Veteran state Sen Jack Murphy appeared to be on his way to becoming the second longtime state senator in as many months to be booted by voters in favor of a tea party-aligned candidate.
The race for Murphy’s Senate District 27 headlined a slew of runoff contests for seats in the Georgia Legislature. With election night marking the end of primary season in Georgia, some winners will run unopposed in November’s general election. For others, a victory Tuesday night marks the midway point in their campaigns to get to the Gold Dome.
Michael Williams, a local businessman with ties to the Forsyth County Tea Party, held a strong lead over Murphy, chairman of the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee. Tuesday’s winner faces no opposition in November.
The campaign was a slugfest, with the candidates and outside groups expected to spend a combined $700,000 on the race. Williams made an appeal to independents while Murphy stuck to his establishment roots with the backing of the GOP’s top leaders, including Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.
Along the way, Williams faced questions raised by an anonymous website claiming he went on a $40,000 gambling spree, which Williams’ spokesman called “completely false.” Murphy, too, had a target on his back, especially for when he led the Senate Finance Committee while also being a board member on the failed Integrity Bank.
“It’s a victory for the voters of Forsyth County,” Williams spokesman Seth Weathers said. “They fought back against the good ol’ boy system and gave a very clear ‘no’ to the Georgia Chamber of Commerce that they can’t tell them who their state senator will be.”
Among other races in the spotlight, former Lawrenceville City Councilman P.K. Martin led former Gwinnett County Commissioner Mike Beaudreau in the Senate District 9 GOP contest. Both got in the runoff ahead of the seat’s beleaguered incumbent, state Sen. Don Balfour, R-Snellville, his chamber’s longest-serving Republican.
Beaudreau received an Election Day push from Julianne Thompson, the co-founder of the Atlanta Tea Party, and incumbents including state Rep. Buzz Brockway, R-Lawrenceville.
In the GOP runoff for the Senate District 16 seat held by retiring Senate Majority Leader Ronnie Chance, R-Tyrone, M.H. “Marty” Harbin — an insurance agency owner and founding member of the South Atlanta Tea Party — had a comfortable lead early Tuesday night over David Studdard, a military veteran and former chairman of the Fayette County Republican Party. No one else has qualified for the Nov. 4 election.
On the House side, House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, backed first-time incumbent state Rep. John Deffenbaugh, R-Lookout Mountain, who led Robert Goff early Tuesday night in the GOP race for House District 1.
In Cherokee County’s 22nd District, Wes Cantrell had a wide lead over fellow challenger Meagan Biello in the GOP runoff. The seat’s tea party-backed incumbent, state Rep. Sam Moore, R-Ball Ground, did not get enough votes in May to qualify for the runoff.
Among other notable House runoff races, Dougherty County school board member Darrel Ealum led state Rep. Carol Fullerton, D-Albany, in House District 153. And D.C. “Dave” Belton maintained a small lead over J. Aaron Brooks in the Republican primary for House District 112. That seat is currently held by state Rep. Doug Holt, R-Social Circle, who announced earlier this year that he would not run for re-election.
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