The 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent
Republican governor
Sonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III (born December 20, 1946) is an American politician, veterinarian, and businessman who served as the 31st United States secretary of agriculture from 2017 to 2021.
A member of the Republican Party (United States), ...
was term-limited and unable to seek re-election.
Primary elections
Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pri ...
for the
Republican and
Democratic parties took place on July 20. Democrats nominated former governor
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 ...
, and Republicans nominated Representative
Nathan Deal
John Nathan Deal (born August 25, 1942) is an American politician and former lawyer who served as the 82nd governor of Georgia from 2011 to 2019. A Republican, he previously served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Deal served ...
following a
runoff on August 10. The
Libertarian Party also had
ballot access
Ballot access is rules and procedures regulating the right to candidacy, the conditions under which a candidate, political party, or ballot measure is entitled to appear on voters' ballots in elections in the United States.
The jurisprudence o ...
and nominated
John Monds
John Monds (born June 17, 1965) is an American politician and activist. He was the Libertarian nominee for Governor of Georgia in 2010. He was the first African American to appear on the general election ballot for Governor of Georgia.
In 2008 ...
. Deal won the general election, and took office on January 10, 2011.
, this was the last election in which a candidate won the governorship by double digits. This is the first gubernatorial election in Georgia since
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
in which the winner was of a different party than the incumbent president. This was the first election in which Republicans won three consecutive gubernatorial elections in the state. This was the last gubernatorial election in which
Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
* Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
* Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...
,
Henry
Henry may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters
* Henry (surname)
* Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone
Arts and entertainmen ...
, and
Newton
Newton most commonly refers to:
* Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist
* Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton
Newton may also refer to:
People
* Newton (surname), including a list of people with the surname
* ...
counties voted for the Republican candidate and the last in which
Baker
A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery.
History
Ancient histo ...
,
Early
Early may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Early, Iowa, a city
* Early, Texas, a city
* Early Branch, a stream in Missouri
* Early County, Georgia
* Fort Early, Georgia, an early 19th century fort
Music
* Early B, stage name of Jamaican d ...
,
Mitchell,
Peach
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...
,
Clinch,
Brooks
Brooks may refer to:
* Brook (small stream)
Places Antarctica
* Cape Brooks
Canada
*Brooks, Alberta
United Kingdom
* Brooks, Cornwall
* Brooks, Powys, a location
United States
* Brooks, Alabama
* Brooks, Arkansas
* Brooks, California
*Brooks, ...
, and
McIntosh counties voted for the Democratic candidate.
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
*
Jeff Chapman,
State Senator
A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
History
There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
*
Nathan Deal
John Nathan Deal (born August 25, 1942) is an American politician and former lawyer who served as the 82nd governor of Georgia from 2011 to 2019. A Republican, he previously served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Deal served ...
,
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
*
Karen Handel
Karen Christine Handel (maiden name, née Walker; born April 18, 1962) is an American businesswoman and former politician. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Handel served as chair of the Fulton County, Georgia, F ...
,
Secretary of State of Georgia
The secretary of state of the U.S. state of Georgia is an elected official with a wide variety of responsibilities, including supervising elections and maintaining public record
Public records are documents or pieces of information that are ...
*
Eric Johnson, former state senator
*Ray McBerry, candidate for governor in
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
*
John Oxendine, insurance commissioner
*Otis Putnam
Declined
*
Johnny Isakson
John Hardy Isakson (December 28, 1944 – December 19, 2021) was an American businessman and politician who served as a United States senator from Georgia from 2005 until his resignation in 2019 following health concerns. A member of the Republi ...
, incumbent U.S. senator
Polling
Primary
Runoff
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
*
Thurbert Baker
Thurbert Earl Baker (born December 16, 1952) served as the first African American Attorney General of the U.S. state of Georgia. He was appointed to the position in 1997 by Governor Zell Miller and served until January 10, 2011.
Governor Zell M ...
,
Attorney General of Georgia
The attorney general of Georgia is a statewide elected attorney and legal advisor for the executive branch of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. They are a constitutional officer responsible for providing opinions on legal questions ...
*
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 ...
, former governor of Georgia
*Bill Bolton
*Carl Camon
*
Randal Mangham
Randal Mangham is an American politician who was elected member of the Georgia State Senate for the 55th district in 2024.
Mangham previously represented District 94 in the Georgia House of Representatives.between 2001 and 2009, before running ...
,
state representative
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...
*
DuBose Porter
DuBose Porter (born October 2, 1953) is an American attorney, politician, businessman, and former newspaper publisher who served as chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia and served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from ...
,
state representative
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...
*
David Poythress
David Bryan Poythress (October 24, 1943 – January 15, 2017) was an American politician, born in Bibb County, Georgia. He served terms as Secretary of State and Commissioner of Labor of the state of Georgia. Poythress also served as the Adjuta ...
, former
adjutant general of the
Georgia National Guard
The Georgia National Guard is the National Guard of the United States, National Guard of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, and consists of the Georgia Army National Guard and the Georgia Air National Guard. (The Georgia State Defe ...
, former commissioner of labor and candidate for governor in
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
Polling
Results
Third party and independent candidates
Independent
*Neal Horsley
Libertarian Party
*
John Monds
John Monds (born June 17, 1965) is an American politician and activist. He was the Libertarian nominee for Governor of Georgia in 2010. He was the first African American to appear on the general election ballot for Governor of Georgia.
In 2008 ...
, president of the
Grady County NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...
"John Monds to seek Libertarian nomination for Governor"
www.lp.org. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
Write-in
*Samuel M. "Sam" Hay, III
*Jacob Perasso ( Socialist Workers Party)
General election
Predictions
Polling
Results
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
*Early
Early may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Early, Iowa, a city
* Early, Texas, a city
* Early Branch, a stream in Missouri
* Early County, Georgia
* Fort Early, Georgia, an early 19th century fort
Music
* Early B, stage name of Jamaican d ...
(largest city: Blakely)
* McIntosh (largest municipality: Darien)
* Peach
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...
(largest municipality: Fort Valley)
* Lowndes (largest city: Valdosta
Valdosta is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County in the U.S. state of Georgia. As the principal city of the Valdosta metropolitan statistical area, which in 2023 had a metropolitan population of 151,118, according to the US Census B ...
)
* Burke
Burke (; ) is a Normans in Ireland, Norman-Irish surname, deriving from the ancient Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman noble dynasty, the House of Burgh. In Ireland, the descendants of William de Burgh (''circa'' 1160–1206) had the surname'' de B ...
(largest municipality: Waynesboro)
* Chatham (largest city: Savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...
)
* Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
(largest municipality: Sandersville)
*Sumter Sumter may refer to:
People Given name
* Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist
* Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general
Surname
* Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer
* Shavonda E. Sumt ...
(largest city: Americus)
* Jefferson (largest city: Louisville
Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
)
*Muscogee
The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands Here they waged war again ...
(largest city: Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio
* Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...
)
* Rockdale (largest town: Conyers)
See also
* 2010 United States gubernatorial elections
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 2, 2010, in 37 states (with a special election in Utah) and two territories. These elections coincided with the elections for the 2010 United States Senate elections, United States Senat ...
References
External links
Georgia Secretary of State – Elections Division
Georgia Governor Candidates
at Project Vote Smart
Vote Smart, formerly called Project Vote Smart, is an American non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States. It covers candidates and elected offic ...
Campaign contributions for 2010 Georgia Governor
from ''Follow the Money''
from OurCampaigns.com
2010 Georgia Gubernatorial General Election: Nathan Deal (R) vs Roy Barnes (D)
graph of multiple polls from ''Pollster.com''
Election 2010: Georgia Governor
from ''Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American polling company founded in 2003. The company engages in political commentary and the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information. Rasmussen Reports conducts nightly tracking, ...
''
2010 Georgia Governor Race
from ''Real Clear Politics
RealClearPolitics (RCP) is an American political news website and polling data aggregator. It was founded in 2000 by former options trader John McIntyre and former advertising agency account executive Tom Bevan. It features selected politi ...
''
2010 Georgia Governor's Race
from ''CQ Politics
''Congressional Quarterly'', or ''CQ'', is an American publication that is part of the privately owned publishing company CQ Roll Call, which covers the United States Congress. ''CQ'' was formerly acquired by the U.K.-based The Economist Group, ...
''
Race Profile
in ''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 ...
''
Debates
Georgia Governor Republican Primary Runoff Debate
''C-SPAN
Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American Cable television in the United States, cable and Satellite television in the United States, satellite television network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a Non ...
'', August 8, 2010
Official campaign sites (archived)
Thurbert Baker
Roy Barnes
Al Bartell
Bill Bolton
Ray Boyd
Carl Camon
Jeff Chapman
Nathan Deal
Karen Handel
Eric Johnson
Ray McBerry
John Monds
John Oxendine
DuBose Porter
David Poythress
Otis Putnam
{{United States elections, 2010
Gubernatorial
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
November 2010 in the United States
July 2010 in the United States
August 2010 in the United States