Shut out since 1872, Georgia Republicans reclaimed the Governor’s Mansion in 2002 when State Senator Sonny Perdue, a former Democrat, upset incumbent Roy Barnes. At the time, it was unclear whether Perdue’s narrow victory was a fluke or a harbinger of future voting trends. With Perdue’s convincing reelection in 2006 as well as two successful campaigns waged by current Republican governor Nathan Deal in 2010 and 2014, the Republican Party of Georgia appears to be firmly in control of statewide elective office. Shifting demographics and other factors, though, may alter this political reality in the coming years.
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