1998 Georgia Gubernatorial Election
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The 1998 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democratic governor
Zell Miller Zell Bryan Miller (February 24, 1932 – March 23, 2018) was an American politician who served as the 79th governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999 and as a United States senator representing the state from 2000 to 2005. He was a member of the Dem ...
was unable to seek re-election due to term limits, therefore creating an open seat. To replace him, State Representative
Roy Barnes Roy Eugene Barnes (born March 11, 1948)Cook, James F. (2005). ''The Governors of Georgia, 1754-2004, 3rd Edition, Revised and Expanded.'' Macon, GA: Mercer University Press. is an American attorney and politician who served as the 80th governo ...
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 The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
in the previous four years, won the nomination of the Republican Party. In the general election, Barnes was able to defeat Millner by a margin of victory larger than Governor Miller's victory over Millner four years prior, which was in part due to the unpopularity and controversy of Mitch Skandalakis, the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia. As of , this is the most recent time a Democrat was elected Governor of Georgia.


Democratic primary


Candidates

*
Roy Barnes Roy Eugene Barnes (born March 11, 1948)Cook, James F. (2005). ''The Governors of Georgia, 1754-2004, 3rd Edition, Revised and Expanded.'' Macon, GA: Mercer University Press. is an American attorney and politician who served as the 80th governo ...
, State Representative from Marietta * Lewis A. Massey, Georgia Secretary of State * David Poythress, Georgia Commissioner of Labor * Steve Langford, Georgia state senator from
LaGrange Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi LagrangiaPine Mountain veterinarian and candidate for Senate in
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...


Results


Runoff results


Republican primary


Candidates

* Guy Millner,
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
Republican nominee for the
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,
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
Republican nominee for
Governor of Georgia The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's Georgia National Guard, National Guard, when not in federal service, and Georgia State Defense Force, State Defense Fo ...
, businessman * Mike Bowers, Attorney General of Georgia * Nancy Schaefer,
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia * Bruce Hatfield


Campaign

Bowers's campaign was derailed when he admitted to a fifteen-year extramarital affair with Anne Davis, his secretary and a former
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waitress. Davis publicly stated that the romance had been active as recently as April 1997, six weeks prior to Bowers' June 5 announcement.


Results

Millner narrowly avoided a run-off by just 1,573 votes. However, Bowers conceded before a recount finalized the result, admitting that all indications pointed to a victory for Millner."National News Briefs; Republican Concedes in Georgia Primary"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', July 29, 1998.


General election


Results


References

] {{DEFAULTSORT:Georgia Gubernatorial Election, 1998 Georgia (U.S. state) gubernatorial elections, 1998 Gubernatorial 1998 United States gubernatorial elections November 1998 in the United States July 1998 in the United States August 1998 in the United States