The AJC reports that with 89 percent of the precincts reporting Jones was trailing Martin by nearly 20 percentage points in their runoff battle.
Jones lost all of the large metro Atlanta counties (Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett). He lost Fulton County 29 percent to 71 percent (more than a two-to-one margin). Jones lost Gwinnett County 31 percent to 69 percent. The loss in Cobb County was almost three-to-one.
Remember, Vernon Jones has been the CEO of DeKalb County for eight years, and he lost his home county 38 percent to 62 percent. It appears ALL of the voters who didn't vote for Martin or Jones on July 15th, voted for Martin on August 5th (with a fair amount of defections, as well).
With over 97 percent of the precincts reporting, Jim Martin had a 60 percent to 40 percent lead over Vernon Jones, who quickly conceded to Martin, "I accept God's will. He knows what's best for me."
Jim Martin will take on incumbent Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) in November for the US Senate seat.
Read the entire AJC article about the US Senate run-off here.
Read election results here.
plez sez: there was only one real Democrat in the race... and he won!
In local politics, there was the DeKalb County CEO race to fill Vernon Jones's office. Burrell Ellis (a real estate attorney) handily defeated Georgia State Representative Stan Watson, drawing 63 percent to Watson's 37 percent. Since there was no Republican candidate, Ellis will take office in January 2009.
Surprisingly, almost as many DeKalb County residents voted in the run-off as voted in the primaries on July 15.
He is such a talented politician, yet a polarizing figure. I think he should have gone for a congressional seat before taking aim at the Senate.
ReplyDeleteVoting for Bush twice, I am sure was political expediency, a testament to the direction of GA state
politics. Smart politics? prob not, opportunistic and a CWA move? absolutely, but it prob did him in.
Jones is a great politician, but Georgia is still a "red state." I think that "stunt" with George W. Bush was his undoing (especially, touting his second vote for him).
ReplyDeleteA Black man running statewide (even as a Republican) is a risky proposition (ask Herman Caine). He did irreparable damage to his brand by being a Bush advocate, while trying to appeal to the Black electorate (by running pictures of Barack Obama in his ads)... he tried to have it both ways AND neither one worked out for him!
To be honest, I always thought the Fourth Congressional District (former of Cynthia McKinney and now with Hank Johnson) would be an ideal fit for him... but I think he's burned that bridge. It's obvious that he can't even win an election in DeKalb County anymore!
A tragic waste of talent. Agreed, he would have been ideal for the 4th but I wonder if his ego pulled towards a larger prize, Senator Jones, sounds much nicer than rep jones. Need to check my history, but first AA senator post reconstruction in the SOUTH?..I am sure he knew that. Martin's been polling competitively vs Chambliss.
ReplyDeleteA tragic waste of talent. Agreed, he would have been ideal for the 4th but I wonder if his ego pulled towards a larger prize, Senator Jones, sounds much nicer than rep jones. Need to check my history, but first AA senator post reconstruction in the SOUTH?..I am sure he knew that. Martin's been polling competitively vs Chambliss.
ReplyDeleteyes, vernon jones is a very smart brother... almost too smart and savvy for his own good. he over-calculated (by moving to the right and thinking he'd keep the Black vote because he was Black), but the electorate is ALOT smarter and more savvy than just 4 or 5 years ago! you've got to be ALL IN or not at all... pandering to The Right was a COLOSSAL MISTAKE!
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