2002 United States Senate election in Georgia
The 2002 United States Senate election in Georgia took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Max Cleland ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Republican Saxby Chambliss by a 52.8—to—45.9—percent margin.
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 County results Chambliss: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Cleland: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Georgia |
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This was the last midterm senate election in which an incumbent of the out-of-presidency party lost reelection until 2018.[1]
Democratic Primary
Max Cleland, the incumbent U.S. Senator, won renomination unopposed.[2]
Republican Primary
Three candidates ran in the primary:[3]
- Saxby Chambliss, U.S. Representative
- Bob Irvin, State Representative
- Robert Brown, a rancher from Yatesville
Chambliss won easily, carrying nearly every county.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Saxby Chambliss | 300,371 | 61.1 | |
| Republican | Bob Irvin | 132,132 | 26.9 | |
| Republican | Robert Brown | 59,109 | 12.0 | |
| Total votes | 491,612 | 100.00 | ||
Campaign
Chambliss's campaign used the refrain of national defense and security, but drew criticism for television ads that paired images of Cleland and Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, and for questioning the commitment to homeland security of his opponent, a triple amputee and decorated Vietnam veteran.[5][6] Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona said of one ad, "It's worse than disgraceful, it's reprehensible."[7] McCain, along with Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, made significant complaints to the Republican National Committee until the ads were taken down.[8]
Debates
- Complete video of debate, October 27, 2002
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Saxby Chambliss | 1,071,153 | 52.8% | |||
| Democratic | Max Cleland (incumbent) | 931,857 | 45.9% | |||
| Libertarian | Claude Thomas | 26,981 | 1.3% | |||
| Total votes | 2,029,991 | 100.0% | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
See also
References
- Why The 2018 Senate Elections Are Looking Bad For Both Parties. FiveThirtyEight.
- "Official Results of the August 20, 2002 Primary Election". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- "GOP candidates for U.S. Senate debate in Macon". AccessNorthGa.com. 2 August 2002. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- "2002 Georgia Senate Primary". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- Chambliss Ad (Cleland), YouTube, August 2, 2006
- Politico: Cleland ad causes trouble for Chambliss. November 12, 2008.
- The Atlantic: The Daily Dish: Quote for the Day. November 12, 2008.
- The Orlando Sentinel: Ex-senator Boosts Kerry, Battles Critics. June 13, 2004