of ten Georgia blacks who registered a preference.
Still, analysts say it’s hard to tell how that may impact Tuesday’s contest.
“It doesn’t mean the overall turnout will be skewed,” said Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz. “It could just mean that there’s much less incentive to early vote this time, because no one’s expecting there to be long lines now.”
Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel did not predict turnout for the contest, but the 1992 runoff attracted about 1.2 million voters — roughly half the turnout in that year’s general election.
Roughly 4 million people cast ballots in this year’s general election, and both sides have since tried to keep voters’ attention with a barrage of ads and visits by political heavy-hitters.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore both stumped for Martin. President-elect Barack Obama recorded a radio ad for Martin and sent 100 field operatives, but he didn’t campaign in the state despite a request from Martin to do so.
Several ex-Republican presidential candidates made appearances for Chambliss, including GOP nominee John McCain, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain’s vice presidential pick, held four rallies for Chambliss that drew thousands of party faithful Monday.
———
Associated Press writers Russ Bynum in Savannah and Johnny Clark in Atlanta contributed to this report.
———
On the Net:
Saxby Chambliss: www.saxby.org
Jim Martin: www.martinforsenate.com
Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss faced Democrat Jim Martin after a post-general election campaign that drew national political heavyweights from both parties.
In Minnesota, a recount that could take weeks is under way in a tight race between Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken.
No problems were reported after Georgia polls opened at 7 a.m., Secretary of State spokesman Matt Carrothers said. A few precincts reported short lines. Polls were scheduled to close at 7 p.m.
Chambliss and Martin both fell short of the 50-percent threshold in a three-way general election race with Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley, who drew 3.4 percent of the vote. It’s Georgia’s first Senate runoff since 1992.
, when Democratic Sen. Wyche Fowler was upset by Republican Paul Coverdell.
Chambliss is seeking a second term after winning in 2002 against Democratic Sen. Max Cleland in a campaign that infuriated Democrats with a TV ad that questioned Cleland’s commitment to national security and flashed a photo of Osama bin Laden.
Martin has aligned himself with President-elect Barack Obama’s message of change, and has vowed to provide economic relief for the middle class. Chambliss has promised to be a firewall against a Democratic-dominated Washington getting a “blank check.”
Early voting statistics were encouraging for the Chambliss camp. Of the nearly 500,000 early voters, turnout was down among black voters and higher among white males compared to advance voting before the general election.
White males normally are a solid Republican constituency in Georgia, while exit polls showed that Martin won the votes of nine of ten Georgia blacks who registered a preference.
Still, analysts say it’s hard to tell how that may impact Tuesday’s contest.
“It doesn’t mean the overall turnout will be skewed,” said Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz. “It could just mean that there’s much less incentive to early vote this time, because no one’s expecting there to be long lines now.”
Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel did not predict turnout for the contest, but the 1992 runoff attracted about 1.2 million voters — roughly half the turnout in that year’s general election.
Roughly 4 million people cast ballots in this year’s general election, and both sides have since tried to keep voters’ attention with a barrage of ads and visits by political heavy-hitters.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore both stumped for Martin. President-elect Barack Obama recorded a radio ad for Martin and sent 100 field operatives, but he didn’t campaign in the state despite a request from Martin to do so.
Several ex-Republican presidential candidates made appearances for Chambliss, including GOP nominee John McCain, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain’s vice presidential pick, held four rallies for Chambliss that drew thousands of party faithful Monday.
———
Associated Press writers Russ Bynum in Savannah and Johnny Clark in Atlanta contributed to this report.
———
On the Net:
Saxby Chambliss: www.saxby.org
Jim Martin: www.martinforsenate.com
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