Georgia State Senate elections, 2012
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Georgia's 2012 elections U.S. House • Other executive offices • State Senate • State House • State ballot measures • Candidate ballot access |
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Elections for the office of Georgia State Senate were held in Georgia on November 6, 2012. A total of 56 seats were up for election.
The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was May 25, 2012. The primary Election Day was July 31, 2012. The primary runoff took place on August 21, 2012.
Majority control
- See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Heading into the November 6 election, the Republican Party held the majority in the Georgia State Senate:
| Georgia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 20 | 18 | |
| Republican Party | 36 | 38 | |
| Total | 56 | 56 | |
Incumbents retiring
A total of two incumbents did not run for re-election in 2012. Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Current Office |
|---|---|---|
| Greg Goggans |  Republican |
Senate District 7 |
| George Hooks |  Democratic |
Senate District 14 |
Campaign contributions
This chart shows how many candidates ran for state senate in Georgia in past years and the cumulative amount of campaign contributions in state house races, including contributions in both primary and general election contests. All figures come from Follow The Money.[1]
| Year | Number of candidates | Total contributions |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 110 | $8,052,144 |
| 2008 | 96 | $6,636,658 |
| 2006 | 96 | $9,986,678 |
| 2004 | 154 | $14,444,473 |
| 2002 | 119 | $11,060,487 |
In 2010, the total amount of contributions raised in senate campaigns was $8,052,144. The top 10 donors were:[2]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sibold, James | $156,212 |
| Miller, Butch | $120,000 |
| Albers, John | $103,701 |
| Georgia Trial Lawyers Association | $88,350 |
| Georgia Dental Association | $65,950 |
| Georgia Association of Realtors | $64,550 |
| Blank (Uncoded) | $50,514 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia | $49,550 |
| Independend Insurance Agents of Georgia | $48,350 |
| Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals | $46,000 |
Impact of redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Georgia
The Georgia General Assembly is responsible for redistricting in the state, with the Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Committee responsible for redistricting in the House and Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee responsible for redistricting in the Senate. Georgia must submit its plans to the federal government for Voting Rights Act approval.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Georgia's population increased from 8.19 million in 2000 to 9.69 million in 2010. Most of the population in 2010 was in the northern portion of the state, centered around the Atlanta metropolitan area.[3] The population represented by each Georgia State Senator rose to 173,000, and the population represented by each House member rose to 53,800.[4]
Both chambers of the General Assembly passed their respective maps on August 18, 2012, and concurred with each other's on August 23. Governor Nathan Deal signed the maps into law on August 24, and—as required by the Voting Rights Act—the U.S. Department of Justice pre-cleared them on December 23.[5]
In Georgia, there were five state senate districts where the partisan registration of Democratic and Republican voters was less than 10 percentage points apart. These districts would be considered "competitive" when looked at strictly with respect to vote party affiliation. The five districts in Georgia were districts 5, 7, 13, 20, and 23.
Qualifications
Paragraph 3 of Section 2 of Article 3 of the Georgia Constitution states, "At the time of their election, the members of the Senate shall be citizens of the United States, shall be at least 25 years of age, shall have been citizens of this state for at least two years, and shall have been legal residents of the territory embraced within the district from which elected for at least one year."
Department of Justice sues over voting deadlines
On June 29, 2012, the Department of Justice filed a suit in federal court against the state of Georgia, alleging that service members, their family members and overseas civilian voters wouldn't have time to vote by absentee ballot in runoff elections, if they were required.[6] According to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (dead link) (UOCAVA), states must transmit all validly requested ballots to UOCAVA voters at least 45 days before an election, unless a hardship exemption is obtained, for which Georgia failed to file.[6] However, this conflicts with the timeline for runoff elections, in which the primary runoff, by law, must be held 21 days after the regular or special primary election, and if a runoff is required after the Nov. 6 general election, it will be held 28 days later, on Dec. 4, which also wouldn’t provide the required 45 days.[6]
As part of the lawsuit, the Department of Justice asked Georgia to "extend the ballot receipt deadline to Aug. 31 for these voters, to send ballots by express delivery as soon as possible before the Aug. 21 runoff election, and inform UOCAVA voters no later than July 7 of their right to request a state write-in absentee ballot or their official absentee ballot for any runoff election by downloading it from the Internet, by email, or by fax."[6]
List of candidates
District 1
July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
July 31 GOP primary:
- Earl "Buddy" Carter: 10,631
Incumbent Carter first assumed office in 2009.
- Earl "Buddy" Carter: 10,631
November 6 General election candidates:
- Earl "Buddy" Carter: 51,329
District 2
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Lester Jackson: 12,101 Incumbent Jackson first assumed office in 2009.
- Lester Jackson: 12,101
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Lester Jackson: 51,329
District 3
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- William Ligon: 19,854 Incumbent Ligon first assumed office in 2011.
- William Ligon: 19,854
November 6 General election candidates:
- William Ligon: 50,088
District 4
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Jack Hill: 14,619 Incumbent Hill first assumed office in 1991.
- Jack Hill: 14,619
November 6 General election candidates:
- Jack Hill: 48,118
District 5
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Curt Thompson: 2,977 Incumbent Thompson first assumed office in 2005.
- Curt Thompson: 2,977
- July 31 GOP primary:
Note: Garry Guan withdrew from the race in July of 2012.[7] His name appeared on the official list of general election candidates.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Curt Thompson: 31,256
Note: Guan's name appeared on the official list of candidates, but did not appear on the ballot.
District 6
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Doug Stoner: 5,694 Incumbent Stoner first assumed office in 2005.
- Doug Stoner: 5,694
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Josh Belinfante: 4,909
- Drew Ellenburg: 3,201
- Hunter Hill: 8,987
November 6 General election candidates:
- Doug Stoner: 33,607
- Hunter Hill: 37,628
District 7
Note: Incumbent Greg Goggans (R) did not run for re-election.
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Gene Mitchell: 4,544
- Gene Mitchell: 4,544
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Tyler Harper: 14,862
- Mark Hatfield: 6,875
- Rodney Vickers: 1,852
- Tyler Harper: 14,862
November 6 General election candidates:
- Gene Mitchell: 15,961
- Tyler Harper: 40,111
District 8
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Bikram Mohanty: 5,361
- Bikram Mohanty: 5,361
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Tim Golden: 13,175 Incumbent Golden first assumed office in 1999.
- Tim Golden: 13,175
November 6 General election candidates:
- Bikram Mohanty: 22,320
- Tim Golden: 36,479
District 9
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Scott Drake: 4,124
- Scott Drake: 4,124
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Travis Bowden: 3,951
- Steve Ramey: 4,404
- Don Balfour: 14,083 Incumbent Balfour first assumed office in 1993.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Scott Drake: 28,713
- Don Balfour: 46,464
District 10
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Emanuel Jones: 17,929 Incumbent Jones first assumed office in 2005.
- Emanuel Jones: 17,929
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Emanuel Jones: 69,386
District 11
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- John Bulloch: 10,117 Incumbent Bulloch first assumed office in 2003.
- John Bulloch: 10,117
November 6 General election candidates:
- John Bulloch: 46,900
Note: John Bulloch represented the 11th District from 2003 until his resignation on December 6, 2012. Bulloch had been re-elected just a month prior. [8]
District 12
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Freddie Sims: 18,844 Incumbent Sims first assumed office in 2009.
- Freddie Sims: 18,844
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Freddie Sims: 53,093
District 13
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- John Crosby: 17,916 Incumbent Crosby first assumed office in 2009.
- John Crosby: 17,916
November 6 General election candidates:
- John Crosby: 45,848
District 14
Note: Incumbent George Hooks did not run for re-election.
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Barry Loudermilk: 20,458 Incumbent Loudermilk first assumed office in 2011.
- Barry Loudermilk: 20,458
November 6 General election candidates:
- Barry Loudermilk: 54,871
District 15
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Ed Harbison: 13,449 Incumbent Harbison first assumed office in 1993.
- Reginald Pugh: 4,874
- Ed Harbison: 13,449
- July 31 GOP primary:
- David Brown: 2,678
- David Brown: 2,678
November 6 General election candidates:
- Ed Harbison: 40,245
- David Brown: 13,637
District 16
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Ronnie Chance: 23,877 Incumbent Chance first assumed office in 2005.
- Ronnie Chance: 23,877
November 6 General election candidates:
- Ronnie Chance: 62,365
District 17
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Nelva Lee: 5,308
- Nelva Lee: 5,308
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Rick Jeffares: 18,691 Incumbent Jeffares first assumed office in 2011.
- Rick Jeffares: 18,691
November 6 General election candidates:
- Nelva Lee: 27,929
- Rick Jeffares: 47,069
District 18
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Spencer Price: 10,324
- Cecil Staton: 10,527 - Incumbent Staton first assumed office in 2005.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Cecil Staton: 57,470
District 19
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Tommie Williams: 14,148 Incumbent Williams first assumed office in 1999.
- Tommie Williams: 14,148
November 6 General election candidates:
- Tommie Williams: 41,457
District 20
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Ross Tolleson: 13,969 Incumbent Tolleson first assumed office in 2005.
- Ross Tolleson: 13,969
November 6 General election candidates:
- Ross Tolleson: 54,196
District 21
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Brandon Beach: 12,269[9]
- Chip Rogers: 17,659 Incumbent Rogers first assumed office in 2005.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Chip Rogers: 66,429
Note: Chip Rogers resigned on December 5, 2012 in order to take a job with Georgia Public Broadcasting.[10]
District 22
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Hardie Davis: 17,310 Incumbent Davis first assumed office in 2010.
- Hardie Davis: 17,310
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Hardie Davis: 54,024
District 23
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Robert Ingham: 12,891
- Robert Ingham: 12,891
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Jesse Stone: 10,037 Incumbent Stone first assumed office in 2011.
- Jesse Stone: 10,037
November 6 General election candidates:
- Robert Ingham: 26,922
- Jesse Stone: 39,516
District 24
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- William Jackson: 21,916 Incumbent Jackson first assumed office in 2007.
- William Jackson: 21,916
November 6 General election candidates:
- William Jackson: 61,439
District 25
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Darrell Black: 5,981
- Darrell Black: 5,981
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Johnny Grant: 11,216 - Incumbent Grant first assumed office in 2005.
- Burt Jones: 12,487
Note:Robert Kent did not appear on the final candidate list.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Darrell Black: 25,542
- Burt Jones: 44,825
District 26
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- David E. Lucas, Sr.: 12,589 (advanced to runoff)
- Irvin Martinez: 1,327
- Miriam Paris: 11,655 (advanced to runoff) Incumbent Paris first assumed office in 2011.
- David E. Lucas, Sr.: 12,589
- August 21 Democratic primary runoff:
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Bobby Gale: 3,645
- Bobby Gale: 3,645
November 6 General election candidates:
- David E. Lucas: 42,670
- Bobby Gale: 19,809
District 27
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Steve Voshall: 13,177
- Jack Murphy: 13,290 Incumbent Murphy first assumed office in 2007.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Jack Murphy: 69,154
District 28
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Mike Crane: 19,989 Incumbent Crane first assumed office in 2011.
- Mike Crane: 19,989
November 6 General election candidates:
- Mike Crane: 60,129
District 29
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Joshua McKoon: 15,157 Incumbent McKoon first assumed office in 2011.
- Joshua McKoon: 15,157
November 6 General election candidates:
- Joshua McKoon: 56,560
District 30
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Bill Hamrick: 17,437 Incumbent Hamrick first assumed office in 2000.
- Bill Hamrick: 17,437
November 6 General election candidates: Note: Incumbent Bill Hamrick resigned from his seat after the primary election in order to serve as a Superior Court Judge. A special Republican primary election was held on November 6, 2012 for District 30.
November 6 Special Republican Primary election
- Mike Dugan 13,862
- Bill Hembree: 27,591
- Jim Naughton: 7,055
- Glenn Richardson: 8,487
December 4 Special Republican Primary runoff election
January 8 Special election candidates
District 31
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Bill Carruth: 9,158 (advanced to runoff)
- J.K. Rogers: 3,028
- Bill Heath: 10,071 (advanced to runoff) Incumbent Heath first assumed office in 2005.
- Bill Carruth: 9,158
- August 21 Republican primary runoff:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Bill Heath: 51,950
District 32
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Judson Hill: 26,114 Incumbent Hill first assumed office in 2005.
- Judson Hill: 26,114
November 6 General election candidates:
- Judson Hill: 73,560
District 33
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Steve Thompson: 6,773 Incumbent Thompson first assumed office in 1991.
- Steve Thompson: 6,773
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Steve Thompson: 50,384
District 34
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Valencia Seay: 13,575 Incumbent Seay first assumed office in 2003.
- Valencia Seay: 13,575
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
Independent candidates:
Note: Mallory did not appear on the official list of general election candidates.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Valencia Seay: 54,012
District 35
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Donzella James: 10,293 Incumbent James first assumed office in 2009.
- Detrius Hill Jones: 1,661
- Cory J. Lynch: 1,811
- Donzella James: 10,293
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Note: Benjamin Brooks was disqualified on the morning of the primary for not meeting residency requirements.[13]
November 6 General election candidates:
- Donzella James: 59,430
District 36
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Nan Orrock: 13,960 Incumbent Orrock first assumed office in 2007.
- Nan Orrock: 13,960
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Nan Orrock: 56,998
District 37
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Lindsey Tippins: 19,921 Incumbent Tippins first assumed office in 2011.
- Lindsey Tippins: 19,921
November 6 General election candidates:
- Lindsey Tippins: 64,107
District 38
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Reginald Crossley: 4,445
- Horacena Tate: 15,029 Incumbent Tate first assumed office in 1999.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Horacena Tate: 61,738
District 39
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Vincent Fort: 16,508 Incumbent Fort first assumed office in 1997.
- Vincent Fort: 16,508
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Vincent Fort: 60,843
District 40
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Fran Millar: 15,576 Incumbent Millar first assumed office in 2011.
- Fran Millar: 15,576
November 6 General election candidates:
- Fran Millar: 51,614
District 41
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Steve Henson: 10,372 Incumbent Henson first assumed office in 2003.
- Steve Henson: 10,372
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Steve Henson: 49,740
District 42
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Jason Carter: 17,186 Incumbent Carter first assumed office in 2010.
- Jason Carter: 17,186
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Kenneth Brett Quarterman: 5,763
- Kenneth Brett Quarterman: 5,763
November 6 General election candidates:
- Jason Carter: 52,643
- Kenneth Brett Quarterman: 18,505
District 43
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Ronald Ramsey: 13,638 Incumbent Ramsey first assumed office in 2007.
- Ronald Ramsey: 13,638
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Ronald Ramsey: 59,411
District 44
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Gail Buckner: 10,454(Advance to runoff)
- Marcus E. Davis: 2,285
- Gail Davenport: 11,979 - Incumbent Davenport first assumed office in 2011.(Advance to runoff)
- August 21 Democratic primary runoff:
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Gail Davenport: 65,135
District 45
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Renee Unterman: 15,273 Incumbent Unterman first assumed office in 2003.
- Renee Unterman: 15,273
November 6 General election candidates:
- Renee Unterman: 56,285
District 46
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Bill Cowsert: 21,414 Incumbent Cowsert first assumed office in 2007.
- Bill Cowsert: 21,414
November 6 General election candidates:
- Bill Cowsert: 53,998
District 47
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Tim Riley: 3,217
- Tim Riley: 3,217
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Daniel "Danny" Yearwood: 6,414
- Frank Ginn: 13,680 Incumbent Ginn first assumed office in 2011.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Tim Riley: 20,073
- Frank Ginn: 41,549
District 48
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- David Shafer: 10,101 Incumbent Shafer first assumed office in 2002.
- David Shafer: 10,101
November 6 General election candidates:
- David Shafer: 45,004
District 49
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Butch Miller: 21,530 Incumbent Miller first assumed office in 2010.
- Butch Miller: 21,530
November 6 General election candidates:
- Butch Miller: 50,628
District 50
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- John Wilkinson: 25,824 Incumbent Wilkinson first assumed office in 2011.
- John Wilkinson: 25,824
November 6 General election candidates:
- John Wilkinson: 52,667
District 51
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Steve Gooch: 26,493 Incumbent Gooch first assumed office in 2011.
- Steve Gooch: 26,493
November 6 General election candidates:
- Steve Gooch: 60,498
District 52
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Hayden Collins: 2,867
- S. David Doss: 5,520
- Chuck Hufstetler: 10,156
November 6 General election candidates:
- Chuck Hufstetler: 46,825
District 53
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Jeff Mullis: 18,734 Incumbent Mullis first assumed office in 2001.
- Jeff Mullis: 18,734
November 6 General election candidates:
- Jeff Mullis: 48,535
District 54
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- No candidates filed.
- July 31 GOP primary:
- Charlie Bethel: 15,538 Incumbent Bethel first assumed office in 2011.
- Charlie Bethel: 15,538
November 6 General election candidates:
- Charlie Bethel: 39,819
District 55
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Gloria Butler: 13,344 Incumbent Butler first assumed office in 1999.
- Mark Williams: 3,573
- Gloria Butler: 13,344
- July 31 GOP primary:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Gloria Butler: 65,796
District 56
- July 31 Democratic primary:
- Akhtar Sadiq: 3,739
- Akhtar Sadiq: 3,739
- July 31 GOP primary:
- John Albers: 13,581 Incumbent Albers first assumed office in 2011.
- John Albers: 13,581
November 6 General election candidates:
- Akhtar Sadiq: 23,438
- John Albers: 48,145
See also
External links
- Georgia Secretary of State - Official Primary Results
- Georgia Secretary of State - List of 2012 General Election Candidates
- Georgia Secretary of State - Official General Election Results
Footnotes
- ↑ Follow the Money, Georgia
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Georgia Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "2010 Census: Georgia Profile," accessed September 7, 2012
- ↑ Savannah Morning News, "Census figures put Chatham, south Georgia lawmakers in a squeeze," March 20, 2011
- ↑ Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Lawmakers approve new political boundaries," August 19, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2012
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Marine Corps Times, "Justice sues Georgia over voting deadlines" accessed July 24, 2012
- ↑ Secretary of State News, "Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp Releases Final Decisions on Multiple Candidate Challenges," July 23, 2012
- ↑ Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Senator from southwest Georgia to step down," December 6, 2012
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedlist - ↑ Cherokee Ledger News, "Chip Rogers resigns from Senate to work for public broadcasting," December 5, 2012
- ↑ News Central GA "Miriam Paris Concedes District 26 Race to David Lucas" accessed August 22, 2012
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 AP Results, "State Senate Runoff Election Results" accessed August 21, 2012
- ↑ WAOK, "State Senate Candidate Disqualified From Primary," July 31, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2012
