2004 United States Senate election in Georgia
The 2004 United States Senate election in Georgia took place on November 2, 2004, alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Zell Miller decided to retire, leaving an open seat.
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 County results Isakson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Majette: 40-50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Georgia |
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Representative Johnny Isakson, a Republican, won the open seat, marking the first time in history that Republicans held both of Georgia’s Senate seats. Democratic nominee Denise Majette became both the first African American and the first woman to be nominated for Senate in Georgia. Isakson would remain in the Senate until his resignation on December 31, 2019.
Democratic primary
Following reports that Miller's would retire, Democratic leaders unsuccessfully tried to convince outgoing Governor Roy Barnes to run for Senate. Max Cleland, a former Senator who lost his seat in the 2002 election, was also considered a possible candidate before choosing not to run.[1]
Majette's announcement that she would seek to replace Miller caught Democrats by surprise, as she was not on anyone's call list when Democrats began seeking a candidate to replace Miller. Further skepticism among Democrats about the viability of her candidacy surfaced when she announced that "God" had told her to run for the Senate.
Nominee:
- Denise Majette, U.S. Representative
Declined to run:
- Roy Barnes, outgoing Governor of Georgia
- Max Cleland, former Senator
- Zell Miller, incumbent Senator
- Michelle Nunn, nonprofit executive and daughter of former Senator Sam Nunn[2]
Republican primary
Positioning himself as a political outsider, businessman Herman Cain spent nearly $1 million of his own money on his Senate campaign.[3] To discredit Cain, Isakson's campaign dropped campaign mail pieces noting that Cain had donated to Democrats in the past, such as Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy.[4]
Nominee:
- Johnny Isakson, U.S. Representative
Defeated in primary:
- Herman Cain, former CEO of Godfather's Pizza[5]
- Mac Collins, U.S. Representative
Declined to run:
- Ralph Reed, chair of the Georgia Republican Party[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Johnny Isakson | 346,765 | 53.2% | |
| Republican | Herman Cain | 170,464 | 26.2% | |
| Republican | Mac Collins | 134,053 | 20.6% | |
Campaign
Majette received important endorsements from U.S. Senators Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, along with many others in Washington who campaigned and raised money for Majette. Her Senate campaign slogan was "I'll be nobody's Senator, but yours."
A number of factors led to Majette's loss. These include her late start, her valuable time and money spent in the runoff, larger conservative turnout from a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages (which Majette opposed), the popularity of President George W. Bush in Georgia, and her lack of experience (being a one-term congresswoman).
Debates
- Complete video of debate, October 31, 2004
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[8] | Safe R (flip) | November 1, 2004 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[lower-alpha 1] |
Margin of error |
Johnny Isakson (R) |
Denise Majette (D) |
Other / Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA | October 28–30, 2004 | 624 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 56% | 40% | 5% |
General election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Johnny Isakson | 1,864,205 | 57.88% | +19.97% | |
| Democratic | Denise Majette | 1,287,695 | 39.98% | −18.22% | |
| Libertarian | Allen Buckley | 69,051 | 2.14% | +2.14% | |
| Majority | 576,510 | 17.90% | |||
| Turnout | 3,220,951 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | ||||
See also
Notes
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
References
- "Miller Signals Exit". Roll Call. January 8, 2003. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- "Democrats Fail to Entice Nunn Into Senate Race". Roll Call. October 24, 2003. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- Ball, Molly (October 14, 2011). "Herman Cain for Senate? The Inside Story of His First Insurgent Campaign". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- Blake, Aaron (October 18, 2011). "Herman Cain's sleepy Senate campaign". Washington Post.
- "Three Republicans battling for spots in Georgia's likely Senate runoff". New.accessnorthga.com. March 27, 2004. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
- "Georgia's Miller won't seek re-election - Jan. 8, 2003". CNN. January 8, 2003. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- "United States Senator". Sos.georgia.gov. Archived from the original on October 21, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- "The Final Predictions". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- "United States Senator". Georgia of Secretary of State. December 21, 2005. Retrieved December 3, 2008.