GOP leaders analyze primary

ATLANTA - Georgia Republican leaders hoped this year&#39;s elections would produce enough diversity to soften the GOP&#39;s image as a party of rich white men. So far the results are inconclusive. <br> <br> Last week, GOP primary voters gave the nod to a woman candidate for state school superintendent, the job now held by Linda Schrenko. But they rejected Schrenko&#39;s bid for governor. <br> <br> A black candidate finished last in a three-way Republican fight for lieutenant governor, which will go to a September 10 runoff between two white men. <br> <br> A white man led the balloting over a black man and a Hispanic woman in the race for secretary of state. That also will go to a runoff because Charlie Bailey didn&#39;t get more than half the vote. State election officials still are trying to determine who will be in the runoff with Bailey: Vernadette Ramirez Broyles or Jerry Wyatt. <br> <br> Ralph Reed, the state Republican Party chairman, says making the GOP more inclusive ``is not something that happens overnight. It&#39;s sometimes measured in steps rather than leaps.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> But this year&#39;s cadre of Republican candidates, he says, represents a great stride forward and if we keep seeking to recruit a more diverse group of candidates it&#39;s going to make a difference in our party.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/8/190947