With all 352 Fulton County precincts reporting and all but one county reporting statewide, incumbents ruled the general election Tuesday.
In the presidential race, incumbent Democrat Barack Obama had 64.7 percent of the Fulton vote, well ahead of Republican Mitt Romney (33.9 percent) and Libertarian Gary Johnson (1.2 percent). Though Romney won the Georgia vote with 53.4 percent and the nationwide popular vote, Obama triumphed in enough states via the electoral college to gain re-election.
In Congressional elections, the incumbents had commanding victories. District 5 U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Atlanta, won big with 84.3 percent. Republican Howard Stopeck, of Virginia-Highland, has 15.7 percent. The district includes part of Buckhead.
In District 6, which includes part of Sandy Springs, incumbent Republican Dr. Tom Price, of Roswell, won with 64.5 percent of the vote. Democrat Jeff Kazanow, of had 35.5 percent.
In District 11, which includes parts of Buckhead and Sandy Springs, incumbent Republican Dr. Phil Gingrey, of Marietta, won with 68.6 percent, well ahead of Democrat Patrick Thompson, of Woodstock (31.4 percent).
“Obviously, the critical issue is the debt and deficit,” Gingrey said Tuesday night. “Without question, no matter who is the next president, we have got to cut out all the unnecessary spending. We have got to slowly but surely, and hopefully not too slowly, get rid of the mountain of debt we’re passing on to our children and grandchildren.”
Thompson, who lost to District 21 State Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, in 2010, said he may run for office again, and could face Gingrey in two years.
“I would have been happy with 25 percent, so if we end up with over 25 percent, I’m very happy,” he said of this year’s election.
In statewide elections, Republican incumbent Chuck Eaton defeated Democrat Steven Oppenheimer and Libertarian Brad Ploeger in the battle for the Public Service Commision’s Distirct 3 seat. The district includes Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton and Rockdale counties. Eaton had 52.1 percent of the vote, compared to Oppenheimer’s 43.1 percent for and 4.8 percent for Ploeger.
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