Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), forced into a runoff when neither he nor his Democratic opponent, Jim Martin, received a majority of the vote on Nov. 4, has won re-election.
With about 90 percent of the precincts reporting, Chambliss, seeking a second term, has about 59 percent of the vote. In last month's initial contest, Chambliss led Martin by 110,000 votes but fell just shy of winning a majority (49.8 percent), as required by state law; a third-party candidate siphoned off about 3 percent of the vote.
Chambliss' victory — in a state won by John McCain on Nov. 4 — ends Democratic hopes of achieving a filibuster-proof majority of 60 seats. Democrats will hold 58 seats in the 111th Congress, with results in one other state, Minnesota, still to be determined.
categories: Special Elections/Runoff Elections



Comments
Please note that all comments must adhere to the NPR.org discussion rules and terms of use. See also the Community FAQ.
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login | Register
More information needed to participate in the NPR online community.. Add this information