Georgia Democrats Look to Regroup After Loss
Nov 9, 2006 03:56 PM
ATLANTA (AP) -- In much of the country, Democrats this week were savoring victory at last. Not so in Georgia, where a humbling loss in the race for governor and gains by the GOP in other statewide contests made it clear that Democrats here had better get used to sitting in the cheap seats for awhile longer.
The state's most prominent Democratic stars -- Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor and Secretary of State Cathy Cox -- are packing it in at the end of the year, leaving the party without a clear leader. The two faced off in a bitter primary battle. Taylor won but emerged as damaged goods. He went on to lose resoundingly to Gov. Sonny Perdue.
State Democratic Party Chairman Bobby Kahn does not plan to stand for re-election in January. After generations in power, Georgia's Democrats are struggling to find their footing in the state's altered political landscape.
Still, Democrats say the news from Tuesday is not all bleak.
Not a single incumbent Democratic state legislator lost re-election in Georgia despite heavy spending and aggressive campaigns by some Republican challengers.
"I think what that says is the core of our party is still strong," state House Democratic Leader DuBose Porter, of Dublin, said.
The makeup of the state Senate remains 34 Republicans and 22 Democrats. The GOP picked up six seats in the state House of Representatives, but four of those were Democrats who defected. The other two were open seats.
In middle Georgia, U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall beat back a fierce challenge from former Mac Collins, a retired Republican congressman.
The lone question mark is in eastern Georgia, where Democratic U.S. Rep. John Barrow is leading challenger Max Burns by the slimmest of margins. An automatic recount is predicted.
Democrats said it is time to rebuild and regroup. That will mean grooming some young talent.
"We've got some really sharp, young, smart people," Porter said. "I think you'll be seeing more of them."
But in the short run, speculation centers on who will be in a position to run against U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss in 2008 or for governor in 2010 when Perdue wraps up his second term.
Attorney General Thurbert Baker, the top Democratic voter getter in the last election, could be a contender. He ran on a strong law-and-order platform and drew 1.17 million votes, almost 370,000 more votes than Taylor did at the top of the ticket.
So too could Marshall, who was able to eke out a victory in conservative middle Georgia despite President Bush touching down there twice to stump for his opponent.
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin is a star in the metro area, but might be seen as too liberal in other parts of the state.
And there is talk that Cox could mount another bid for office after losing the Democratic gubernatorial primary in July to Taylor.
Democrats agree on one critical point: They cannot afford another divisive primary.
"The gubernatorial election was lost in July," state Rep. Calvin Smyre, D-Columbus, said.
"We lost not one but two key Democrats because of the clash between Mark Taylor and Cathy Cox. We do not have the luxury of running against each other."
Democrats will be hurt by not having much of a say in the redistricting process in 2010. And while they remain out of power they will likely lag in fundraising. Perdue and the state Republican Party raised almost twice as much money as Taylor and the state Democratic Party were able to muster in the last election cycle.
Porter said he expects Democrats will be united in the coming legislative session behind education, job training, open government and ethics -- issues he noted that Democrats nationally rode to victory on Tuesday.
Eric Johnson, the state Senate's top Republican, said he hoped his colleagues across the aisle would be willing to work together in a more bipartisan fashion now that the election was over.
But asked who he thought would speak for the Democrats in Georgia, Johnson quipped "some poor sucker."
Article written by Associated Press writer Shannon McCaffrey.
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