McKinney challenger drawing GOP support, but will it be enough?

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Posted 7:43AM on Monday, August 19, 2002

ATLANTA - Albert Still has always voted Republican, but when he met conservative Rep. Bob Barr recently at a restaurant, he hid his head behind his hands and apologized. The Tucker man plans to ask for the Democratic ballot in Tuesday's primary. Barr only laughed. "You're doing the Lord's work when you do that," the congressman assured him. The response would be unusual for any race except one - Tuesday's Democratic primary in the 4th District, where political firebrand Rep. Cynthia McKinney faces the fight of her career against a virtual unknown, former state judge Denise Majette. The district is decidedly liberal and probably will elect a Democrat, leaving many Republicans in the district divided whether they should stick with their own party ballot or vote for Majette simply to help her beat McKinney. McKinney infuriated conservatives for criticizing President Bush and other prominent Republicans after Sept. 11. She suggested Bush ignored warnings of terrorist attack because he has friends in the defense industry who would benefit from a war on terrorism. She scolded former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani for returning a Saudi prince's donation for terrorism victims after the prince made comments about U.S. policy in the Mideast. Still said he's so tired of McKinney's remarks that he doesn't mind voting for a Democrat as long as it isn't her. "I just feel that I have to get a representative in Congress I'm proud of, not embarrassed of," he said. Political watchers say Tuesday's primary could be the biggest challenge yet for McKinney, a four-term incumbent. Majette has raised more money than McKinney, and some polls show Majette with a slight lead. Hoping to make that lead count on election day is a group of unhappy Republicans and moderate Democrats, who have created a Web site urging conservatives to vote in the Democratic primary. The site, goodbyecynthia.com, calls McKinney a "loose cannon" and a "disgrace." "If Republicans don't cross over and Cynthia wins, it's our fault," said William Head, an attorney who helped create the site. Head is a Democrat but said it's easy to convince Republicans they should ignore the GOP ballot and support Majette. "A Republican couldn't win in that district unless they were reincarnated and came down from heaven. Maybe not even then," he said. Almost half of the adults in the district are black, and McKinney won each of her last two races with 61 percent of the vote. The congresswoman's campaign paints Majette as too conservative in mass mailings. One McKinney supporter, Democratic state Rep. Karla Drenner, said Majette is using "smoke and mirrors" to appear liberal. "She sounds very similar to me not as even a moderate Democrat, but a true Republican," said Drenner, who lives in the district. Majette's volunteers insist they're not seeking GOP support. Her press secretary, Elizabeth Wilson, called Majette a "die-hard Democrat" who can win without Republican crossover votes. "We're welcoming support from across the board," Wilson said. "There is no concerted effort at all to go after Republican voters. She's a Democrat and always has been." Indeed, many Republicans aren't cheering for Majette. The state party has taken no position on the matter, but some local Republicans are telling voters the Majette fight is hopeless. "I'm afraid there are not enough Republicans planning to cross over to offset the extremely powerful machine the McKinney family has built," said state Rep. Paul Jennings, R-Atlanta, who is unopposed in his primary but still thinks Republicans should stay on their side. Another local GOP official, Rep. Fran Millar, said it's useless to try to defeat a Democratic incumbent in such a liberal district. "It's not gonna happen. Sorry," he said. Majette supporters said they're tired of Republican nay-sayers who complain about McKinney but claim she can't be beat. Tuesday's election could very well end the controversial congresswoman's career, said Head, who runs the anti-McKinney Web site. "People aren't voting for parties anymore, they're voting for the person," he said.