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2002 Georgia gubernatorial election

{{Short description|none}}

{{for|related races|2002 United States gubernatorial elections}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 2002 Georgia gubernatorial election

| country = Georgia (U.S. state)

| type = presidential

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1998 Georgia gubernatorial election

| previous_year = 1998

| next_election = 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election

| next_year = 2006

| election_date = November 5, 2002

| flag_year = 2001

| image1 = File:Sonny Perdue at rally.jpg

| image_size = 150x150px

| nominee1 = Sonny Perdue

| party1 = Republican Party (United States)

| popular_vote1 = 1,041,677

| percentage1 = 51.42%

| image2 = File:Roy Barnes concession speech (cropped).jpg

| nominee2 = Roy Barnes

| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)

| popular_vote2 = 937,062

| percentage2 = 46.25%

| map_image = {{switcher |250px |County results |250px |Precinct results |default=1}}

| map_size = 240px

| map_caption = Perdue: {{legend0|#ffb2b2|40–50%}} {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}} {{legend0|#d72f30|70–80%}} {{legend0|#c21b18|80–90%}} {{legend0|#a80000|>90%}}
Barnes: {{legend0|#a5b0ff|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}} {{legend0|#3933e5|80–90%}} {{legend0|#0D0596|>90%}}
Tie: {{legend0|#d2b1d9|40–50%}} {{legend0|#ae8bb1|50%}} {{legend0|#808080|No data}}

| title = Governor

| before_election = Roy Barnes

| before_party = Democratic Party (United States)

| after_election = Sonny Perdue

| after_party = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{ElectionsGA}}

The 2002 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic governor Roy Barnes sought re-election to a second term as governor. State Senator Sonny Perdue emerged as the Republican nominee from a crowded and hotly contested primary, and he faced off against Barnes, who had faced no opponents in his primary election, in the general election. Though Barnes had been nicknamed "King Roy" due to his unique ability to get his legislative priorities passed, he faced a backlash among Georgia voters due to his proposal to change the state flag from its Confederate design.

Ultimately, Perdue was able to defeat incumbent governor Barnes and became the first Republican to serve as governor of the state since Reconstruction. This was only the second election that a Republican won in the state's history, the other being in 1868. The result was widely considered a major upset.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/06/us/2002-elections-georgia-senator-cleland-loses-upset-republican-emphasizing.html|title = THE 2002 ELECTIONS: GEORGIA; Senator Cleland Loses in an Upset to Republican Emphasizing Defense|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 6 November 2002|last1 = Gettleman|first1 = Jeffrey}} Democrat Max Cleland simultaneously lost the Senate election to Republican Saxby Chambliss, marking just the sixth time in the last 50 years in which U.S. Senate and gubernatorial incumbents from the same political party were simultaneously defeated in the same state.{{cite web |url=http://editions.lib.umn.edu/smartpolitics/2014/11/19/mark-begich-and-sean-parnell-j/ |title= Mark Begich and Sean Parnell Join Small Group in Defeat |work=Smart Politics |first=Eric |last=Ostermeier |date= November 19, 2014}}{{efn| The others were 1972 in Delaware, 1974 in Ohio, 1974 in Colorado, 1978 in Minnesota, and 1980 in Washington.}}

{{As of|2022}}, this is the last governor election in which Decatur, Grady, Meriwether, and Wilkes counties voted for the Democratic candidate.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} This is the last time that a gubernatorial nominee and a lieutenant gubernatorial nominee from different political parties were elected governor and lieutenant governor in Georgia. Barnes later unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Georgia again in 2010 when Perdue was term-limited.

Democratic primary

=Candidates=

=Results=

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Democratic primary results{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174736|title=Our Campaigns - GA Governor - D Primary Race - Aug 20, 2002|website=www.ourcampaigns.com}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Roy Barnes (incumbent)

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 434,892

| percentage = 100.00

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 434,892

| percentage = 100.00

}}

{{Election box end}}

Republican primary

=Candidates=

=Results=

[[File:2002 Georgia gubernatorial election Republican primary.svg|thumb|Primary results by county:

{{collapsible list

| title = {{legend|#d75d5d|Perdue}}

|{{legend|#ffc8cd|Perdue—30–40%}}

|{{legend|#ffb2b2|Perdue—40–50%}}

|{{legend|#e27f7f|Perdue—50–60%}}

|{{legend|#d75D5d|Perdue—60–70%}}

|{{legend|#d72f30|Perdue—70–80%}}

|{{legend|#c21b18|Perdue—80–90%}}

|{{legend|#a80000|Perdue—>90%}}

}}

{{collapsible list

| title = {{legend|#37c837|Schrenko}}

|{{legend|#aae5aa|Schrenko—30–40%}}

|{{legend|#87de87|Schrenko—40–50%}}

|{{legend|#5fd35f|Schrenko—50–60%}}

|{{legend|#37c837|Schrenko—60–70%}}

|{{legend|#217821|Schrenko—>80%}}

}}

{{collapsible list

| title = {{legend|#EE8E50|Bryne}}

|{{legend|#FFB580|Byrne—40–50%}}

|{{legend|#9D7700|Byrne—>100%}}

}}

{{collapsible list

| title = {{legend|#d2b1d9|Tie}}

|{{legend|#d2b1d9|Tie between Perdue and Byrne—33%}}

}}

]]

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Republican primary results{{Cite web|url=http://www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/results/2002_0820/0000220.htm|title=8/20/02 - Republican Gubernatorial Primary|date=September 7, 2002|access-date=January 7, 2023|archive-date=September 7, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020907222533/http://www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/results/2002_0820/0000220.htm|url-status=bot: unknown}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Sonny Perdue

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 259,966

| percentage = 50.83

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Linda Schrenko

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 142,911

| percentage = 27.94

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Bill Byrne

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 108,586

| percentage = 21.23

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 511,463

| percentage= 100.00

}}

{{Election box end}}

General election

=Predictions=

class="wikitable"

!Source

!Ranking

!As of

The Cook Political Report{{Cite web|url=http://www.cookpolitical.com:80/display.cfm?section=political&edit_id=225|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021208065752/http://www.cookpolitical.com/display.cfm?section=political&edit_id=225|archive-date=December 8, 2002|title=Governor Updated October 31, 2002 {{!}} The Cook Political Report|website=The Cook Political Report|language=en|date=October 31, 2002|access-date=September 18, 2018|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

| {{USRaceRating|Likely|D}}

|October 31, 2002

Sabato's Crystal Ball{{Cite web|url=http://www.centerforpolitics.org:80/crystalball/governor_all.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021212142349/http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/governor_all.htm|archive-date=December 12, 2002|title=Governors Races|website=www.centerforpolitics.org|language=en-US|date=November 4, 2002|access-date=September 18, 2018|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

| {{USRaceRating|Likely|D}}

|November 4, 2002

=Results=

{{Election box begin | title=2002 Georgia gubernatorial election{{Cite web|url=http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/election_results/2002_1105/summary.htm|title=11/5/02 - Governor|date=February 6, 2008|access-date=January 7, 2023|archive-date=February 6, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206194719/http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/election_results/2002_1105/summary.htm|url-status=bot: unknown}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Sonny Perdue

|votes = 1,041,677

|percentage = 51.42%

|change = +7.34%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Roy Barnes (incumbent)

|votes = 937,062

|percentage = 46.25%

|change = -6.24%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Libertarian Party (United States)

|candidate = Garrett Michael Hayes

|votes = 47,122

|percentage = 2.33%

|change = -1.11%

}}

{{Election box total|

|votes = 2,025,861

|percentage = 100.00%

|change = N/A

}}

{{Election box gain with party link no swing|

|winner = Republican Party (United States)

|loser = Democratic Party (United States)

|swing =

}}

{{Election box end}}

==Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican==

See also

References

{{reflist}}

Notes

{{notelist}}

External links

{{United States general elections, 2002}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Georgia Gubernatorial Election, 2002}}

Category:2002 United States gubernatorial elections

2002

Gubernatorial

Category:November 2002 in the United States

Category:August 2002 in the United States