The 1998 elections saw the first elections of African American candidates and of a woman candidate to statewide office.[citation needed]
Democratic State SenatorRoy Barnes defeatedSecretary of StateLewis A. Massey to win the Democratic primary.[1] Running on the themes of education reform and health care reform,[2] Barnes defeatedRepublican businessmanGuy Millner in thegeneral election with a victory of 52% to 44% to become the 80th Governor of Georgia.[3][4]
Democratic State SenatorMark Taylor defeated Republican candidateMitch Skandalakis and took office on January 11, 1999.
Appointed to the position the previous year, Democratic incumbent Attorney GeneralThurbert Baker ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. With 50.9% of the vote, he defeated Republican State RepresentativeDavid Ralston (45.3%) and Libertarian candidate Walker Chandler (3.8%) to win a full term, becoming one of the first two African American state Attorney General in Georgia.
Democratic State RepresentativeCathy Cox ran for Georgia Secretary of State in 1998 and defeated Republican candidate John A. McCallum with 56.6% of the vote, becoming the 25th Secretary of State of Georgia and the first woman elected to the position.
Democratic State RepresentativeMike Thurmond defeated Republican candidate John F. Collins 52.7-47.3.
Republican incumbentJohn Oxendine defeated Democratic State RepresentativeHenrietta Canty and Libertarian candidate Joshua Batcheler.
Republican incumbentLinda Schrenko defeated Democratic candidate Joe Martin and Libertarian Michael Cartwright.
In the first election for the PSC to use "residency districts" for the at-large seats, Republican incumbent Bobby Baker defeated Democratic candidate Anna Hargis for a second term. In a special election to succeed Dave Baker, Democrat Lauren "Bubba" McDonald defeated Jim Cole and Jim Kulstad.
Members were elected to the145th Georgia General Assembly.
