In most years, that would bode well for the Democratic party's hopes to retake the Georgia Legislature. But it's tough to find a political analyst who predicts the party will pick up more than a few seats in the Nov. 4 election.
That's partly because of the long odds of unseating an incumbent state legislator and the daunting deficit they face to flip the state House. And it's partly, the analysts say, because the Democrats didn't recruit enough credible candidates.
"Democrats did not recognize this is what may be an unparalleled year for them," said Charles Bullock, a University of Georgia political science professor. "As a consequence they did not run candidates in districts where they could have won."
Democrats are seven seats away from controlling the Georgia Senate, and are fielding 13 challengers against sitting Republicans. Their candidates, meanwhile, must stave off five opponents.
Much of the attention, though, has focused on the House, where Democrats must gain 18 seats to flip the chamber. Republican House incumbents are facing 23 challengers, and sitting Democrats are facing a dozen opponents as well.
Democrats say they are confident they can steadily claw their way back into control of the chamber.
"We're going to pick up some seats, which we feel like is a huge shift in the state," said DuBose Porter, the House's top Democrat. "People don't understand how difficult it is to recruit quality candidates and finance races. We've got a great corps of truly quality candidates this time, and it's going to make a difference."
Republicans predict they will maintain a firm grip on the chambers.
"The Republican caucus will, after Nov. 4, have a solid majority still in the Georgia House of Representatives," said House Speaker Glenn Richardson.
Republicans gained control of the state Senate in 2002 and the House two years later. But the last two legislative sessions have ended in bickering among Richardson, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Gov. Sonny Perdue, all Republicans.
The infighting killed the party's plans to wipe out the car tag tax, slash the income tax and cap property assessments. It also prompted a group of frustrated House Republicans to mount a challenge to Richardson's gavel.
Meanwhile, voter registration drives by Obama's campaign have created a surge of new voters. And early voting numbers have encouraged Democrats hoping for a top-of-the-ballot upset of Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss.
The handful of seats the Democrats are hoping to win includes the northeast Atlanta district held by Jill Chambers, a three-term Republican who is known as a more moderate voice in the Republican caucus.
The 45-year-old has stressed her experience on the campaign trail, and has emphasized her independent streak by telling voters she's not elected to obey a governor or a House speaker, but to best represent her district.
"I'm very flattered to have constituents supporting all three presidential candidates," she said, referring to Obama, Republican John McCain and Libertarian Bob Barr. "One street in Chamblee has an Obama and a Jill sign in their yards, the other side has a McCain and a Jill sign."
Chris Huttman, her opponent, is a 28-year-old IT manager and a former Democratic Party aide who also vows to put the district above his party's ideology.
"I'm not running for office to go fight the culture war at the Georgia General Assembly," he said. "I'm not a radical, I don't have a radical political philosophy. I'm going to make sure their priorities are in order."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/11/214527