# 1998 Georgia gubernatorial election

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vte :
The 1998 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democratic governor Zell Miller was unable to seek re-election due to term limits, therefore creating an open seat. To replace him, State Representative Roy Barnes won the Democratic Party's nomination after a close and highly contested primary election, while businessman Guy Millner, who had run for governor and the United States Senate in the previous four years, won the nomination of the Republican Party.
In the general election, Barnes was able to defeat Millner by a margin of victory larger than Governor Miller's victory over Millner four years prior, which was in part due to the unpopularity and controversy of Mitch Skandalakis, the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia. As of 2025, this is the most recent time a Democrat was elected Governor of Georgia.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Roy Barnes, State Representative from Marietta
* Lewis A. Massey, Georgia Secretary of State
* David Poythress, Georgia Commissioner of Labor
* Steve Langford, Georgia state senator from LaGrange
* Morris James
* Carlton Myers, Pine Mountain veterinarian and candidate for Senate in 1974

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Roy Barnes | 239,517 | 49.20 |
| | Democratic | Lewis A. Massey | 135,920 | 27.92 |
| | Democratic | David Poythress | 65,860 | 13.53 |
| | Democratic | Steve Langford | 31,543 | 6.48 |
| | Democratic | Morris James | 9,148 | 1.88 |
| | Democratic | Carlton Myers | 4,853 | 1.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 486,841 | 100.00 |

### Runoff results

Democratic primary runoff results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Roy Barnes | 221,651 | 82.90 |
| | Democratic | Lewis A. Massey | 45,735 | 17.10 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 267,386 | 100.00 |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Guy Millner, 1996 Republican nominee for the United States Senate, 1994 Republican nominee for Governor of Georgia, businessman
* Mike Bowers, Attorney General of Georgia
* Nancy Schaefer, 1994 Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
* Bruce Hatfield

### Campaign

Bowers's campaign was derailed when he admitted to a fifteen-year extramarital affair with Anne Davis, his secretary and a former Playboy Club waitress. Davis publicly stated that the romance had been active as recently as April 1997, six weeks prior to Bowers' June 5 announcement.

### Results

Millner narrowly avoided a run-off by just 1,573 votes. However, Bowers conceded before a recount finalized the result, admitting that all indications pointed to a victory for Millner.
Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Guy Millner | 210,845 | 50.38 |
| | Republican | Mike Bowers | 167,074 | 39.92 |
| | Republican | Nancy Schaefer | 32,315 | 7.72 |
| | Republican | Bruce Hatfield | 8,308 | 1.98 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 418,542 | 100.00 |

## General election
### Results

1998 Georgia gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Roy Barnes | 941,076 | 52.49% | +1.44% |
| | Republican | Guy Millner | 790,201 | 44.08% | −4.87% |
| | Libertarian | Jack Cashin | 61,531 | 3.43% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 150,875 | 8.42% | +6.31% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,792,808 | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Swing | | |