Democrats fail in their bid for a 60-seat majority in Washington
ATLANTA -
Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss won re-election Tuesday in a runoff, dashing Democrats' hopes of capturing enough seats in the U.S. Senate to thwart Republican filibusters.
Chambliss' election to a second term gives the GOP a firewall against Democrats eager to flex their newfound political muscle in Washington. The monthlong runoff battle against Democrat Jim Martin captured the national limelight, drawing political luminaries from both parties to the state and flooding the airwaves with fresh attack ads.
Minnesota — where a recount is under way — now remains the only unresolved Senate contest in the country.
The Georgia win is a rare bright spot for Republicans in a year where they lost the White House as well as seats in the House and the Senate. Chambliss and Martin were forced into the runoff after a three-way race during last month's general election failed to give any of the candidates at least 50 percent.
Steady to light turnout
Elections officials had reported steady to light turnout since polls opened at 7 a.m., and no problems throughout the day. Polls closed at 7 p.m. A spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel predicted turnout would be between 18 and 20 percent, far less than the 65 percent who voted in last month's general election.
Chambliss and Martin each spent much of the day with family. In midtown Atlanta, about 75 Martin supporters and members of the media mingled over hors d'oeuvres and awaited the election results. Chambliss briefly addressed a GOP crowd gathered in Cobb County.
Chambliss' argument that he's needed as a firewall to Democratic dominance in Washington resonated with some voters.
Murray Gottlieb, 54, a caterer in Savannah, said he voted for Chambliss because he doesn't want complete Democratic control of the Senate.
"I support Barack Obama now. I hope he's the best president we've ever had and we get out of the funk we're in, but I don't want to give him that much power," Gottlieb said after casting his ballot at a church in Savannah.
The ailing economy brought architect Glen McClure, 47, out for Martin.
"My motivation is, I'm unemployed as of yesterday," he said at a library-turned-polling place in Atlanta's upscale Buckhead neighborhood.
First Senate runoff in Ga. since 1992
Chambliss and Martin both fell short of the 50-percent threshold in a three-way general election race with Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley, who drew 3.4 percent of the vote. It's Georgia's first Senate runoff since 1992, when Democratic Sen. Wyche Fowler was upset by Republican Paul Coverdell.
Chambliss, 65, is seeking a second term after winning in 2002 against Democratic Sen. Max Cleland in a campaign that infuriated Democrats. Chambliss ran a TV ad that questioned Cleland's commitment to national security and flashed a photo of Osama bin Laden. Cleland is a triple amputee wounded in the Vietnam War.
Martin, a 63-year-old former state lawmaker from Atlanta, has aligned himself with President-elect Barack Obama's message of change, and has vowed to provide economic relief for the middle class. A onetime agricultural lawyer from Moultrie, Chambliss has promised to be a firewall against a Democratic-dominated Washington getting a "blank check."
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ATLANTA -
Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss won re-election Tuesday in a runoff, dashing Democrats' hopes of capturing enough seats in the U.S. Senate to thwart Republican filibusters.
Chambliss' election to a second term gives the GOP a firewall against Democrats eager to flex their newfound political muscle in Washington. The monthlong runoff battle against Democrat Jim Martin captured the national limelight, drawing political luminaries from both parties to the state and flooding the airwaves with fresh attack ads.
Minnesota — where a recount is under way — now remains the only unresolved Senate contest in the country.
The Georgia win is a rare bright spot for Republicans in a year where they lost the White House as well as seats in the House and the Senate. Chambliss and Martin were forced into the runoff after a three-way race during last month's general election failed to give any of the candidates at least 50 percent.
Steady to light turnout
Elections officials had reported steady to light turnout since polls opened at 7 a.m., and no problems throughout the day. Polls closed at 7 p.m. A spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel predicted turnout would be between 18 and 20 percent, far less than the 65 percent who voted in last month's general election.
Chambliss and Martin each spent much of the day with family. In midtown Atlanta, about 75 Martin supporters and members of the media mingled over hors d'oeuvres and awaited the election results. Chambliss briefly addressed a GOP crowd gathered in Cobb County.
Chambliss' argument that he's needed as a firewall to Democratic dominance in Washington resonated with some voters.
Murray Gottlieb, 54, a caterer in Savannah, said he voted for Chambliss because he doesn't want complete Democratic control of the Senate.
"I support Barack Obama now. I hope he's the best president we've ever had and we get out of the funk we're in, but I don't want to give him that much power," Gottlieb said after casting his ballot at a church in Savannah.
The ailing economy brought architect Glen McClure, 47, out for Martin.
"My motivation is, I'm unemployed as of yesterday," he said at a library-turned-polling place in Atlanta's upscale Buckhead neighborhood.
First Senate runoff in Ga. since 1992
Chambliss and Martin both fell short of the 50-percent threshold in a three-way general election race with Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley, who drew 3.4 percent of the vote. It's Georgia's first Senate runoff since 1992, when Democratic Sen. Wyche Fowler was upset by Republican Paul Coverdell.
Chambliss, 65, is seeking a second term after winning in 2002 against Democratic Sen. Max Cleland in a campaign that infuriated Democrats. Chambliss ran a TV ad that questioned Cleland's commitment to national security and flashed a photo of Osama bin Laden. Cleland is a triple amputee wounded in the Vietnam War.
Martin, a 63-year-old former state lawmaker from Atlanta, has aligned himself with President-elect Barack Obama's message of change, and has vowed to provide economic relief for the middle class. A onetime agricultural lawyer from Moultrie, Chambliss has promised to be a firewall against a Democratic-dominated Washington getting a "blank check."
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