2002 United States Senate election in Georgia

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The 2002 United States Senate election in Georgia took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Max Cleland ran for re-election to a second term but was defeated by Republican Saxby Chambliss by nearly a seven-point margin, becoming the first Republican ever to win the state's Class 2 Senate seat. This was one of the six Democratic-held Senate seats up for election in a state that George W. Bush won in the 2000 presidential election.

Quick facts Nominee, Party ...
2002 United States Senate election in Georgia
← 1996
November 5, 2002
2008 →
 
Nominee Saxby Chambliss Max Cleland
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 1,071,153 931,857
Percentage 52.77% 45.90%
Chambliss:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Cleland:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Tie:      40–50%      50%      No data
U.S. Senator before election

Max Cleland
Democratic

 Elected U.S. Senator

Saxby Chambliss
Republican

Close

Democrat Roy Barnes simultaneously lost the gubernatorial election to Republican Sonny Perdue, marking just the sixth time in the last 50 years in which U.S. Senate and gubernatorial incumbents from the same political party were simultaneously defeated in the same state.[1][a]

Democratic primary

Max Cleland, the incumbent U.S. Senator, won renomination unopposed.[2]

Republican primary

Three candidates ran in the primary:[3]

Chambliss won easily, carrying nearly every county.

More information Party, Candidate ...
Republican primary results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Saxby Chambliss 300,371 61.1
Republican Bob Irvin 132,132 26.9
Republican Robert Brown 59,109 12.0
Total votes 491,612 100.00
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Campaign

Chambliss's campaign used the refrain of national defense and security, but drew criticism for television ads that paired images of Cleland and Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, and for questioning the commitment to homeland security of his opponent, a triple amputee and decorated Vietnam veteran.[5][6] Republican Senator and fellow Vietnam veteran John McCain of Arizona said of one ad, "It's worse than disgraceful, it's reprehensible."[7] McCain, along with Republican Senator and fellow Vietnam veteran Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, made significant complaints to the Republican National Committee until the ads were taken down.[8] Political strategist Rick Wilson received criticism from numerous journalists for his role in the ad, including from Glenn Greenwald, Charlie Pierce, and the Center for Public Integrity.[9][10][11]

Debates

Predictions

More information Source, Ranking ...
Source Ranking As of
Sabato's Crystal Ball[12] Lean D November 4, 2002
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Results

More information Party, Candidate ...
General election results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Saxby Chambliss 1,071,153 52.77%
Democratic Max Cleland (incumbent) 931,857 45.90%
Libertarian Claude Thomas 26,981 1.33%
Total votes 2,029,991 100.0%
Republican gain from Democratic
Close

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    The others were 1972 in Delaware, 1974 in Colorado and Ohio, 1978 in Minnesota, and 1980 in Washington.[1]

References

External links

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