Businessman Guy Millner won barely more than 50 percent of the vote in the GOP primary. (AP)

By Terry M. Neal
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 23, 1998; Page A02

In an election with more than its share of strange twists and turns, Georgia Republican Guy Millner appeared to have captured his party's gubernatorial nomination by a hair while his main opponent said he likely would seek a recount.

Also, in a six-way Democratic primary, state Rep. Roy Barnes got 49 percent of the vote, forcing an Aug. 11 runoff with Secretary of State Lewis Massey, who had about 28 percent. Gov. Zell Miller (D), one of the most popular governors in Georgia history, cannot seek reelection because of term limits.

Although the election was Tuesday, state officials were still tallying results yesterday. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Millner had only about 1,000 more votes than the 50 percent he needed to avoid a runoff against fellow Republican Mike Bowers, the state's former attorney general. Two other candidates shared about 10 percent of the GOP primary vote.

Many pollsters thought Bowers delivered a politically fatal self-inflicted blow last year when he publicly acknowledged a long affair with his secretary. But he surprised many Georgians by capturing 40 percent of the vote on Tuesday – an outcome one aide attributed at least partially to a last-minute television advertisement featuring Bowers's wife, Betty Rose, appealing to voters while "Amazing Grace" played in the background.

In another race watched closely around the country, political operative Dylan Glenn was defeated by businessman Joe McCormick in the GOP primary for Georgia's 2nd Congressional District seat. Several national GOP figures – including House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), Colin L. Powell and Jack Kemp – had endorsed Glenn, who is black. That drew complaints from McCormick, who is white, and supporters that the GOP establishment was looking to make a symbolic gesture to appeal to minorities.

McCormick will face Rep. Sanford Bishop (D) in the poor, rural southwestern Georgia district that has been redrawn from a majority black district to a majority white one.

Millner will have to unite a fractured Republican base to win. "We're ready, I'll tell you. We're ready to unify the Republican Party," Millner said yesterday. "I'm thrilled. We have about 43,000 votes over the Bowers campaign. I'd like to be doing better but we'll take any lead we can get."

Bowers said he probably would seek a statewide recount based on reported irregularities in several of Georgia's 159 counties. He must request the recount before the state certifies the results in the next couple of days, said an official in the secretary of state's office. The office has the discretion to honor the request.

"There have been and can be errors" in an election this close, said Bowers spokesman Bill Crane, alleging in particular processing errors in Cobb County, an Atlanta suburb where Bowers ran strong. "We did very well, but there were a significant number of ballots that were unvoted or spoiled in the governor's race."

The election was marked by voter apathy and turnout was low, about 22 percent.

Merle Black, an Emory University political science professor, said Millner hurt himself by skipping dozens of candidate forums and debates, leaving him open to charges that he was trying to buy the race. Millner put upward of $3 million of his own money into the race.

The tough GOP primary, combined with Barnes's strong showing, boosts the Democrat's chance in a state that many think might elect a Republican governor for the first time since Reconstruction. "Georgia could go either way in the fall," Black said.