2006 Governors Races

Georgia CBS NEWS PROJECTS SONNY PERDUEWINNER Democrat Mark Taylor vs. Republican Sonny Perdue (Incumbent) Perdue, who upset incumbent Roy Barnes in 2002, was heavily favored. Taylor defeated Secretary of State Cathy Cox 52 percent to 44 percent in the Democratic primary. Taylor positioned himself for a run at Governor, as he has served two consecutive terms as lieutenant governor – one under Barnes and one under Perdue. Taylor calls himself "The Big Guy for Every Little Guy" and ran on a platform of universal child health care. He was been endorsed by the major unions and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but he faced an uphill battle. As Governor, Perdue has increased teacher pay and approved nearly $1 billion in new school construction spending. Perdue had a solid cash-on-hand advantage.