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 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. Democrat Max Cleland simultaneously lost his re-election bid to Republican Saxby Chambliss.
, this is the last governor election in which Decatur, Grady, Meriwether, and Wilkes counties voted for the Democratic candidate. 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 Roy Barnes, incumbent governor of Georgia
Results
Republican primary
Candidates Sonny Perdue, state senator from Bonaire Linda Schrenko, Superintendent of Public Instruction Bill Byrne, chairman of the Cobb County Commission
Results
General election Predictions SourceRankingAs ofThe Cook Political Report October 31, 2002Sabato's Crystal Ball November 4, 2002
Results
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Of Georgia's 159 counties, 74 flipped from Democratic to Republican between the 1998 Georgia gubernatorial election and the 2002 Georgia gubernatorial election.
Appling (largest city: Baxley) Atkinson (largest city: Pearson) Bacon (largest city: Alma) Baldwin (largest city: Milledgeville) Bartow (largest town: Cartersville) Ben Hill (largest city: Fitzgerald) Berrien (largest city: Nashville) Bleckley (largest city: Cochran) Brantley (largest city: Nahunta) Bulloch (largest city: Statesboro) Butts (largest city: Jackson) Candler (largest city: Metter) Charlton (largest city: Folkston) Chattooga (largest city: Summerville) Coffee (largest city: Douglas) Colquitt (largest city: Moultrie) Columbia (largest community: Martinez, a census-designated place) Cook (largest city: Adel) Crawford (largest city: Roberta) Crisp (largest city: Cordele) Dodge (largest city: Eastman) Dooly (largest city: Vienna) Echols (largest community: Statenville) Emanuel (largest city: Swainsboro) Evans (largest city: Claxton) Franklin (largest city: Lavonia) Greene (largest city: Greensboro) Habersham (largest city: Cornelia) Haralson (largest city: Bremen) Heard (largest city: Franklin) Houston (largest city: Warner Robins) Irwin (largest city: Ocilla) Jasper (largest city: Monticello) Jeff Davis (largest city: Hazlehurst) Jenkins (largest city: Millen) Johnson (largest city: Wrightsville) Jones (largest city: Gray) Lamar (largest city: Barnesville) Lanier (largest city: Lakeland) Laurens (largest city: Dublin) Lincoln (largest city: Lincolnton) Long (largest city: Ludowici) Lowndes (largest city: Valdosta) Lumpkin (largest city: Dahlonega) McDuffie (largest city: Thomson) Miller (largest city: Colquitt) Monroe (largest city: Forsyth) Montgomery (largest city: Mount Vernon) Morgan (largest city: Madison) Peach (largest city: Fort Valley) Pierce (largest city: Blackshear) Polk (largest city: Cedartown) Pulaski (largest town: Hawkinsville) Putnam (largest city: Eatonton) Rabun (largest city: Clayton) Schley (largest city: Ellaville) Screven (largest city: Sylvania) Seminole (largest city: Donalsonville) Sumter (largest city: Americus) Tattnall (largest city: Glennville) Telfair (largest city: McRae-Helena) Thomas (largest city: Thomasville)
Tift (largest city: Tifton) Toombs (largest city: Vidalia) Towns (largest city: Young Harris) Treutlen (largest city: Soperton) Turner (largest city: Ashburn) Union (largest city: Blairsville) Upson (largest city: Thomaston) Ware (largest city: Waycross) Wayne (largest city: Jesup) Wheeler (largest city: Alamo) Wilcox (largest city: Abbeville) Worth (largest city: Sylvester)
See also 2002 United States gubernatorial elections 2002 United States Senate election in Georgia 2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia State of Georgia Governors of Georgia
Notes
References
External links Official campaign websites (archived) Sonny Perdue (R) for Governor Roy Barnes (D) for Governor