Politics of Georgia (U.S. state)
Encyclopedia
Elections in Georgia are held to fill various state and federal seats. In Georgia
, regular elections are held every even year (such as 2006 and 2008), however the seats being decided each year varies, as the terms of office for certain seats varies. Special elections
are also held to fill certain seats at other points in time.
and readmission to the Union
during Reconstruction, Georgia was overwhelmingly dominated by the Democratic Party
. It existed under one-party rule
for a hundred years as did many other former states of the Confederacy
. White
voters often perceived the Republican Party
as the party of the North
standing for Yankee
values, growing industrialisation
, and an excessively powerful and interfering federal government
all arrayed against their localized agricultural
society. The abolition of slavery
by amendment to the U.S. Constitution
and the legacy of an economy damaged by war
and social upheaval led many to bitterly oppose a wide variety of national policies.
Elections to the U.S. Congress
during this period also saw both exclusively Democratic senators and either totally or almost-totally Democratic House delegations.From 1872 to 2002, Georgia voters consistently elected Democrats as governor and Democratic majorities to the state legislature.
Historically, elections at all levels of government in the U.S. state
of Georgia
was dominated by conservative
white Democrats
in the period between Reconstruction and the end of the New Deal Coalition
. For decades, Republicans
were a tiny minority, generally associated with Union military victory at the end of the Civil War
. Beginning in the 1950s, the credible enforcement of new laws inspired by the Civil Rights Movement began to steadily erode the preponderance of Democrats in elective office in Georgia. The repeal of Jim Crow laws
allowed previously disenfranchised African American
s to vote in elections and be active in politics. As many of these people joined with some white Democrats to work for more immediate liberal
and pluralistic policies, a growing number of conservative
white Democrats who supported either gradual change or none at all became Republicans, making Georgia politically competitive throughout the late 20th century. By the end of the 1950s, especially the strong showing in Georgia by Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1956 presidential race
, the Republican Party appeared positioned to gain even more ground in the coming years. The Democratic Party did not carry the state from the 1960 presidential election until Georgia's Jimmy Carter
ran for the White House 16 years later.
Beginning with Barry Goldwater
's presidential bid in 1964
, the Republican Party began making inroads in Georgia. In time, the Republican Party of Georgia would field competitive candidates and win races for seats in the U.S. Senate
and U.S. House of Representatives
. Widespread migration from northern states to the Atlanta
suburbs later permitted Republican candidates to win races for seats in the Georgia General Assembly
.
In presidential races, Georgia has not given its electoral college votes to the Republican candidate only four times since 1964: in 1968
, segregation
ist George Wallace
won a plurality of Georgia's votes on the American Independent Party
ticket; former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter won his home state by landslide margins in 1976
and 1980
; and then-Arkansas
Governor Bill Clinton
won a plurality of votes in 1992
against incumbent Republican George H. W. Bush
and Independent
Ross Perot
. Republican George W. Bush
won Georgia in 2000
and 2004
with 54.67% and 57.97%, respectively, of the vote. However, in 2008
, John McCain
won the state by 5 points, 52% to Democrat Barack Obama
's 47%.
By 2007, conservative Republicans had become the dominant force in state elections, with Republicans holding the offices of governor and lieutenant governor and significant majorities in both houses of the state General Assembly
. U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss
and Johnny Isakson
are together considered to be one of the most conservative Senate delegations. Since 2005, Georgia's U.S. House delegation has been composed of 7 Republicans and 6 Democrats.
As in many states, Democratic strongholds in Georgia include urban and minority-dominated areas. Democrats typically fare well in cities such as Atlanta, Macon
, and Columbus
, which have large minority populations, as well as Athens
, home of the University of Georgia
. The Republican Party dominates state elections through its hold on rural south Georgia, with a very notable exception in the southwestern part of the state; the Appalachian north; and many of Atlanta's suburbs. Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Newt Gingrich
, co-author of the Contract with America
and architect of the 1994 "Republican Revolution
," was from Cobb County
, a conservative suburban Atlanta county.
, who was elected as a Republican in 2010, and is now serving his first term of four years. The Lieutenant Governor
is Casey Cagle
. Other elected state executive officials include Secretary of State
Brian P. Kemp
, Attorney General
Sam Olens, Commissioner of Insurance
Ralph Hudgens
, and Superintendent of Schools
Kathy Cox
.
The Georgia General Assembly has been controlled by the Republicans since 2002. They have majorities over the Democrats in both the Senate and House of Representatives by margins of 33 to 23 and 101 to 79 respectively as of 2008. In congressional elections, Georgia is now represented in the U.S. Senate
by Saxby Chambliss
and Johnny Isakson
, who are both Republicans. The state also sends 13 members to the U.S. House of Representatives
, which in 2008 included 7 Republicans and 6 Democrats.
, decided to support Republicans.
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, regular elections are held every even year (such as 2006 and 2008), however the seats being decided each year varies, as the terms of office for certain seats varies. Special elections
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
are also held to fill certain seats at other points in time.
History
Following the end of martial lawMartial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
and readmission to the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
during Reconstruction, Georgia was overwhelmingly dominated by the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. It existed under one-party rule
Single-party state
A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system government in which a single political party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election...
for a hundred years as did many other former states of the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
voters often perceived the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
as the party of the North
Northern United States
Northern United States, also sometimes the North, may refer to:* A particular grouping of states or regions of the United States of America. The United States Census Bureau divides some of the northernmost United States into the Midwest Region and the Northeast Region...
standing for Yankee
Yankee
The term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
values, growing industrialisation
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
, and an excessively powerful and interfering federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
all arrayed against their localized agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
society. The abolition of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
by amendment to the U.S. Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
and the legacy of an economy damaged by war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
and social upheaval led many to bitterly oppose a wide variety of national policies.
Elections to the U.S. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
during this period also saw both exclusively Democratic senators and either totally or almost-totally Democratic House delegations.From 1872 to 2002, Georgia voters consistently elected Democrats as governor and Democratic majorities to the state legislature.
Historically, elections at all levels of government in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
was dominated by conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
white Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in the period between Reconstruction and the end of the New Deal Coalition
New Deal coalition
The New Deal Coalition was the alignment of interest groups and voting blocs that supported the New Deal and voted for Democratic presidential candidates from 1932 until the late 1960s. It made the Democratic Party the majority party during that period, losing only to Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952...
. For decades, Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
were a tiny minority, generally associated with Union military victory at the end of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Beginning in the 1950s, the credible enforcement of new laws inspired by the Civil Rights Movement began to steadily erode the preponderance of Democrats in elective office in Georgia. The repeal of Jim Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
allowed previously disenfranchised African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s to vote in elections and be active in politics. As many of these people joined with some white Democrats to work for more immediate liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and pluralistic policies, a growing number of conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
white Democrats who supported either gradual change or none at all became Republicans, making Georgia politically competitive throughout the late 20th century. By the end of the 1950s, especially the strong showing in Georgia by Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1956 presidential race
United States presidential election, 1956
The United States presidential election of 1956 saw a popular Dwight D. Eisenhower successfully run for re-election. The 1956 election was a rematch of 1952, as Eisenhower's opponent in 1956 was Democrat Adlai Stevenson, whom Eisenhower had defeated four years earlier.Incumbent President Eisenhower...
, the Republican Party appeared positioned to gain even more ground in the coming years. The Democratic Party did not carry the state from the 1960 presidential election until Georgia's Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
ran for the White House 16 years later.
Beginning with Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
's presidential bid in 1964
United States presidential election, 1964
The United States presidential election of 1964 was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Johnson, who had successfully associated himself with Kennedy's...
, the Republican Party began making inroads in Georgia. In time, the Republican Party of Georgia would field competitive candidates and win races for seats in the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Widespread migration from northern states to the Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
suburbs later permitted Republican candidates to win races for seats in the Georgia General Assembly
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
.
In presidential races, Georgia has not given its electoral college votes to the Republican candidate only four times since 1964: in 1968
United States presidential election, 1968
The United States presidential election of 1968 was the 46th quadrennial United States presidential election. Coming four years after Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson won in a historic landslide, it saw Johnson forced out of the race and Republican Richard Nixon elected...
, segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
ist George Wallace
George Wallace
George Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
won a plurality of Georgia's votes on the American Independent Party
American Independent Party
The American Independent Party is a right-wing political party of the United States that was established in 1967 by Bill and Eileen Shearer. In 1968, the American Independent Party nominated George C. Wallace as its presidential candidate and retired Air Force General Curtis E. LeMay as the vice...
ticket; former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter won his home state by landslide margins in 1976
United States presidential election, 1976
The United States presidential election of 1976 followed the resignation of President Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal. It pitted incumbent President Gerald Ford, the Republican candidate, against the relatively unknown former governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, the Democratic...
and 1980
United States presidential election, 1980
The United States presidential election of 1980 featured a contest between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican opponent, Ronald Reagan, as well as Republican Congressman John B. Anderson, who ran as an independent...
; and then-Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
Governor Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
won a plurality of votes in 1992
United States presidential election, 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....
against incumbent Republican George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
and Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
. Republican George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
won Georgia in 2000
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
and 2004
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
with 54.67% and 57.97%, respectively, of the vote. However, in 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
won the state by 5 points, 52% to Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's 47%.
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
. U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss
Saxby Chambliss
Clarence Saxby Chambliss, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a U.S. Representative ....
and Johnny Isakson
Johnny Isakson
John Hardy "Johnny" Isakson is the junior United States Senator from Georgia and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he represented in the House....
are together considered to be one of the most conservative Senate delegations. Since 2005, Georgia's U.S. House delegation has been composed of 7 Republicans and 6 Democrats.
As in many states, Democratic strongholds in Georgia include urban and minority-dominated areas. Democrats typically fare well in cities such as Atlanta, Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, and Columbus
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
, which have large minority populations, as well as Athens
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, home of the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
. The Republican Party dominates state elections through its hold on rural south Georgia, with a very notable exception in the southwestern part of the state; the Appalachian north; and many of Atlanta's suburbs. Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
, co-author of the Contract with America
Contract with America
The Contract with America was a document released by the United States Republican Party during the 1994 Congressional election campaign. Written by Larry Hunter, who was aided by Newt Gingrich, Robert Walker, Richard Armey, Bill Paxon, Tom DeLay, John Boehner and Jim Nussle, and in part using text...
and architect of the 1994 "Republican Revolution
Republican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
," was from Cobb County
Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, which is located in the center of the county. The county was named for Thomas Willis Cobb, who in the early 19th century was a United States representative and senator from Georgia...
, a conservative suburban Atlanta county.
Modern times
The current Governor of Georgia is Nathan DealNathan Deal
John Nathan Deal is a United States politician, the 82nd and current Governor of Georgia. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1992 but switched to the Republican Party in 1995...
, who was elected as a Republican in 2010, and is now serving his first term of four years. The Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
is Casey Cagle
Casey Cagle
Lowell S. "Casey" Cagle is an American politician currently serving as the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Georgia. He is a member of the Republican Party, a conservative, and a former member of the General Assembly in the U.S. state of Georgia. In 2006, Cagle defeated political activist Ralph...
. Other elected state executive officials include Secretary of State
Secretary of State (U.S. state government)
Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the Secretary of the Commonwealth...
Brian P. Kemp
Brian P. Kemp
Brian P. Kemp is the Republican Secretary of State of the U.S. State of Georgia. Kemp succeeded Karen Handel on January 8, 2010, when she stepped down to run in the Georgia gubernatorial election, 2010....
, Attorney General
State Attorney General
The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states and territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those...
Sam Olens, Commissioner of Insurance
Insurance commissioner
Insurance commissioner is an executive office in many U.S. states, some in the state cabinet. The office differs state by state:...
Ralph Hudgens
Ralph Hudgens
Ralph Hudgens is the Commissioner of Insurance of the state of Georgia. Hudgens served in the Georgia House of Representatives as well as the Georgia Senate. He has been a delegate to numerous Republican Party events...
, and Superintendent of Schools
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
Kathy Cox
Kathy Cox
Kathy Cox is a former superintendent of public schools for the U.S. state of Georgia, and is a Republican. A high school teacher by occupation, Cox also served two terms, from 1998 to 2002, in the Georgia General Assembly, representing Peachtree City, Georgia, prior to her election as...
.
The Georgia General Assembly has been controlled by the Republicans since 2002. They have majorities over the Democrats in both the Senate and House of Representatives by margins of 33 to 23 and 101 to 79 respectively as of 2008. In congressional elections, Georgia is now represented in the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
by Saxby Chambliss
Saxby Chambliss
Clarence Saxby Chambliss, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a U.S. Representative ....
and Johnny Isakson
Johnny Isakson
John Hardy "Johnny" Isakson is the junior United States Senator from Georgia and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he represented in the House....
, who are both Republicans. The state also sends 13 members to the U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, which in 2008 included 7 Republicans and 6 Democrats.
21st century
In the 21st century, many conservative Democrats, including former U.S. Senator and governor Zell MillerZell Miller
Zell Bryan Miller is an American politician from the US state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as Lieutenant Governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as United States Senator from 2000 to 2005....
, decided to support Republicans.
See also
- Political party strength in Georgia (U.S. state)Political party strength in Georgia (U.S. state)The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Georgia:*Governor*Lieutenant Governor*Secretary of State*Attorney General*State School Superintendent*Commissioner of Agriculture*Commissioner of Insurance*Commissioner of Labor...
- United States Senate election in Georgia, 2010United States Senate election in Georgia, 2010The 2010 United States Senate election in Georgia took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson won re-election to a second term.-Candidates:*Mike Thurmond, Commissioner of Labor...
- Georgia gubernatorial election, 2010Georgia gubernatorial election, 2010The 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Republican Governor Sonny Perdue was term-limited and unable to seek re-election. Primary elections for the Republican and Democratic parties took place on July 20, with a Republican runoff on August 10. The...
- Georgia gubernatorial election, 1998Georgia gubernatorial election, 1998The 1998 Georgia Gubernatorial Election was held on November 3, 1998. State Representative and former state Senator Roy Barnes won election for Governor after popular Incumbent Governor Zell Miller was term-limited. Barnes defeated Businessman Guy Millner in the latter's third and final campaign...
- United States Senate election in Georgia, 2008United States Senate election in Georgia, 2008-Results:-Democratic:Jim Martin, a former State Representative, former State Human Resources Commissioner, Vietnam War veteran, and 2006 nominee for lieutenant governor, is challenging Chambliss for his seat. He has made his support for PeachCare and other social services a signature issue in the...
- United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia, 2008United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia, 2008The 2008 congressional elections in Georgia were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who would represent the state of Georgia in the United States House of Representatives, coinciding with the presidential and senatorial elections...
- Government of Georgia (U.S. state)Government of Georgia (U.S. state)The state government of Georgia is the U.S. state governmental body established by the Georgia State Constitution. It is a republican government with three branches: the legislature, executive, and judiciary...
- Politics of Georgia (U.S. state)Politics of Georgia (U.S. state)Elections in Georgia are held to fill various state and federal seats. In Georgia, regular elections are held every even year , however the seats being decided each year varies, as the terms of office for certain seats varies...
Presidential elections
- 2004 Presidential Election
- 2008 Presidential ElectionUnited States presidential election in Georgia, 2008The 2008 United States presidential election in Georgia took place on November 4, 2008 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 2008 United States presidential election. Voters chose 15 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice...
Presidential primaries
- 2008 Democratic PrimaryGeorgia Democratic primary, 2008The Georgia Democratic Presidential Primary took place on Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008, and had a total of 87 delegates at stake. The winner in each of Georgia's 13 congressional districts was awarded all of that district's delegates, totaling 57. Another 30 delegates were awarded to the...
- 2008 Republican PrimaryGeorgia Republican primary, 2008The 2008 Georgia Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008 , with 72 national delegates at stake. Mike Huckabee was the winner of the primary.- Results :* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary- See also :...
External links
- Elections at the Georgia Secretary of State official website