2006 Georgia state elections

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:ElectionsGA In the 2006 Georgia elections, Incumbent Governor Sonny Perdue, the first Republican Governor of Georgia since reconstruction, was re-elected over then-Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor (D).

Prior to the elections, though Republicans held the Governor's mansion and majorities in both houses of the Georgia General Assembly, Democrats then-held five of the eight statewide offices. Following the elections, Republicans would pick up two positions, those being Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State, with the victories of Casey Cagle (who became the eleventh overall and first ever Republican elected Lieutenant Governor) and Karen Handel (who became the twenty-sixth overall and first Republican since reconstruction to be Secretary of State) in each of their respective races. Both positions were open after the incumbent office holders chose to seek the governorship of Georgia.

All other state Executive Officers, Attorney General of Georgia Thurbert Baker (D), state Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox (R), Commissioner of Insurance John Oxendine (R), Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin (D), and Commissioner of Labor Mike Thurmond (D), were re-elected. This was the last time Democrats won a statewide election in Georgia until 2020 when Democrat Joe Biden won the state in the presidential election as well as the last time Democrats won statewide office in Georgia until Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock were elected to the Senate in 2021.

Federal elections

United States Congressional elections

In 2006, all thirteen of Georgia's U.S. House seats were up for election. Neither of the Peach state's U.S. Senate seats were up for election that year.

United States House of Representatives elections

All thirteen of Georgia's incumbent Representatives sought re-election in 2006. Going into the elections, Republicans held seven of Georgia's U.S. House seats and Democrats held six seats.

Despite significant gains by Republicans in Georgia since 2002, such as consecutive Republican victories since in Presidential elections since 1996, gaining both of Georgia's U.S. Senate seats, the election of Sonny Perdue as Georgia's first post-Reconstruction Republican governor in 2002, successful elections of Republicans to other state executive offices, and gaining control of both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly for the first time since Reconstruction, Democrats have succeeded in gaining seats of Georgia's House delegation in recent House elections.

Following gains in both houses of the General Assembly in 2002 and 2004, Republicans enacted a mid-decade redistricting to alter the congressional districts created by the 146th Georgia General Assembly, which Democrats held control of at the time, with the intention of benefiting Republicans. Two Democratic incumbents who were especially targeted were Jim Marshall (GA-8) and John Barrow (GA-12). They were opposed respectively by former Representatives Mac Collins (who previously represented what is now the Third district) and Max Burns. These two races were among the most competitive in the nation, but ultimately resulted in both incumbents being re-elected by razor thin margins of 1 and 0.6 percentage points respectively.

The partisan makeup of Georgia's House delegation did not change, however one Incumbent, Cynthia McKinney (GA-4), was denied renomination by her 59% to 41% defeat in the Democratic Primary runoff to then-Dekalb county Commissioner Hank Johnson.

Governor

In the Republican primary, incumbent Sonny Perdue defeated challenger Ray McBerry by a margin of 88 percent to 12 percent. In the Democratic primary, Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor defeated state Secretary of State Cathy Cox, Bill Bolton, and Mac McCarley with 51.7 percent of the vote to Cox's 44 percent, Bolton's 2 percent, and McCarley 2 percent. Libertarian Garrett Michael Hayes faced Perdue Mark Taylor in the general election. Independent John Dashler withdrew from the race, unable to collect the 40,000 signatures required for ballot access.

Perdue was re-elected to a second term, winning 57.9 percent of the vote.

Lieutenant governor

General election results

2006 Lieutenant Governor election, Georgia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Casey Cagle		54.1
		Jim Martin		42.3
		Allen Buckley		3.6

Primary Results

Democrats

Georgia Democratic July Primary, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Jim Martin		Template:Replace	41.2
Greg Hecht		Template:Replace	36.4
Steen Miles		Template:Replace	14.4
Griffin Lotson		Template:Replace	5.0
Rufus Terrill		Template:Replace	3.0

Georgia Democratic August Runoff, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Jim Martin		Template:Replace	62.4
Greg Hecht		Template:Replace	37.6

Republicans

Georgia Republican July Primary, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Casey Cagle		Template:Replace	56
Ralph Reed		Template:Replace	44

Libertarian

• Allen Buckley

Secretary of State

General Election Results

2006 Secretary of State election, Georgia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Karen Handel		54.1
		Gail Buckner		41.8
		Kevin Madsen		4.1

Primary Results

Democrats

Georgia Democratic July Primary, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Gail Buckner		Template:Replace	25.4
Darryl Hicks		Template:Replace	21.9
Angela Moore		Template:Replace	17.5
Shyam Reddy		Template:Replace	16.5
Scott Holcomb		Template:Replace	11.5
Walter Ray		Template:Replace	7.1

Georgia Democratic August Runoff, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Gail Buckner		Template:Replace	55.1
Darryl Hicks		Template:Replace	44.9

Republicans

Georgia Republican July Primary, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Karen Handel		Template:Replace	43.6
Bill Stephens		Template:Replace	32.6
Charlie Bailey		Template:Replace	13.8
Eric Martin		Template:Replace	10

Georgia Republican August Runoff, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Karen Handel		Template:Replace	56.6
Bill Stephens		Template:Replace	43.4

Libertarian

• Kevin Madsen

Attorney general

General Election Results

2006 Attorney General election, Georgia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Thurbert Baker (incumbent)		57.2
		Perry McGuire		42.8

State School Superintendent

General election results

2006 State School Superintendent election, Georgia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Kathy Cox		54.2
		Denise Majette		43.0
		David Chastain		2.8

Primary election results

Democrats

Georgia Democratic July Primary, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Denise Majette		Template:Replace	67.1
Carlotta Harrell		Template:Replace	32.9

Republicans

Georgia Republican July Primary, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Kathy Cox		Template:Replace	64.7
Danny Carter		Template:Replace	35.3

Libertarian

• David Chastain

Commissioner of Insurance

General Election Results

As of 2025, this is the last time Fulton County, the state's largest county and home to Atlanta, voted Republican in a contested statewide election.

2006 Commissioner of Insurance election, Georgia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		John Oxendine (incumbent)		65.6
		Guy Drexinger		34.4

Commissioner of Agriculture

General Election Results

2006 Commissioner of Agriculture election, Georgia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Tommy Irvin (incumbent)		56.0
		Gary Black		40.6
		Jack Cashin		3.4

Primary Results

Democrats

• Tommy Irvin (incumbent)

Republicans

Georgia Republican July Primary, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Gary Black		Template:Replace	42.3
Brian Kemp		Template:Replace	26.8
Bob Greer		Template:Replace	15.9
Deanna Strickland		Template:Replace	15.0

Georgia Republican August Runoff, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Gary Black		Template:Replace	60.0
Brian Kemp		Template:Replace	40.0

Libertarian

• Jack Cashin

Commissioner of Labor

General election results

2006 Commissioner of Labor election, Georgia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Mike Thurmond (incumbent)		54.8
		Brent Brown		45.2

Primary election results

Democrats

• Michael Thurmond (incumbent)

Republicans

Georgia Republican July Primary, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%	±
Brent Brown		225,286	70.3
Chuck Scheid		94,998	29.7

Public Service Commission

District 3

This is a statewide race.

General Election Results

2006 Public Service Commissioner District 3 election, Georgia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		David L. Burgess		48.8
		Chuck Eaton		46.3
		Paul MacGregor		4.9

2006 Public Service Commissioner District 3 runoff election, Georgia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Chuck Eaton		52.2
		David L. Burgess		47.8

Primary election results

Republicans

Georgia Republican July Primary, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Chuck Eaton		Template:Replace	58.6
Mark Parkman		Template:Replace	41.4

Democrats

• David Burgess

Libertarians

• Paul MacGregor

District 5

This is a statewide race.

General Election Results

2006 Public Service Commissioner District 5 election, Georgia

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Stan Wise		55.0
		Dawn Randolph		40.4
		Kevin Cherry		4.7

Primary Results

Republicans

Georgia Republican July Primary, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Stan Wise		Template:Replace	68.8
Newt Nickell		Template:Replace	31.2

Democrats

• Dawn Randolph

Libertarians

• Kevin Cherry

Judicial elections

In 2006, four seats on the Supreme Court of Georgia and four on the Georgia Court of Appeals were up for election. All judicial elections in Georgia are officially non-partisan.

Supreme Court of Georgia elections

Incumbent state Supreme Court Associate Justices George H. Carley, Harold Melton, Hugh P. Thompson, and Carol W. Hunstein were all re-elected with three being unopposed. Only Hunstein received any opposition, which she overcame handily.

Supreme Court (Hunstein seat) election

Supreme Court of Georgia election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Carol W. Hunstein	1,170,973	63.1%
	Nonpartisan	Mike Wiggins	683,483	36.9%
Turnout			1,854,456	100

Georgia Court of Appeals elections

Incumbent Judges John Ellington, M. Yvette Miller, Herbert E. Phipps, and J.D. Smith were re-elected without opposition.

External links

• Statewide qualifiers
• Primary Election Results Template:Webarchive
• Primary Runoff Results Template:Webarchive
• General Election Results