There are reports the incoming Obama Administration is eyeing Georgia Representative Sanford Bishop to be the next Agriculture Secretary. The eight-term Democrat from Albany told the Associated Press he is honored his name has surfaced, but he has not been contacted about the job. Bishop is among the most conservative African-Americans in Congress and has long been involved in agriculture issues in Congress. He is a go-to lawmaker for Southern farmers because of his position as a senior member of the spending committee for agriculture. Bishop says he would be ready to serve.
Georgia Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss handed the GOP a firewall against Democrats eager to flex their newfound political muscle in Washington, winning a bruising runoff battle Tuesday night that had captured the national limelight.
Chambliss' victory thwarted Democrats' hopes of winning a 60 seat filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. It came after a bitter monthlong runoff against Democrat Jim Martin that drew political luminaries from both parties to the state and flooded the airwaves with fresh attack ads weeks after campaigns elsewhere had ended.
Minnesota - where a recount is under way - now remains the only unresolved Senate contest in the country. But the stakes there are significantly lower now that Georgia has put a 60-seat Democratic supermajority out of reach.
With 92 percent of the precincts reporting, Chambliss captured 58 percent to Martin's 42 percent. Chambliss' win is a rare bright spot for Republicans in a year where they lost the White House as well as seats in the House and the Senate.
Chambliss portrayed his win as an encouraging sign for Republicans looking to regroup as they head into the next election cycle.
"I'm excited to be the first race that leads us into the 2010 campaign because it'll be a tough fight," Chambliss said at a victory party in Cobb County.
Martin called Chambliss to concede before 10 p.m., then emerged to tell supporters as his voice cracked: "For me and my family and campaign team and all of you this is a sad moment."
Chambliss' mantra on the runoff campaign trail was simple: His re-election was critical to prevent Democrats in Washington from having a blank check. Chambliss, 65, had angered some conservatives with his vote for the $700 billion bailout of the financial services industry and his early support in 2007 for the guest worker provision in President Bush's immigration bill. But fearful of unchecked Democratic dominance, some came back into the GOP fold Tuesday
Martin made the economy the centerpiece of his bid, casting himself as a champion for the neglected middle class. He also linked himself at every opportunity to Barack Obama and his message of change. The Democratic president elect was a no show on the campaign trail in Georgia but did record a radio ad and automated phone calls for Martin.
In the end, Martin, a 63-year-old former state lawmaker from Atlanta, wasn't able to get Obama voters back to the polls in large enough numbers to overcome the Republican advantage in Georgia, which has become an increasingly a reliable red state since 2002.
Turnout was light throughout the state Tuesday. A spokesman for Secretary of State Karen Handel predicted between 18 and 20 percent of the state's 5.75 million registered voters would cast ballots - far less than the 65 percent who voted in last month's general election.
The runoff between the former University of Georgia fraternity brothers was necessary after a three-way general election prevented any of the candidates from getting the necessary 50 percent.
Preliminary voting results are trickling into the Secretary of State's office for the December 2 runoff election.
As of 8:15 p.m., incumbent Senator Saxby Chambliss has the lead with 65.3% of the vote while Democratic challenger Jim Martin has 34.7%. Twenty-three percent of the precincts are reporting.
In the Public Service Commission race, Republican Lauren "Bubba" McDonald leads Democrat Jim Powell 64.0% to 36.0%.
Stay with GPB News for the latest election results.
Georgia Gazette commentator Stephanie Tames’ shares her thoughts about living in what the media’s stigmatized as the Deep-South…post- an Obama win. Stephanie Tames is a writer living in Statesboro.
Results are still coming in on three statewide races – Public Service Commission, Court of Appeals, and the most high-profile of them all – U.S. Senate. Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin have spent the last month doing everything they can to get supporters to vote today … bringing out celebrities, criss-crossing the state to rally, robo-calls galore and television attack ads you couldn't get away from. To find out how voters responded today, we took the pulse of two polling locations in Macon and Augusta.
The 2008 election season is almost over.Activity at polling locations is winding down, as today's runoff election wraps up. We hear from Secretary of State Karen Handel.
The US Senate Race is not the only contest that will be decided today. Tom Crawford of CapitolImpact.com joined us on Georgia Gazette to tell us about other races on the ballot. Listen in by clicking the play button in the player below.
Martin, flanked by political and musical supporters at the state capitol, Monday, Dec. 1, 2008. (Dave Bender)
Democratic Senate candidate Jim Martin got a boost from Atlanta's self-declared "hip-hop royalty" on the eve of the runoff race against opponent, Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss.
Veteran Democratic Party officials including Congressman John Lewis, state Democratic Party Chair Jane Kidd, and numerous others crowded the stage, taking turns rallying the crowd of several hundred supporters.
Rapper Ludacris called on the crowd to go and vote Tuesday morning for Democratic Senate candidate Jim Martin, at a rally on the steps of the capitol, Monday, Dec., 1, 2008. (Dave Bender)
Braving chilly weather, Martin was joined on a stage set up on the steps of the capitol, by a bevy of acclaimed rappers including Ludacris and T.I (Clifford Harris).
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin stumping for incumbent Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss in his runoff race against opponent Democrat Jim Martin at a rally in Perry, Georgia, Dec., 1, 2008.
