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YEA! I am glad you won! Mr. Don Cheeks, be careful, Your job is on the line!
Richmond County voters re-elected incumbent District 22 Democratic state Sen. Ed Tarver in a landslide Tuesday, dashing former Augusta Commissioner Marion Williams' aspirations for higher office, at least for the next two years.
Mr. Tarver received 9,015 votes, or 70 percent of the 13,231 votes cast in the district, apparently drawing a high volume of crossover votes from Republicans in the Hill section, who voted Democratic ballots.
Mr. Williams, who received 3,932 votes, said the crossover vote, which he called a "switcheroo," defeated him.
"The numbers just don't come close to what happened last time," he said. "But it's legal, and the people spoke."
In several precincts where the Republican vote usually runs 65 percent or higher, a higher-than-usual number of Democratic ballots were cast.
For example, in the 2006 primary, Republican House District 119 candidate Barbara Sims received 150 votes at the Woodlawn United Methodist Church precinct, and Mr. Tarver received 90 Democratic votes there in his race for the state Senate. On Tuesday, Mrs. Sims received 129 votes at Woodlawn, and Mr. Tarver received 172 Democrat votes.
Mr. Tarver said he never altered his strategy to win.
"I set a game plan early on, and I'm glad we didn't deviate, even when my opponent made comments about how big he would win," he said.
Had Mr. Tarver lost the election, the political impact in Atlanta would have been negligible, political observers say.
Former state Sen. Don Cheeks said the only difference would be the loss of Mr. Tarver's three years representing Augusta and his cooperation with the majority party.
"However, Ed is a Democrat with a Republican governor and Republican Senate, and he's not going to move up," Mr. Cheeks said. "Maybe (Lt. Gov.) Casey Cagle will give him one of the openings on the Appropriations Committee. The problem is they're never going to give Democrats enough votes on any important committee to have an impact. The majority party will always control the committees. They will keep enough of their own party on any committee to control it."
Ralph Walker, the professor emeritus and director of the research center at Augusta State University, said it takes a term or two for a lawmaker to learn his way around. In reality, it is better for voters to return incumbents to office unless they're doing a bad job, Dr. Walker said.
Mr. Tarver will face Republican challenger John Butler in the November general election, but Mr. Cheeks said Mr. Tarver's win Tuesday means he's won the seat because 59.2 percent of the voters in the district are black.
Dr. Walker, likewise, said Mr. Butler has little chance of winning the seat.
Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylvia.cooper@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
YEA! I am glad you won! Mr. Don Cheeks, be careful, Your job is on the line!
justus, tarver represents the VOTERS,,, IF he represented ONLY minority voters, that would not fulfill the obligation of his office,,, think you might want to consult the u s constitution or applicable ga law before your next posting, no ?
justus4 comments are 100% racist 100% of the time.
Marion Williams command of the English language is equaled only by his grasp of reality.
Thank God the good people of Augusta had the common sense enough NOT to send Marion Williams to Atlanta. This would have made Augusta even more of a laughing stock to the House. Could you see Marion pulling one of his long-winded, poor grammar speeches in the House? TV and Radio STATE media would have had a field day! Great Job Tarver and good luck in November.
LOL @ patriciathomas says justus4 comments are 100% racist 100% of the time, surely you are looking in the mirror.
I would like to admit, that while I dont have a set 'party' I did vote the democratic ticket yesterday at Woodlawn, and yes I live on the hill. But to call it a 'cross-over' would be silly. I just wanted to vote against Marion Williams so bad. :) The whole process was very quick as well. Even though I didnt like some of the questions on the ballet, and the way they were worded.
Williams is part of the self serving ,"behind the times" political machine of Augusta that needs to be, and is being, dismantled. He is not about progress. He is about creating stumbling blocks to progress. I don't care if he is purple with pink polka dots, he is just not the man for the job. Evidentally a lot of folks feel the same.
fruitpaper, your untrue comments are without foundation and as foolish as ever. Reading justus4's posts will verify my comment.
No elected official should ever have one race of people in mind to represent, he or she is elected to represent all people. I think that Mr. Tarver will do that unlike Mr. Williams, voters got it right this time. Remarks like Justus makes is what keeps this community from coming together for the good of all who live here.
Unfortunately this is the good ole' double standard that has been the rally cry of the black race..not all but many...who feel they can say and do anything they please because it is owed to them..But if we object to this rampant racism we are the demonic ones hell-bent on keeping the whole race down into the dregs of poverty...We are supposed to be responsible for them forever putting our own families at risk because they demand more and more.
"Truth" is considered racist to some fools, Patricia.
Marion Williams days in politics are over, I have never voted for him, and I still regret I voted for Jerry Brigham at the last election.
Not going to agree with you this time Justus4. Ed Tarver received plenty of votes from black folks and white Democrats including myself. Tarver would have won this race without the crossover voters. It would have been closer but it was instead a huge blow-out because my ex-commissioner is such a piece of garbage who is divisive and represents only one segment of Richmond County (just like Rove, Bush and Cheney). Tarver is for far more people and in the end, the far better man for all of Augusta won fair and square.
And the true word of God is considered foolishness as well to those who perish.
Trouble in the honeymoon suite, sjraci?
Has anyone heard from JRHC today? This has to be disheartening for the Blithering Wackjob fringe in Augusta.
i don't care how the numbers split up, as long as marion williams is not in a position to embarras and gridlock the process, thank God.
btw , i knew justus4 would be crying in his "40", and i guess fruity833 wants to join his little bandwagon, well,lie with dogs get stupid......suit yourself, but pt's assesment is, pardon me, 100% correct.
marion williams out to pasture, what a comforting thought...
Great day for augusta you did not elect marion yeeee haa
Congratulations Ed!!
playliktehunder I never agreed to anything Justus said, my post was: LOL @ patriciathomas says justus4 comments are 100% racist 100% of the time, surely you are looking in the mirror.
One person, one vote, and that can be for anyone you want it to be. IMO there were more people voting AGAINST Marion Williams than there were voting FOR Ed Tarver. That is what the "switcheroo" was all about. And whose fault was that?
There is no such thing as a "cross-over" vote in Georgia. Voters are not registered by party, they simply choose which primary to particpate in, thus no "cross-over".
Ed Tarver won huge in all parts of Augusta, among all demographics. To say that it was the result of a few "cross-over" votes of 30-70 votes per precinct in the hill area is simply not the case.
Poorly researched article as usual.
I guess we had better watch out. The last person in Georgia who was defeated in a "switcheroo" is now running for President as the Green Party candidate.
Marion Williams is a nut case. Have a blessed day Ed Tarver.
Mr. Cheeks! I can't believe you said that! Black people don't just vote black. White people don't just vote white. I know that for a fact. Did you really say the above in the article? I'd like an actual quote on that. Your past history hasn't indicated prejudice, so has there been a misunderstanding here? If you really said that, I'm disappointed, that doesn't sound like you.
I'm referring to this: Mr. Tarver will face Republican challenger John Butler in the November general election, but Mr. Cheeks said Mr. Tarver's win Tuesday means he's won the seat because 59.2 percent of the voters in the district are black." I like both these candidates, so I'm going to have to do some research before I make a final decision in the next election. My decision won't be based on race. At this time I'm leaning toward Tarver. So Butler fans, time to convince people like me, whaddya say?
Congrats to all the Augusta voters who realized Mr. Tarver is the right man for this job. Mr. Williams: Every day I don't see your face or hear your butchery of the English language is a great day in Augusta.
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