# 2002 Georgia gubernatorial election

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vte :
The 2002 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic governor Roy Barnes sought re-election to a second term as governor. State Senator Sonny Perdue emerged as the Republican nominee from a crowded and hotly contested primary, and he faced off against Barnes, who had faced no opponents in his primary election, in the general election. Though Barnes had been nicknamed "King Roy" due to his unique ability to get his legislative priorities passed, he faced a backlash among Georgia voters due to his proposal to change the state flag from its Confederate design.
Ultimately, Perdue was able to defeat incumbent governor Barnes and became the first Republican to serve as governor of the state since Reconstruction. This was only the second election that a Republican won in the state's history, the other being in 1868. The result was widely considered a major upset. Democrat Max Cleland simultaneously lost the Senate election to Republican Saxby Chambliss, marking just the sixth time in the last 50 years in which U.S. Senate and gubernatorial incumbents from the same political party were simultaneously defeated in the same state.
As of 2022, this is the last governor election in which Decatur, Grady, Meriwether, and Wilkes counties voted for the Democratic candidate. This is the last time that a gubernatorial nominee and a lieutenant gubernatorial nominee from different political parties were elected governor and lieutenant governor in Georgia. Barnes later unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Georgia again in 2010 when Perdue was term-limited.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Roy Barnes, incumbent governor of Georgia

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Roy Barnes (incumbent) | 434,892 | 100.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 434,892 | 100.00 |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Sonny Perdue, state senator from Bonaire
* Linda Schrenko, Superintendent of Public Instruction
* Bill Byrne, chairman of the Cobb County Commission

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Sonny Perdue | 259,966 | 50.83 |
| | Republican | Linda Schrenko | 142,911 | 27.94 |
| | Republican | Bill Byrne | 108,586 | 21.23 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 511,463 | 100.00 |

## General election
### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Likely D | October 31, 2002 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely D | November 4, 2002 |

### Results

2002 Georgia gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Sonny Perdue | 1,041,677 | 51.42% | +7.34% |
| | Democratic | Roy Barnes (incumbent) | 937,062 | 46.25% | −6.24% |
| | Libertarian | Garrett Michael Hayes | 47,122 | 2.33% | −1.11% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,025,861 | 100.00% | N/A |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Atkinson (Largest city: Pearson)
* Baldwin (Largest city: Milledgeville)
* Berrien (Largest city: Nashville)
* Butts (Largest city: Jackson)
* Chattooga (Largest city: Summerville)
* Cook (Largest city: Adel)
* Crawford (Largest city: Roberta)
* Crisp (Largest city: Cordele)
* Dodge (Largest city: Eastman)
* Emanuel (Largest city: Swainsboro)
* Greene (Largest city: Greensboro)
* Heard (Largest city: Franklin)
* Irwin (Largest city: Ocilla)
* Jasper (Largest city: Monticello)
* Jenkins (Largest city: Millen)
* Johnson (Largest city: Wrightsville)
* Lamar (Largest city: Barnesville)
* Lanier (Largest city: Lakeland)
* Miller (Largest city: Colquitt)
* Montgomery (Largest city: Mount Vernon)
* Polk (Largest city: Cedartown)
* Pulaski (Largest city: Hawkinsville)
* Putnam (Largest city: Eatonton)
* Schley (Largest city: Ellaville)
* Screven (Largest city: Sylvania)
* Sumter (Largest city: Americus)
* Treutlen (Largest city: Soperton)
* Turner (Largest city: Ashburn)
* Wheeler (Largest city: Alamo)
* Wilcox (Largest city: Abbeville)
* Coffee (largest town: Douglas)
* Colquitt (largest town: Moultrie)
* Echols (largest town: Statenville)
* Evans (largest town: Claxton)
* Bleckley (largest town: Cochran)
* Candler (largest town: Metter)
* Lowndes (largest town: Valdosta)
* Haralson (largest town: Bremen)
* Houston (largest town: Warner Robins)
* Jones (largest town: Gray)
* Jeff Davis (largest town: Hazlehurst)
* Monroe (largest town: Forsyth)
* Morgan (largest town: Madison)
* Lincoln (largest town: Lincolnton)
* Tattnall (largest town: Glennville)
* Tifton (largest town: Tifton)
* Upson (largest town: Thomaston)
* Thomas (largest town: Thomasville)
* Laurens (largest town: Dublin)
* Franklin (largest town: Lavonia)
* Ware (largest town: Waycross)
* Peach (largest municipality: Fort Valley)
* Telfair (largest municipality: McRae-Helena)
* Wayne (largest town: Jesup)
* Worth (largest town: Sylvester)
* Bacon (largest town: Alma)
* Brantley (largest town: Nahunta)
* Ben Hill (Largest city: Fitzgerald)
* Long (Largest city: Ludowici)
* Seminole (Largest city: Donalsonville)
* Charlton (largest town: Folkston)
* Lincoln (largest town: Lincolnton)
* Lumpkin (largest town: Dahlonega)
* McDuffie (largest town: Thomson)
* Bartow (largest town: Cartersville)
* Bulloch (largest town: Stateboro)
* Rabun (largest town: Clayton)
* Towns (largest town: Young Harris)
* Union (largest town: Blairsville)
* Appling (largest town: Baxley)
* Johnson (Largest city: Wrightsville)
* Habersham (largest town: Cornelia)
* Lumpkin (largest town: Dahlonega)
* Dooly (largest city: Vienna) (became tied)
* Toombs (largest town: Vidalia)
* Pierce (largest town: Blackshear)
* Columbia (largest town: Martinez)