# 2000 United States Senate special election in Georgia

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vte :
The 2000 United States Senate special election in Georgia was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Zell Miller, who was appointed by Governor Roy Barnes to replace the deceased Paul Coverdell, overwhelmingly won election to serve the remainder of the term. Miller defeated Republican Mack Mattingly, a former U.S. Senator in a landslide of over 20 points, carrying 149 of the state's 159 counties.
This was the last time until 2020 that a Democrat would win a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia, when Raphael Warnock won a special election to fill the same seat and Jon Ossoff won the regular election for the Class 2 Senate seat. It also remains the last time that a Democrat would win a Senate race in the state by double-digits.

## Candidates

Note: This election was a non-partisan election due to it being a special election. Each candidate ran without a party. The parties below reflect which party label each candidate would have run under if given the option.
* Ben Ballenger (Republican)
* Jeff Gates (Green)
* Paul Robert MacGregor (Libertarian)
* Winnie Walsh (Independent)
* Mack Mattingly, former Ambassador to Seychelles and former U.S. Senator (Republican)
* Zell Miller, incumbent U.S. Senator and former Governor (Democratic)
* Bobby Wood (Republican)

## Campaign

One of the biggest campaign issues was Social Security. Miller attacked Mattingly for supporting a raise in the retirement age. The Republican fought back by connecting him to liberal Democrat Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, and on his vote to block legislation aimed at protecting Social Security. Mattingly said he would vote for Texas Governor George W. Bush for president, who was very popular in the state and led Vice President Al Gore in many Georgia polls. Mattingly then asked Miller who he was supporting in the presidential election. Miller conceded he would vote for Gore because he helped him when he was governor including drought relief, welfare reform, and the Atlanta Olympics. "That does not mean I agree with all of his policies," he concluded. In early October, a poll showed Miller leading with 59% of the vote, despite the fact that Bush was leading Gore by a double-digit margin.

### Debates

* Complete video of debate, October 15, 2000

### Results

General election results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nonpartisan | Zell Miller (incumbent) | 1,413,224 | 58.19% | +13.04% |
| | Nonpartisan | Mack Mattingly | 920,478 | 37.90% | −14.47% |
| | Nonpartisan | Paul Robert MacGregor | 25,942 | 1.07% | −1.41% |
| | Nonpartisan | Ben Ballenger | 22,975 | 0.95% | +0.95% |
| | Nonpartisan | Jeff Gates | 21,249 | 0.88% | +0.88% |
| | Nonpartisan | Bobby Wood | 12,499 | 0.51% | +0.51% |
| | Nonpartisan | Winnie Walsh | 11,875 | 0.49% | +0.49% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 492,746 | 20.29% | +13.07% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,428,242 | 100.00% | 0.00% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Atkinson (Largest city: Pearson)
* Baldwin (Largest city: Milledgeville)
* Berrien (Largest city: Nashville)
* Brooks (Largest city: Quitman)
* Chattooga (Largest city: Summerville)
* Clinch (Largest city: Homerville)
* Cook (Largest city: Adel)
* Crawford (Largest city: Roberta)
* Crisp (Largest city: Cordele)
* Decatur (Largest city: Bainbridge)
* Dodge (Largest city: Eastman)
* Emanuel (Largest city: Swainsboro)
* Grady (Largest city: Cairo)
* Hart (Largest city: Hartwell)
* Heard (Largest city: Franklin)
* Irwin (Largest city: Ocilla)
* Jasper (Largest city: Monticello)
* Jenkins (Largest city: Millen)
* Johnson (Largest city: Wrightsville)
* Lanier (Largest city: Lakeland)
* Miller (Largest city: Colquitt)
* Montgomery (Largest city: Mount Vernon)
* Pulaski (Largest city: Hawkinsville)
* Putnam (Largest city: Eatonton)
* Schley (Largest city: Ellaville)
* Screven (Largest city: Sylvania)
* Seminole (Largest city: Donalsonville)
* Turner (Largest city: Ashburn)
* Wilcox (Largest city: Abbeville)
* Cobb (largest city: Marietta)
* Gwinnett (largest city: Peachtree Corners)
* Henry (largest city: Stockbridge)
* Rockdale (largest town: Conyers)
* Bacon (largest town: Alma)
* Banks (largest town: Baldwin)
* Bartow (largest town: Cartersville)
* Bleckley (largest town: Cochran)
* Brantley (largest town: Nahunta)
* Bryan (largest town: Richmond Hill)
* Bulloch (largest town: Stateboro)
* Camden (largest town: St. Marys)
* Candler (largest town: Metter)
* Carroll (largest town: Carrollton)
* Catoosa (largest town: Fort Oglethorpe)
* Charlton (largest town: Folkston)
* Coffee (largest town: Douglas)
* Colquitt (largest town: Moultrie)
* Dade (largest town: Trenton)
* Dawson (largest town: Dawsonville)
* Douglas (largest town: Douglasville)
* Echols (largest town: Statenville)
* Effingham (largest town: Rincon)
* Evans (largest town: Claxton)
* Fannin (largest town: Blue Ridge)
* Floyd (largest town: Rome)
* Franklin (largest town: Lavonia)
* Glascock (largest town: Gibson)
* Gordon (largest town: Calhoun)
* Habersham (largest town: Cornelia)
* Hall (largest town: Gainesville)
* Gilmer (largest town: Ellijay)
* Harris (largest town: Pine Mountain)
* Haralson (largest town: Bremen)
* Houston (largest town: Warner Robins)
* Jones (largest town: Gray)
* Jackson (largest town: Jefferson)
* Jeff Davis (largest town: Hazlehurst)
* Lincoln (largest town: Lincolnton)
* Lowndes (largest town: Valdosta)
* Lumpkin (largest town: Dahlonega)
* Madison (largest town: Comer)
* McDuffie (largest town: Thomson)
* Monroe (largest town: Forsyth)
* Murray (largest town: Chatsworth)
* Newton (largest town: Covington)
* Oconee (largest town: Watkinsville)
* Oglethorpe (largest town: Crawford)
* Paulding (largest town: Dallas)
* Morgan (largest town: Madison)
* Pike (largest town: Zebulon)
* Pickens (largest town: Jasper)
* Rabun (largest town: Clayton)
* Spalding (largest town: Griffin)
* Stephens (largest town: Toccoa)
* Tattnall (largest town: Glennville)
* Tifton (largest town: Tifton)
* Towns (largest town: Young Harris)
* Troup (largest town: LaGrange)
* Union (largest town: Blairsville)
* Upson (largest town: Thomaston)
* Walton (largest town: Monroe)
* Ware (largest town: Waycross)
* Walker (largest town: Lafayette)
* Wayne (largest town: Jesup)
* White (largest town: Cleveland)
* Whitfield (largest town: Dalton)
* Worth (largest town: Sylvester)
* Appling (largest town: Baxley)
* Thomas (largest town: Thomasville)
* Laurens (largest town: Dublin)