By Dick Pettys
Associated Press Writer
Thursday, July 23, 1998; 12:52 p.m. EDT

ATLANTA (AP) — Lewis Massey bowed out of the Democratic gubernatorial runoff today, throwing his support to rival Roy Barnes in hopes of strengthening the party's chance of retaining the governor's office in November.

Massey and Barnes appeared jointly with Gov. Zell Miller to make the announcement. Miller is completing his second term and cannot seek re-election.

Massey said he entered the race to help build a bright future for Georgia families.

"I believe the best way to reach those goals now is to suspend my campaign for governor and endorse, wholeheartedly, Roy Barnes as the next governor of Georgia," he said.

Barnes, a veteran state legislator, finished with 49 percent of the vote in Tuesday's primary, according to unofficial returns. Massey, Georgia's secretary of state, had 28 percent.

Barnes' failure to get 50 percent of the vote forced the scheduling of the Aug. 11 runoff. Massey will stay on the ballot but said he will not actively campaign.

Merle Black, a political scientist at Emory University, said it was unlikely Massey could have overcome Barnes' powerful primary lead.

On the Republican side, Millionaire businessman Guy Millner, who finished first in his party's primary, already is planning "a full-court press" against the eventual Democratic nominee. But two days after the primary still isn't certain he's escaped a runoff.

Unofficial returns showed him just above the 50 percent necessary to avoid a runoff with former Attorney General Mike Bowers, who had 40 percent.

Official results will not be completed until Monday, the secretary of state's office said. If the official count shows that Millner has enough to avoid the runoff, Bowers said Wednesday he may seek a recount.

Millner, who owns a multimillion-dollar temporary employment agency, was the Republican nominee for governor in 1994 and for U.S. Senate in 1996, narrowly losing both times.