2010 Georgia state elections

Incumbent Governor Sonny Perdue (R) was ineligible to seek re-election due to term limits. The Republican primary featured four candidates who received over 15% of the vote in the first round: former Secretary of State Karen Handel, former U.S. Representative Nathan Deal, former Georgia State Senator Eric Johnson, and Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine.^[2] Handel, Deal, and Johnson all resigned their offices during or shortly before the campaign. Because no candidate received a majority of the vote, the race went to a runoff between the top two candidates, Handel and Deal.

Deal won the runoff narrowly, with a margin of about 0.4%, or 2,519 votes out of 579,551 cast.^[3] The Democratic nomination was won easily by former Governor Roy Barnes without a runoff; his most prominent opponent was Attorney General Thurbert Baker.^[4]

In the general election, Deal defeated Barnes, becoming just the third Republican to be elected Governor of Georgia, after Perdue and Reconstruction-era governor Rufus Bullock.

2010 Georgia Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election

← 2006 November 2, 2010 2014 →

Nominee Casey Cagle Carol Porter Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,403,977 1,006,411 Percentage 54.69% 41.86%

County results Cagle:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Porter:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%

Lieutenant Governor before election Casey Cagle Republican Elected Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle Republican

Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle (R) was seeking reelection. Carol Porter won the Democratic nomination.

• Casey Cagle, incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Georgia (campaign website)

• Tricia Carpenter McCracken, journalist
• Carol Porter, businesswoman and wife of State House Minority Leader DuBose Porter (campaign website)

• Dan Barber, self-employed
• Rhonda Martini, dentist, dropped out due to family issues^[6] (Facebook page) ^[7]

2010 Georgia Secretary of State election

← 2006 November 2, 2010 2014 →

Nominee Brian Kemp Georganna Sinkfield Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,440,188 1,006,411 Percentage 56.42% 39.43%

County results Kemp:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Sinkfield:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%

Secretary of State before election Brian Kemp Republican Elected Secretary of State Brian Kemp Republican

Incumbent Secretary of State Brian Kemp (R), who succeeded Karen Handel (R) after she resigned to focus on her gubernatorial bid,^[8] sought election to a full term and won the Republican primary on July 20. Georganna Sinkfield defeated Gail Buckner in a runoff for the Democratic nomination.

• Brian Kemp, incumbent Secretary of State of Georgia (campaign website)
• Doug MacGinnitie, former Sandy Springs councilman (campaign website)

• Gail Buckner, State Senator (campaign website)
• Gary Horlacher, attorney (campaign website)
• Michael Mills, public relations consultant (campaign website)
• Angela Moore, businesswoman (campaign website)
• Georganna Sinkfield, State Representative (campaign website)

• David Chastain,^[9] aeronautics industry analyst (campaign website)

2010 Georgia Attorney General Election

← 2006 November 2, 2010 2014 →

Nominee Sam Olens Kevin Hodges Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,351,090 1,112,049 Percentage 52.95% 43.58%

County results Olens:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Hodges:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%     80-90%

Attorney General before election Thurbert Baker Democratic Elected Attorney General Sam Olens Republican

Incumbent Attorney General of Georgia Thurbert Baker (D) retired from his position to run for Governor of Georgia. Ken Hodges won the Democratic nomination, while Sam Olens defeated Preston W. Smith in a runoff for the Republican nomination.

• Ken Hodges, former Dougherty Circuit District Attorney (campaign website)
• Rob Teilhet, state Representative (campaign website)

• Sam Olens, Chairman of the Cobb County Commission (campaign website)
• Preston W. Smith, State Senator (campaign website)
• Max Wood, former U.S. Attorney (campaign website)

• Don Smart,^[10] attorney (Facebook page)

Incumbent Superintendent of Education Kathy Cox (R) originally intended to seek re-election, but on May 17 announced that she would resign effective July 1, 2010 in order to take a position as CEO of a new non-profit, the U.S. Education Delivery Institute in Washington D.C.^[11] William Bradley Bryant was appointed by Gov. Perdue to fill the vacancy,^[12] but failed to qualify to run in the November election as an independent.^[13] Joe Martin and John D. Barge won the Democratic and Republican nominations, respectively.

• John D. Barge, school system administrator (campaign website)
• Richard Woods, school administrator (campaign website)

• Beth Farokhi, university administrator (campaign website)
• Joe Martin, former school board president (campaign website)
• Brian Westlake, teacher (campaign website)

• Kira Willis,^[14] teacher (campaign website)

Incumbent Commissioner of Insurance John Oxendine (R) was retiring from his position to run for Governor of Georgia. Ralph Hudgens defeated Maria Sheffield in a runoff for the Republican nomination, while Mary Squires was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

• Dennis Cain, insurance agent (campaign website)
• Rick Collum, Colquitt County Magistrate Judge (campaign website)
• Seth Harp, state Senator (campaign website)
• Ralph Hudgens, State Senator (campaign website)
• Tom Knox, state Representative (campaign website)
• John Mamalakis, insurance agent (campaign website)
• Stephen Northington, insurance agent (campaign website)
• Gerry Purcell, health benefits consultant (campaign website)
• Maria Sheffield, attorney (campaign website)

• Mary Squires, former state Senator (campaign website)

• Shane Bruce,^[15] Libertarian blogger (campaign website)

Incumbent Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin (D) was retiring in 2010.^[16] Gary Black won the Republican nomination, while J. B. Powell was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

• J. B. Powell, state Senator (campaign website)

• Gary Black, Georgia Agribusiness Council President (campaign website)
• Darwin Carter, former Reagan Administration USDA official (campaign website)

• Kevin Cherry^[17] (campaign website)

Incumbent Commissioner of Labor Mike Thurmond (D) was retiring from his position to run for the United States Senate. Darryl Hicks narrowly won the Democratic nomination, according to unofficial results, while Mark Butler easily won the Republican nomination.

• Terry Coleman, Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture and former state House Speaker.(campaign website)
• Darryl Hicks, attorney, lobbyist, community activist (campaign website)

• Mark Butler, state Representative (campaign website)
• Melvin Everson, state Representative (campaign website)

• William Costa^[18] (campaign website)

In 2010, one seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission was up for election. Though candidates must come from the districts that they wish to represent on the commission, they are elected statewide.

2010 Georgia Public Service Commission District 2 election

← 2004 November 2, 2010 2016 →

Nominee Tim Echols Keith Moffett Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,406,713 1,029,614 Percentage 55.57% 40.62%

County results Echols:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Hoskins:      40-50%     50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%

Commissioner before election Bobby Baker Republican Elected Commissioner Tim Echols Republican

Incumbent second District Public Service Commissioner Bobby Baker (R) is retiring.^[19] Tim Echols defeated John Douglas in a runoff for the Republican nomination, while Keith Moffett was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

• Joey Brush, developer
• John Douglas, state Senator (campaign website)
• Tim Echols, non-profit executive (campaign website)
• Jeff May, state Representative (campaign website)

• Keith Moffett

• Jim Sendelbach, psychotherapist and 2007 10th Congressional district House candidate^[20]

One seat on the Supreme Court of Georgia (contested), four on the Georgia Court of Appeals (one contested), and 58 on the Georgia Superior Courts (one contested) will be up for election. All judicial elections in Georgia are officially non-partisan.

• Georgia judicial elections, 2010 at Judgepedia

Two measures, both legislatively referred constitutional amendments, will be on the ballot: the Trauma Care Funding Amendment (Impose $10 fee on car registration; funds directed to trauma care centers) and the Employment Contract Enforcement Amendment (Allow the enforcement of contracts that restrict competition during or after the term of employment).

• Georgia 2010 ballot measures at Ballotpedia

• Elections Division Archived 2010-11-02 at the Wayback Machine at the Georgia Secretary of State
• AJC: Statewide Primary Election results
• AJC: Statewide Primary Runoff results
• Candidates for Georgia State Offices at Project Vote Smart
• Georgia Polls at Pollster.com
• Georgia Congressional Races in 2010 campaign finance data from OpenSecrets
• Georgia 2010 campaign finance data from Follow the Money