Former Secretary of State Karen Handel and former U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal of Gainesville are headed to an Aug. 10 runoff for the Republican nomination for governor.
Former state Sen. Eric Johnson trailed in a bid to catch Deal and offered his concession just after 11 p.m. Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine conceded earlier in the race.
Roy Barnes has won the Democratic nomination for governor, avoiding a runoff by trouncing six opponents in the first electoral test of his comeback bid. The former governor swept to a commanding lead in Tuesday's primary to reclaim the job he lost to Sonny Perdue in 2002.
Democrat Carol Porter won her party's nomination Tuesday for the right to challenge Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle for the state's No. 2 job. Porter is the wife of gubernatorial candidate DuBose Porter.
Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond has won the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat. He will face incumbent Republican Johnny Isakson in November.
In the 9th District U.S. House race, incumbent Rep. Tom Graves is headed to a second runoff against Gainesville dentist and former state Sen. Lee Hawkins. Graves defeated Hawkins in a special election runoff last month to fill the seat Deal vacated to run for governor.
Gainesville's Butch Miller won his state Senate District 49 seat outright after taking the special election for the post in May. He fills the seat formerly held by Hawkins.
In Hall County races, incumbent Post 1 Commissioner Bobby Banks will head to a runoff Aug. 10 against Craig Lutz. Craig Gibbs won the Post 3 seat and Bill Thompson captured the at-large post on the Hall school board.
Here are the results in key races locally and statewide:
Governor
Republican
(95% of precincts reported)
√ Karen Handel, 34%
√ Nathan Deal, 23%
• Eric Johnson, 20%
• John Oxendine, 17%
(All other candidates in single digits)
Democrat
(95% of precincts reported)
√ Roy Barnes, 66%
• Thurbert Baker, 22%
(All other candidates in single digits)
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(Handel and Deal meet in runoff Aug. 10. Winner faces Barnes and Libertarian John Monds in November).
Lieutenant governor
Democrat
(88% of precincts reported)
√ Carol Porter, 70%
• Tricia Carpenter McCracken, 30%
(Porter faces unopposed GOP incumbent Casey Cagle and Libertarian Rhonda Martini in November).
U.S. House, 9th District
Republican
(100% of precincts reported)
√ Tom Graves, 49%
√ Lee Hawkins, 27%
• Steve Tarvin, 15%
(All other candidates in single digits)
(Graves and Hawkins meet in Aug. 10 runoff. Winner is unopposed in November)
U.S. Senate
Democrat
(95% of precincts reported)
√ Mike Thurmond, 84%
• R.J. Hadley, 16%
(Thurmond faces unopposed Republican incumbent Johnny Isakson and Libertarian Chuck Donovan in November.)
State Senate District 49
Republican
(99% of precincts reported)
√ Butch Miller, 83%
• Jimmy Norman, 17%
(Winner is unopposed in November)
Hall County Board of Commissioners
Post 1, Republican
(100% of precincts reported)
√ Bobby Banks, 44.1%
√ Craig Lutz, 29.3%
• Robert "Kimbo" Senter, 26.6%
(Winner faces unopposed Democrat Paul Wayne Godfrey in November)
Post 1, Republican
(100% of precincts reported)
√ Craig Gibbs, 58.2%
• Jones Cottrell, 41.8%
(Winner is unopposed in November)
Hall County School Board
At-Large, Republican
(100% of precincts reported)
√ Bill Thompson, 57.7%
• Richard Higgins, 43.8%
(Winner is unopposed in November)