Ga.: Democrats Win Key Senate Battle In Peach State

ATLANTA (AllPolitics, Nov. 5) -- Former Georgia Secretary of State Max Cleland narrowly defeated wealthy Republican businessman Guy Millner in a closely watched contest for retiring Democratic Sen. Sam Nunn's seat.

The race was viewed as a test of whether Democrats could stem the GOP tide anywhere in the South. Democrats could not have asked for a more promising nominee than Cleland, a Vietnam War hero who previously won statewide races by wide margins. Still, Republicans hoped the region's increasing GOP tilt would help Millner capture the seat for their party.

While Cleland led in polls leading up to the election, few political experts in Georgia were writing Millner off. In 1994, Millner lost a close race for governor to Democratic incumbent Zell Miller. In that contest and this year's Senate race, Millner drew upon the fortune he made as the owner of temporary-employment agencies.

Cleland is perhaps best known for the wounds he suffered as an Army officer in the Vietnam War. Cleland lost both legs and one arm in combat and now relies on a wheelchair.

After resigning as secretary of state in January to enter the Senate race, Cleland presented himself as a moderate in the mold of Nunn, while trying to label Millner an ideological extremist.

Millner, a conservative, weathered a tough primary and runoff to win the nomination. His more moderate run-off opponent, former state Sen. Johnny Isakson, turned the contest into a referendum on the abortion issue by running high-profile television ads touting his support of abortion rights as well as Millner's opposition.

There were signs that the intra-party rift had not fully healed since the Aug. 6 runoff. Isakson, who said he would back his party's fall contest, was perceived as doing little since his defeat to get his supporters to back Millner.

While many Isakson supporters were going with Millner as the GOP nominee, other moderate Republicans who supported Isakson were seen as crucial swing voters in November, with both Cleland and Millner seeking their support.

Millner has criticized Cleland for refusing to participate in debates while labeling him a liberal, attempting to tie him closely to the politics of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).

In addition, Millner charged that Cleland, as secretary of state, urged parole for a convicted killer who had a politically powerful father. The parolee later committed another murder.

Cleland's campaign acknowledged that he wrote a letter on behalf of the man, but says Millner distorted the entire matter along the lines of the 1988 GOP "Willie Horton" ad which attacked Democratic presidential nominee Michael S. Dukakis' prison furlough policy.

Cleland's campaign in turn notes that Millner suffered a bout of negative publicity this fall, when news reports highlighted his membership in a club considered exclusionary toward African Americans and Jews. Millner subsequently resigned from the club.

Congressional Quarterly contributed to this report.

Related Stories:

• Fighting For The Center In Georgia Senate Race -- Oct. 14, 1996
• Georgia Republicans Go To The Polls -- July 9, 1996

Related Sites:

• Georgia State Profile