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County results Miller: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Millner: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Georgia |
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The 1994 Georgia gubernatorial election occurred on November 8, 1994, to elect the next governor of Georgia from 1995 to 1999. Incumbent Democratic Governor Zell Miller, first elected in 1990, ran for a second term. In his party's primary, Miller received three challengers, but easily prevailed with just over 70% of the vote. The contest for the Republican nomination, however, was a competitive race. As no candidate received a majority of the vote, John Knox and Guy Millner advanced to a run-off election. Millner was victorious and received the Republican nomination after garnering 59.41% of the vote.
The general election was a competitive race between Zell Miller and Guy Millner. Issues such as welfare reform, education, and the removal of the Confederate battle flag from Georgia's state flag dominated the election. On election day, Miller defeated Millner 51.05%-48.95% in the third-closest gubernatorial election in Georgian history – behind only the 2018 and 1966 elections – since Reconstruction due to the strong Republican wave of 1994. Although the state was becoming increasingly more Republican, Democrats would retain the Governor's mansion until 2003. As of 2022, this is the last time Catoosa County voted for the Democratic candidate for governor.
Incumbent Governor Zell Miller (D) chose to run for re-election in 1994. Early in his first term, Miller's approval rating fell significantly after attempting to gain legislative support for removing the Confederate battle flag from Georgia's state flag. [1] Miller wanted the Confederate battle flag removed before Atlanta hosted Super Bowl XXVIII and the 1996 Summer Olympics, [2] but backed down in March 1993 after it became apparent that the Georgia House of Representatives would not support this proposal. [3] However, following the same legislative session, Miller's popularity began to recover after bills were passed that initiated his welfare reform proposals. Miller's disapproval promptly decreased to 29% and fell further to 25% about a year later. [1]
A week prior to the scheduled primary elections on July 12, 14 polling locations in the southwestern portion of the state were either underwater or serving as emergency shelters as a result of the disastrous flooding wrought by Tropical Storm Alberto. State officials began discussing delaying the primary elections. However, on July 19, turnout exceeded predictions. [4]
Despite pledging in 1990 to serve only one term, incumbent Governor Zell Miller announced his re-election bid on June 16, 1993. [5] During the next 12 months, three other Democrats entered the primary, they included perennial candidate Jim Boyd, State Representative Charles "Judy" Poag, and Korean War veteran Mark Tate. Boyd and Poag attacked Miller for attempting to change the state flag and increasing fees for driver's licenses, car tags, and sporting licenses. Miller defended other portions of his record, including the establishment of the Georgia Lottery, the passage of a $100 million tax cut, and a bill proposed that would take a tougher stance on violent criminals. In May 1994, Mark Tate was convicted of attempting defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs out of $99,000 by falsely claiming he had no other source of income. His sentencing was scheduled for July 19, the day of the primary. However, Tate's name remained on the ballot. [6]
Miller easily prevailed against the other three Democrats, winning just over 70% of the vote, compared to 17.06% for Boyd, 6.69% for Tate, and 6.23% for Poag. Because Miller received a majority of the votes, he immediately advanced to the general election without a run-off. [7]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Zell Miller (incumbent) | 321,963 | 70.03 | |
Democratic | Jim Boyd | 78,444 | 17.06 | |
Democratic | Mark Tate | 30,749 | 6.69 | |
Democratic | Charles "Judy" Poag | 28,623 | 6.23 | |
Total votes | 459,779 | 100.00 |
Five Republicans entered to compete for the party nomination, including former State House Minority Leader Paul W. Heard, Jr., former Mayor of Waycross John Knox, Atlanta management consultant Nimrod McNair, businessman Guy Millner, and Tift County developer Leonard Morris. Then-State Senator Johnny Isakson, Miller's 1990 general election opponent, announced his intention to run again on June 16, 1993. [5] However, he apparently withdrew from the race well before the primary in July 1994. Bert Lance, a Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Jimmy Carter, predicted a run-off in the Republican primary. He also believed that Miller would face a tougher re-election against Paul Heard, citing his legislative experience and noting that, "Paul knows the state well and has the potential to be a strong candidate." During the primary, Heard pledged to reduce taxes and improve education, while attacking Miller's new prison release program, which, in Heard's opinion, un-incarcerated too many criminals. Similarly, Knox promised to cut income tax by $250 million in his first year in office, reform education, and make prison "hard time". Millner pledged to decrease taxes, make Georgia's education the top-ranking in the Southern United States, reform welfare, and force violent criminals to serve their entire sentence.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Guy Millner | 142,263 | 47.86 | |
Republican | John Knox | 84,563 | 28.45 | |
Republican | Paul W. Heard, Jr. | 46,761 | 15.73 | |
Republican | Nimrod McNair | 20,042 | 6.74 | |
Republican | Leonard Morris | 3,592 | 1.21 | |
Total votes | 297,221 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Guy Millner | 131,280 | 59.41 | |
Republican | John Knox | 89,709 | 40.59 | |
Total votes | 220,989 | 100.0 |
Source | Date | Miller (D) | Millner (R) |
---|---|---|---|
WXIA-TV | Nov. 6, 1994 | 48% | 41% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Zell Miller (incumbent) | 788,926 | 51.05% | -1.83% | |
Republican | Guy Millner | 756,371 | 48.95% | +4.41% | |
Majority | 32,555 | 2.11% | -6.24% | ||
Turnout | 1,545,297 | ||||
Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
The flag of Georgia is the flag of the U.S. state of Georgia. Its current iteration was adopted on February 19, 2003. The flag bears three horizontal stripes and features a blue canton containing a ring of 13 white stars that encircle the state's gold-colored coat of arms. The ring of stars that encompass the state's coat of arms represents Georgia as one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Zell Bryan Miller was an American politician who served as the 79th governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999 and as a United States senator representing Georgia from 2000 to 2005. He was a member of the Democratic Party.
Denise Lorraine Majette is an American politician from the state of Georgia. A Democrat, she represented Georgia's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005.
John Hardy Isakson was an American businessman and politician who served as a United States senator from Georgia from 2005 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Georgia legislature and the United States House of Representatives.
Roy Eugene Barnes is an American attorney and politician who served as the 80th governor of Georgia from 1999 to 2003. As of 2023, he is the most recent Democrat to serve as governor of Georgia.
Southern Democrats are affiliates of the U.S. Democratic Party who reside in the Southern United States.
Elections in Georgia are held to fill various state and federal seats. Regular elections are held every even year. The positions being decided each year varies, as the terms of office varies. The State Senate, State House and U.S. House will typically be up for election, as all of those positions have two-year terms. Special elections are held to fill vacated offices. Georgia is one of seven states that require a run-off election if no candidate receives a majority of the vote in a primary election. Uniquely, Georgia requires a run-off election for state and congressional offices if no candidate wins a majority of the vote in a general election; only Louisiana has a similar requirement, but it operates under a different election system.
The 1996 United States Senate elections were held on November 5, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. They coincided with the presidential election of the same year, in which Democrat Bill Clinton was re-elected president.
Jonathan Tate Reeves is an American politician serving since 2020 as the 65th governor of Mississippi. A member of the Republican Party, Reeves served as the 32nd lieutenant governor of Mississippi from 2012 to 2020 and as the 53rd Mississippi State Treasurer from 2004 to 2012.
David James Shafer is an American politician who is a former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party. From 2002 to 2019, Shafer was a Republican member of the Georgia State Senate from Senate District 48, a suburban district located north of Atlanta that includes portions of Fulton County and Gwinnett County.
Guy W. Millner is an American multi-millionaire businessman who ran as a Republican for Governor of Georgia in 1994, United States Senator from Georgia in 1996 and Governor of Georgia in 1998, losing all three races.
The 1990 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1990. Lieutenant Governor Zell Miller ran for governor after incumbent Joe Frank Harris was term-limited, defeating Andrew Young, Roy Barnes, and Lester Maddox for the Democratic nomination, and defeated Johnny Isakson, a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. As of 2022, this is the last time that Dade, Walker, Whitfield, Murray, Gilmer, Fannin, Floyd, Gordon, Pickens, Dawson, Forsyth, Hall, Barrow, Jackson, Madison, White, Walton, Paulding, Carroll, Coweta, Troup, Spalding, Pike, Harris, Glynn, Camden, Bryan, and Effingham counties voted for the Democratic candidate for governor.
The 1980 United States Senate election in Georgia was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator and former Governor of Georgia Herman Talmadge ran for reelection to a fifth term, but lost narrowly to Mack Mattingly, Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party.
The 1992 United States Senate election in Georgia was held on November 3, 1992. In the general election, which occurred simultaneously with the presidential election, incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Wyche Fowler received more votes, but did not achieve a simple majority. Under Georgia law, this demanded a runoff. Paul Coverdell, the former Director of the Peace Corps, edged out Fowler in the November 24 runoff by a narrow margin, flipping the seat to the Republicans. It was the first Senate runoff election to be held in Georgia since runoffs were first mandated in 1964.
The 2000 United States Senate special election in Georgia was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Zell Miller, who was appointed by Governor Roy Barnes to replace the deceased Paul Coverdell, overwhelmingly won election to serve the remainder of the term. Miller defeated Republican Mack Mattingly, a former U.S. Senator in a landslide of over 20 points, carrying 110 of the state's 120 counties.
The 1996 United States Senate election in Georgia was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic United States Senator Sam Nunn decided to retire instead of seeking a fifth term. Democratic Secretary of State Max Cleland won the open seat over Republican businessman Guy Millner.
The 1998 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democratic Governor Zell Miller was unable to seek re-election due to term limits, therefore creating an open seat. To replace him, State Representative Roy Barnes won the Democratic Party's nomination after a close and highly contested primary election, while businessman Guy Millner, who had run for Governor and the United States Senate in the previous four years, won the nomination of the Republican Party.
The 2014 United States Senate election in Georgia was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Georgia, concurrently with the election of the Governor of Georgia, as well as elections to the United States Senate in other states, to the United States House of Representatives, and to various other state and local offices.
The 2022 Georgia lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the lieutenant governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. It coincided with various other statewide elections, including for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and Governor of Georgia. Georgia is one of 21 states that elects its lieutenant governor separately from its governor.
The 2004 Georgia flag referendum was a legislatively referred advisory referendum in Georgia. It took place on March 2, 2004, alongside the state's presidential primaries. The result was overwhelmingly in favour of the 2003 flag, which gained 73.1% of the vote.