Incumbents romp in Ga. primary; Jones, Martin in Senate runoff

ATLANTA - Georgians chose experience over change in Tuesday's election.

Five congressmen held off primary challengers, including U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Atlanta, facing his first Democratic battle in 16 years.

Two political veterans headed to an Aug. 5 runoff in the Democratic race for the U.S. Senate. DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones and former state lawmaker Jim Martin were the top voter getters in the five-man race, which featured three political newcomers. Neither Jones or Martin was able to crack the 50 percent margin needed to claim the nomination. With 90 percent of precincts reporting, Jones had 40 percent of the vote and Martin 35 percent.

In a rally at his campaign headquarters, Jones said he was humbled by the strong support.

"People all over Georgia responded to my message and that is a message of fiscal responsibility," Jones said.

Martin said it will be "important to elect a Democratic senator from Georgia to be able to help President (Barack) Obama bring the change to this country that people are demanding."

The winner will face Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss - and his formidable $4 million re-election warchest - in November.

In Georgia's House contests, Democratic U.S. Rep. John Barrow turned back state Sen. Regina Thomas, of Savannah, in eastern Georgia's 12th Congressional District. In northeastern Georgia, Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Broun defeated a well-funded rival backed by the state GOP establishment in the 10th Congressional District. Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall crushed a Macon teacher in central Georgia's 8th Congressional District. In west Atlanta, U.S. Rep. David Scott held off former state Sen. Donzella James in the 13th district.

Lewis has no Republican challenger so his win Tuesday night over the Rev. Markel Hutchins and state Rep. "Able" Mable Thomas guarantees him a return to Washington. Hutchins and Thomas had pointed to Lewis' early endorsement of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the presidential race as evidence he was out of touch. Lewis later switched his support to Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, who coasted to a Feb. 5 primary win in Georgia. He suggested his younger rivals were wrong to say that change was needed.

"I think the voters in this district recognize the fact that I am change," Lewis said Tuesday night.

Broun, Marshall and Scott each face rivals from opposing parties who are running unopposed.

Barrow will take on the winner of a three-way GOP primary in eastern Georgia. John Stone, a former congressional aide from Augusta, won that race Tuesday night.

Broun's victory over state Rep. Barry Fleming of Harlem came after a slugfest that included negative personal attacks on everything from church attendance to alimony payments. Broun, an Athens physician, has been in office for less than a year after winning a special election last summer.

Barrow's win along the Georgia coast came with the help of a prominent endorsement from presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Obama. While that helped him among the district's large black population Tuesday, it could be a liability in the November general election when he has narrowly eked out wins against conservative Republicans.

A spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel said there were no reports of problems on Tuesday with lines, malfunctioning equipment or the state's photo ID law.

But Handel's disqualification of Democrat Jim Powell as a candidate for the Public Service Commission created waves.

Handel said Monday that Powell had been disqualified because he didn't meet residency requirements, but a Fulton County judge ruled later in the day that he could remain on the ballot. The votes will count only if he wins a court appeal.

Handel's spokesman Matt Carrothers said election officials had taken down the disqualification notices by 10 a.m. Tuesday, and Powell led opponent Bob Indech by more than 200,000 votes with most precincts reporting.

Turnout was sparse despite sunny weather. Handel projected that less than 35 percent of the state's 4.7 million active registered voters would cast a ballot.

The Senate race featured three political novices making their first bids for elected office. Former television reporter Dale Cardwell, former ecologist Rand Knight and retired businessman Josh Lanier played up their status as outsiders in a year in which change has been a political buzzword. But they came up short against the better-funded campaigns of the Democratic Party veterans Jones and Martin.