Democrat and former state Rep. Robert Reichert won 96 percent of the votes in a landslide win over little-known Republican David Cousino in the Macon mayoral race. Final but unofficial results showed Reichert with 11,446 votes to Cousino's 459.
Reichert, a political moderate, will succeed the flamboyant and widely traveled Mayor Jack Ellis, who drew attention to his city with his support for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Savannah Mayor Otis Johnson won re-election, taking an estimated 70 percent of the votes. Some had predicted that Johnson could face a runoff with former Mayor Floyd Adams Jr. or former Chatham County commissioner John McMasters.
Meanwhile, voters rejected incumbent mayors in Avondale Estates, Jonesboro, Kennesaw and Lithonia. Three other metro-area mayors face runoffs.
Doraville Mayor Ray Jenkins, who finished second with 40 percent of the vote, must now go through a runoff with Marlene Hadden, who had 42 percent.
Norcross Mayor Lillian Webb, 78, finished first in her three-way race, but will face political newcomer Bucky Johnson in a runoff. Webb's son, John, 56, ran for a council seat but lost by a 2-1 margin.
In Riverdale, Mayor Phaedra Graham finished second to Evelyn Winn-Dixon. The two women will meet in a runoff.
The mayors in Lovejoy, Snellville and Smyrna won re-election.
In Columbus, voters narrowly defeated a referendum that would have allowed the creation of tax allocation districts areas where bonds could be issued for development projects, backed by projected future property tax revenue the city would receive from the redevelopment.
Unofficial totals show the referendum failed 4,756-5,009 a defeat by 253 votes or 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent. About 11 percent of the county's active registered voters cast ballots, officials said.
In Henry County, nearly 70 percent of participating voters approved a 1-percent sales tax to fund transportation and road projects for the next five years. But turnout was light. Nine out of 10 registered voters in Henry County didn't participate.
In Savannah, turnout was about 31 percent of the city's more than 59,000 registered voters.
In Albany, Mayor Willie Adams won a second term, outpolling Ward 4 City Commissioner Bo Dorough 6,778-5,056.
In Winder, retired teacher Chip Thompson won the mayor's seat with 70 percent of the votes cast in the three-way race to replace outgoing veteran Mayor Buddy Ouzts.
In Carroll County, voters rejected a proposal to have a county manager.
In Hinesville, Jim Thomas will face Bob Pirkle in a mayoral runoff.
In Dalton, David Pennington will face runner-up Chip Sellers in a Dec. 4 mayoral runoff.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2007/11/203749