Republican Party Says Victory In Georgia Runoff Proves Conservative Principles Alive And Well

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Mike Duncan said Tuesday night the victory of Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) in Georgia's runoff proves that their party's core principles are "alive and well."

Chambliss, a first-term senator, won against Jim Martin and ended Democratic hopes of gaining a 60-vote majority in the U.S. Senate that would have been able to block Republican filibusters. With 97 percent of precincts reporting, he had 57 percent, or ,220,854, while Martin trailed with 43 percent, or 905,637 votes.

The runoff was required since Chambliss did not get more than 50 percent of the vote in the general election last month. It was one of two Senate races that Democrats were fighting to win in order to get a filibuster-proof majority; a manual recount in the Minnesota race between Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Democrat-Farmer-Labor candidate Al Franken, is underway.

In a statement, Duncan said the victory "sends a clear message that the Republican Party and our core conservative principles are alive and well." The runoff campaign was, Duncan added, "a team effort between the Chambliss Campaign, the Georgia Republican Party, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the RNC. We combined a strong, conservative candidate in Senator Chambliss with a grassroots effort that leveraged technology to reach millions of Georgians via mail, phone, Internet, and in person. We shared our message of conservative principles and Georgians agreed."

"As we head into the 2010 cycle, tonight's result sends a strong and confident message to those committed to electing candidates who stand by the core principles upon which our Party was founded," he also said.

Republicans suffered disappointing defeats this election cycle. It will be the first time in 15 years that Democrats have control of Congress and the White House.

Chambliss and Martin made their final push on Monday with major rallies after weeks of campaigning with party heavyweights.

The Republican senator campaigned with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in four rallies; he previously had McCain, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on the trail for him.

Martin held get-out-the-vote rallies in Augusta and Macon, then hosted a "Rally for Change" with rapper Ludacris early evening at the Georgia State Capitol. The Democrat previously had former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore stumping for him.

Martin, a former state representative, had asked President-elect Barack Obama to campaign for him, but Obama, who lost Georgia to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) 47 percent to 52 percent, only went so far as to make a radio ad for the candidate.