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DEL.ICIO.USHandel, Buckner to face off in SOS race
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two women from metro Atlanta will compete to become Georgia’s next Secretary of State.
One, Fulton County Commission Chairwoman Karen Handel, is hoping to make history as the first Republican elected to the post. The other, state Rep. Gail Buckner, is hoping to keep the job in the hands of a Democrat.
Handel, of Roswell, and Buckner, of Jonesboro, cruised to fairly easy runoff victories Tuesday to emerge as their party candidates for the November general election. Libertarian candidate Kevin Madsen is also on the fall ballot. They are seeking to replace outgoing Democrat Cathy Cox, who lost a bid for the governor’s office in July.
Handel and Buckner survived an opening field of 10 candidates — four Republicans and six Democrats — for the secretary of state’s job, the most crowded field for any statewide office in Georgia.
Several factors have combined to make the secretary of state race the most competitive: the lack of an incumbent candidate, the job’s high visibility and election controversies throughout the nation, such as those that emerged from the 2000 presidential election and Georgia’s new voter ID law.
Handel bested state Sen. Bill Stephens of Canton in a bruising campaign to win the GOP nomination. Handel, with husband Steve at her side, declared victory shortly after 10 p.m. before about 200 supporters at her Chamblee campaign headquarters.
“A lot of people said Karen Handel is nothing but a metro Atlanta candidate, but the numbers will show something different. I’m a candidate for all of Georgia,” Handel told a roaring crowd. “I’m going to look forward to debating more on the issues now. “
Stephens conceded shortly before 10 p.m. at a Buckhead hotel. He thanked his campaign staff and supporters, and pledged his support to Handel. “I have offered my help in any way,” he said. “I think that’s the right thing to do.”
On the Democratic side, Buckner beat out business executive Darryl Hicks. Buckner led a pack of six candidates in the July 18 primary with Hicks close on her heels. Buckner did well in the Democratic stronghold of DeKalb County, where voters deciding a congressional race featuring incumbent Rep. Cynthia McKinney, helped give her a deciding edge.
Buckner celebrated in her Jonesboro home with a handful of family, friends and supporters. Shortly before 11 p.m., she began to gain confidence in her apparent victory, even though all the votes had not been counted.
“I’m very pleased to have been received by the citizens of this state,” she said in her living room. “I’m just excited to have the runoff behind me and I’m ready to go to work for November.”
Buckner also said she was looking forward to discussing issues, a departure from the Republican primary in which the candidates fought over issues having little do with the office, including gay marriage and abortion.
Handel pitched her combination of political and business experience as perfect for the job. Prior to election in 2003 to the Fulton County Commission, Handel worked as a deputy chief of staff in Gov. Sonny Perdue’s office. Before that, she was head of the North Fulton chamber of commerce and also worked for major corporations.
Buckner campaigned on her 16 years in the Georgia House of Representatives. Buckner said her work as a legislator, dealing with budgets, policies and law-making, gave her an inside look into the operation of the secretary of state’s office.
Going into the general election, Handel enjoyed a healthy fund-raising advantage. She raised $689,721, including contributions from many of the state’s most well-known businesses and deep-pocketed donors. Buckner, meanwhile, loaned $245,000 to her own campaign. The rest of her money, about $44,460 came from donors.
The Georgia secretary of state’s office has responsibility for a wide range of governmental functions, including oversight of elections; the licensing of 64 trades and professions, from cosmetologists and psychologists to auctioneers and geologists; regulating investment advisers, the issuance and sales of securities; and the registration of corporations and nonprofit groups. It also oversees the state’s archives and the Capitol museum. The job pays $114,376 a year.
Staff writers Jennifer Brett, Paul Kaplan, Mary Lou Pickel and Ty Tagami contributed to this article
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