The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 12

12 THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION tVdntsday, November 5, 1986 Aj tO Electioii '86: Ties State A Democratic incumbents lead state legislative races I 3 1 1 i I i 'If 1 1 jr i si i 1 i III II in i in Til MB ill I II II II I I li II" llllilliHT NEIL MCGAHEEStatf Republican candidate Guy Davis (center) said he 'had no Harris. 'We did the best we could' in the campaign, Da-apologies' for his losing effort to unseat Gov. Joe Frank vis said at his election night headquarters. Harris ByFranllesscr Staff Writer Democratic incumbents were ruling the roost to the delight of House Speaker Tom Murphy on Tuesday night in unofficial election returns in General Assembly races. As he left his state Capitol office to visit Senate candidate Wyche Fowler shortly before midnight, the speaker summed up the mood of the evening: "I feel great!" In one of the most heated House races, Cobb County state Rep.

Joe Mack Wilson, Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, was leading in one of the hardest battles of his legislative career. Wilson faced Laurie Davis, a 45-year-old lawyer who switched to the Republican Party after serving as Gov. Joe Frank Harris' campaign co-coordinator in the 1982 gubernatorial race. In what appeared to be the only major upset among legislative incumbents, longtime Rep. Charles Martin (D-Buford) was losing to Republican Ron Pittman, the 44-year-old former mayor pro tem of Duluth.

Martin, 49, has been in the General Assembly for eight years after serving on the Buford City Commission for six years. In Buford, Martin was both chairman of the commission and chairman of the city of Buford school board. Two Senate races still were undecided early Wednesday. In a cliffhanger in Gwinnett County, state Sen. Donn Peevy (D-Law-renceville) and Lawrenceville Mayor Steve Pate were held hostage by slow election returns.

But Pate was leading with votes from about half the precincts counted. The Peevy-Pate race was so heated that Lt. Gov. Zell Miller recently intervened by announcing he would name Peevy chairman of the state Senate Judiciary and Constitutional Law Committee if Peevy was reelected. In a surprisingly close race, with incomplete returns, former Attorney General Arthur Bolton was losing to young attorney Arthur "Skin" Edge in the state Senate race to replace the late Kyle Cobb in District 28, which represents Coweta, Pike and Spalding counties.

In DeKalb County races, state Sen. Bud Stumbaugh (D-Stone Mountain) held a strong lead and Senate staffers were predicting he would defeat homemaker Gail Hughes in the bitter race. In a heated Fulton County battle for the District' 56 Senate race, former teacher and journalist Sallie Newbill, 45, was in firm control of her race with opponent Larry Tal-ley. Ms. Newbill, who most recently has worked as statewide news director for the Georgia Republican Caucus, defeated incumbent state Sen.

Haskew Brantley in the August primary to win a chance to represent parts of Cobb, Forsyth and Fulton Talley, 39, a loss prevention consultant, is chairman of the state Board of Polygraph Examiners. He helped write the state's law governing the use of lie detector tests. In the Fulton County District 30 race to replace retiring state Rep. Paul Bolster, last-minute court action halted the spread of campaign material by Republican candidate Ed Brewster. In unofficial returns, Ms.

Orrock held a commanding lead over Brewster. Sen. Bev Engram (D-Fairburn) maintained a strong lead over Republican Tom Harris in parts of Fulton, Fayette and Douglas counties. Sen. David Scott (D-Atlanta) also took a strong lead over Chuck Scheid, a Republican investment banker.

In other Fulton House races, state Rep. Barbara Couch (D-Atlanta) was easily beating attorney Caleb Clark. And state Rep. John Lupton (R-Atlanta) was faring well against Jackie Saylor. In DeKalb County, state Rep.

Troy Athon (D-Conyers) was expected to win over William Hammonds. State Rep. Bill Mangum (D-Decatur) was making a strong showing against Bill Hargrove. And state, Rep. Dean Alford (D-Lithonia) was defeating Mike Hampshire in incomplete returns.

Also in DeKalb, state Rep. Eleanor Richardson (D-Decatur) was leading Walt Nelson, and Cathey Steinberg (D-Atlanta) held a strong lead over Lisa Richardson. In Gwinnett County, Diana Preston, a Democrat who has been a community activist, was losing to Sen. Tom Phillips (R-Stone Mountain). And state Rep.

Vinson Wall, who turned Republican after being elected as a Democrat, was leading former state Rep. Rex Millsaps. Roy Barnes (D-Mableton), the governor's Senate floor leader, was leading his opponent, Wendell Fowler. In the race to replace retiring state Sen. Janice Horton, who served parts of Clayton, Butts and Henry Republican Mac Collins, a self-made millionaire, was losing toformer Superior Court Judge Alex Crumb-ley In other Clayton races, state Sen.

Terrell Starr (D-Forest Park) was leading his opponent, Republican Craig Ferrill, and state Rep. Bill Lee, powerful chairman of the House Rules Committee, was leading Republican John Trotter, a former educator. The governor's assistant House floor leader, Rep. Jimmy Benefield (D-Clayton), was ahead of Chris Gardner, a real estate broker. In Columbus' District 15, a district that is 57 percent black, state Sen.

Floyd Hud-gins, chairman of the Senate Banking and Finance Committee, was leading by about 500 votes over his opponent, attorney Gary Parker, a Republican black community activist. dum on pari-mutuel betting. Although he scored a major coup by getting President Reagan to appear in videotapes endorsing his candidacy for campaign commercials, he could not raise enough money to get those commercials on the air. But many political observers agreed the Guy Davis campaign this year was as much a means of developing a constituency for an unknown political commodity as it was a race for the governorship. Davis, a Sandy Springs lawyer, was an Atlanta police homicide detective before working his way through Emory University Law School as an investigator for the Fulton County district attorney's office.

He later worked as an assistant district attorney. Although Davis has said privately that the campaign simply gives him a four-year head start on the 1990 governor's race, he also has not ruled out seeking other posts. During his campaign, Davis was angered by the failure of key GOP leaders such, as state Sen, Paul Coverdell, the state GOP chairman to throw full support behind his last-minute candidacy. Da-' vis also was upset over repeated snubs by the campaign of U.S. Sen.

Mack Mattingly. GOP leaders denied there was any concentrated effort to shortchange Davis, but argued, too, that they believed party resources would be best used this year in the1 attempt to1 Keep "Mattingly in office. nent in the primary. There never was any doubt in Harris mind and among his supporters that, just as Gov. George Busbee had done in his reelection bid eight years before, he easily would retain his office.

Harris had kept his promise not to increase taxes. That, coupled with the overwhelming legislative passage of his pet school reform package known as the Quality Basic Education Act, assured him of sufficient popularity and that no serious Democrat would oppose him. Although he had a sizable campaign fund, Harris did not run any media ads until just before the election and limited them to radio and newspapers. Davis also ran no television ads, but it only was because he did not have the campaign funds to pay for them. The state Republican Party hierarchy, which had decided early on not to run anyone against Harris, was stunned when Davis suddenly announced his candidacy virtually at the last minute before the qualifying Davis, 44, not only received almost no.

GOP support during his campaigning around the state he had no party contributions-''' His poor showing in the pre-election polls underscored his inability to raise enough money for a successful statewide campaign or to generate public interest in any issue raised by his campaign such as low teacher pay or support for a' referen From Page -A that "the next four years will be as successful" as his first term. Shortly before 10 p.m., Harris told his supporters there were enough votes reported for him to claim victory "without reservation." "I'm just as excited and enthusiastic and happy as I was four years ago," Harris told a cheering crowd. The governor was joined in his celebration by several Democratic state officeholders, including House Speaker Tom Murphy. Harris introduced Murphy by calling him "the No. 1 Republican fighter in the state." Davis, meanwhile, watched vote totals come in with about 200 supporters at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Cobb County.

The atmosphere remained festive, despite the wide vote gap between Davis and the incumbent Democrat. "We did the best we could," Davis said. "I've got no apologies. Everybody worked hard right up until the end." It was an expected outcome for a race that was lackluster throughout the campaign. Harris, 50, treated Republican challenger Davis almost with the same indifference as he did Kenneth Quarterman, politically unknown Democratic oppo- State House races Ditrict40(Fuiion) PSC incumbents Andrews and Hammock head for easy wins over GOP challengers District 72, Post 4 (Clayton) With 10 of 37 precincts reporting Rudolph Johnson (D) 3,218 58 Dee Epps (R) 2,337 42 District 72, Post 5 (Clayton) With 10 of 37 precincts reporting 'Frank I.

Bailey (D) 3,292 60 Allen T. Johnson (R) 2,185 40 With 226 of 282 precincts reporting Barbara Couch (D) 61.984 75 Caleb Clarke (R) 20,782 25 District 41 (Douglas. Paulding) With 8 of 9 precincts reporting Charlie Watts (D) 4.330 70 Curt Tesar (R) 1.821 30 yrl 1 1 llfc'j 386 cases in which Hammock had voted against the consumer. With no Republican opposition, three other Harris appointees State School Superintendent Werner Rogers, Insurance Commissioner Warren Evans and Labor Commissioner Joe Tanner were assured of another four years in office. Also unopposed, Lt.

Gov. Zell Miller, Secretary of State Max Cle-land, Attorney General Mike Bowers and Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin won easy re-election. Hammock Andrews appointed by then Gov. George Bus-bee. His challenger, a consulting engineer from Stone Mountain, cited State Senate races Ky: D-Democrat, R-Republican, -Incumbent Dlilftct 2 (Catoosa) Candidal Votaa Pet.

With 7 of 7 precincts reporting Robert Peters (D) 3,850 51 William Wooten (R) 3.640 49 District 7 (Gordon) With 15 ot 15 precincts reporting James B. Langford (D) 3,368 62 W.C. Burdette (R) 2,044 38 District Post 1 (Cherokee, Pickensf With 24 ol 24 precincts reporting Allyn Prlchard (D) 5,726 60 Herman L. Lawson (R) 5,689 60 District 1, Post 2 (Cherokee, Pickens) With 24 ot 24 precincts reporting W.Q. Hasty (D) 6,345 56, Von J.

Hlnton (R) 5.068 44 District 10 (Cherokee. Forsyth) With 2 ol 12 precincts reporting Bill H. Barnett (D) 291 67 Bill Brown (R) 141 33 District 13, Pest 1 (Clarke. Franklin, Hart, Madison) With 38 of 39 precincts reporting 'Louie Max Clark (D) 7.694 68 Thomas D. Belfleld (R) 3.542 32 District 20.

Post 1 (Cobb) With 43 of 50 precincts reporting Joe Mack Wilson (D) 6.738 53 Laurie Davis (R) 6.006 47 District 20, Post 2 (Cobb) With 43 of 50 precincts reporting Sam P. Hensley Jr. (O) 6,271 50 Doug Howard (R) 6,174 50 District 20, Post 4 (Cobb) With 43 of 50 precincts reporting Steve Thompson (D) 6,972 57 Earl Ehrhart (R) 5,292 43 District 20. Post (Cobb) With 43 of 50 precincts reporting Terry D. Lawler (D) 6,920 56 Herman Clark (R) 5.512 44 District 21, Post 4 (Cobb) With 23 of 63 precincts reporting Pat Smith (D) 2.937 34 Johnny Gresham (R) 5,668 66 District 24 (Fulton) With 6 of 17 precincts reporting Frank M.

Houser (D) 1,216 31 Klllaen Townsend (R) 2.717 69 District 25 (Fulton) With 14 of 19 precincts reporting Jackie Saylor (D) 3,822 49 John M. Lupton (R) 3,912 51 District 30 (Fulton) By Jane 0. Hansen Staff Writer Democratic incumbents Gary B. Andrews and Jim Hammock of the Public Service Commission were coasting to easy victories Tuesday night, according to early returns. With 991 of 2,526 precincts reporting, Andrews was well on the way to turning back a challenge by Republican Leon Barfield, winning 206,595 to 82,690.

Andrews' total amounted to 71 percent of the vote. And Hammock was holding onto his seat with 197,764 votes, or 68 percent, to 91,747 for Republican John Frank Collins with 40 percent of the precincts counted. Central to both campaigns was the growing cost of Georgia Power nuclear Plant Vogtle, with Republicans hammering away at their Democratic opponents for supporting what Collins called "a horrendous mistake." During the campaign, Andrews' opponent accused current members of the PSC of "being a rubber stamp for Georgia Power and Ma Bell." Andrews, a 39-year-old former Superior Court judge from Chicka-mauga appointed to the commission by Gov. Joe Frank Harris, retorted that for every rate hike dollar he's supported, there have been three he's opposed. Andrews had the strong backing of the governor against Barfield, a 43-year-old private security officer and former police officer from Atlanta.

BarfieW's name was accidentally missing on the ballot in Muscogee County, where it was replaced by the name of Frank Hobart Cofer, whom Barfield defeated in the Aug. 12 primary. The mistake could result in a special election there if Andrews' margin of victory isn't wider than the county's 62,532 registered voters. Andrews was appointed to the PSC IVt years ago to fill the unexpired term of Mac Barber, who resigned under fire due to alleged campaign expense irregularities. Hammock, 52, has served on the commission since 1980 when he was District 45 (DeKalb) District 73 (Henry) With 7 of 9 precincts reporting With 9 of 12 precincts reporting Charles Kuehnle (D) 1.743 27 'Wesley Dunn (D) 3,595 60 J.

Max Davis (R) 4,698 73 Robert t. Tully (R) 2,415 40 District 48 (DeKalb) District 74 (Newton) Wlth 7 ot 8 precincts reporting With 11 of 11 precincts reporting Cathey Steinberg (D) 2,657 69 'Denny M. Dobbs (D) 3,967 67 Lisa Richardson (R) 1,296 31 Joyce C. Hairston (R) 1,945 33 District 52 (DeKalb) District 81 (Troup) With 12 of 13 precincts reporting With 8 of 8 precincts reporting Eleanor Richardson (D) 4,662 76 'Wade Milam (D) 1,468 62 Walt Nelson (R) 1.544 24 Mark Callaway (R) 881 38 District 54 (DeKalb) District 83 (Columbia) With 5 of 9 precincts reporting With 12 of 12 precincts reporting Juanlta Williams (D) 2,054 89 William S. Jackson (D) 5,589 62 Johnny Williams (R) 246 11 J.

Stephen Conn (R) 3,360 38 District $7, Post 1 (DeKalb. Rockdale) District 86 (Richmond) With 28 of 38 precincts reporting With 4 of 8 precincts reporting Troy A. Athon (D) 12,167 59 'Mike Padgett (D) 1,073 70 William Hammonds (R) 8,475 41 Doug Ingram (R) 461 30 District 57, Post 2 (DeKalb, Rockdale) District 90 (Richmond) With 28 of 36 precincts reporting With 4 of 5 precincts reporting William Mangum (D) 12.291 60 Travis Barnes (D) 1,621 47 BUI Hargrove (R) 6.075 40 'Dick Ransom (R) 1.834 53 District 57, Post 3 (DeKalb. Rockdale) District 103 (Bibb) With 26 of 36 precincts reporting With 13 of 13 precincts reporting Dean Alford (D) 12.866 63 Floyd M. Buford Jr.

(D) 4,352 54 Mike, Hampshire (R) 7.411 37 RobDanner(R) 3,641 46 District 59 (Gwinnett) District 113 (Houston) With 3 of 12 precincts reporting With 5 of 6 precincts reporting Bob Durden (D) 1.348 32 Matt Keene (D) 2.090 48 P.M. Barnett (R) 2,886 68 Ted W. Waddle (R) 2,283 52 District 80 (Gwinnett) District 124 (Chatham) With 4 of 12 precincts reporting With 14 of 14 precincts reporting Charles Martin (D) 1,482 42 De Wayne Hamilton (D) 3,429 55 Ron Pittman (R) 2.068 58 Doug Carroll (R) 2,836 45 District 61 (Gwinnett) District 128 (Bryan. Chatham) With 8 of 13 precincts reporting With 10 of 10 precincts reporting Rex A. Millsaps (D) 2.210 38 Chris Morris (D) 2,041 33 Vinson Wall (R) 3.555 62 'Anna Mueller (R) 4.180 67 District 70 (Carroll.

Douglas) District 128 (Chatham) With 17 of 19 precincts reporting With 11 of 11 precincts reporting John Simpson (D) 4,042 70 Tom Triplet! (D) 2,841 78 Mike Richardson (R) 1.772 30 Dale K. Younger (R) 787 22 District 72, Poal 1 (Clayton) District 134 (Dougherty) With 10 of 37 precincts reporting With 8 of 8 precincts reporting BUI Lee (D) 3,389 61 'Mary M. Young (0) 3,103 68 John R. Trotter (R) 2.159 39 Marshall L. Bailey (R) 1,446 32 District 72, Post 2 (Clayton) District 155 (Glynn) With 10 of 37 precincts reporting With 7 of 7 precincts reporting Jimmy Benefield (D) 3.588 65 E.C.

Tillman (D) 3.128 47 O.W. Gardner (R) 1.916 35 'Virginia P. Ramsey (R) 3,543 53 District 72, Post 3 (Clayton) District 156 (Glynn, Mcintosh) With 10 of 37 precincts reporting With 18 Of 18 precincts reporting C.E. Holcomb (D) 3,115 56 James D. Gould (D) 3,839 40 Margot Roberts (R) 2,435 44 Wlllou Smith (R) 5,715 60 Wayne Garner (D) 13,067 70 BUI Fordham R) 1 5.562 30 District 33 (Cobb) With 31 of 33 precincts reporting Roy E.

Barnes (D) 3,678 68 Wendell L. Fowler (R) 1.735 32 District 34 (Douglas. Fayette, Fulton) With 40 of 47 precincts reporting Bev Engram (D) 12.818 67 Tom Harris (R) 6,194 33 District 36 (Fulton) With 40 of 43 precincts reporting David Scott (D) 6,712 63 Chuck Scheid (R) 5,141 37 District 44 (Clayton) With 6 of 25 precincts reporting 'Terrell Starr (D) 2.389 69 Craig Ferrill (R) 1,052 31 District 45 (Newton, Rockdale. Walton) With 43 of 43 precincts reporting Harrlll Dawklns (D) 15,378 66 Robert Masdon (R) 7.905 34 District 48 (Barrow, Gwinnett) With 29 ol 42 precincts reporting Donn M. Peevy (D) 8,499 50 Steve Pate (R) 8,518 50 District 54 (Catoosa, Murray, Whitfield) With 31 of 41 precincts reporting W.W.

Flncher (D) 7,578 70 Ralph Morgan (R) 3,306 30 District 55 (DeKalb) With 28 of 33 precincts reporting 'Lawrence Stumbaugh (D) 10,653 66 Gayle Hughes (R) 5.369 34 District 56 (Cobb, Forsyth, Fulton) With 20 of 48 precincts reporting Larry Talley (D) 3.938 33 Sallie Newbill (R) 8.098 67 Key: D-Democrat, R-Republican, '-Incumbent. District 9 (Gwinnett) Candidate Votes Pet. With 1 1 of 34 precincts reporting Diana Preston (D) 3,277 36 R.T. Phillips (R) 5,929 64 District 15 (Chattahoochee, Muscogee) With 13 of 15 precincts reporting Floyd Hudglns(D) 6,351 53 Gary Parker (R) 5.662 47 District 18 (Marlon, Muscogee, Talbot) With 30 of 39 precincts reporting 1 E. J.

Bagley (D) 6,632 30 Ted J. Land (R) 15.363 70 District 17 (Butts, Clayton, Henry) With 30 of 41 precincts reporting Alex Crumbley (D) 6,702 54 Mac Collins (R) 5,793 46 District 23 (Columbia, Richmond) With 15 of 24 precincts reporting Sydney Carter (D) 2,642 37 Frank A. Albert (R) 4.433 63 District 28 (Bibb) With 28 of 28 precincts reporting Tommy Olmstead (D) 12,481 77 Jim Wilcox (R) 3,803 23 District 27 (Bibb, Crawford, Lamar, Monroe, Upson) With 48 of 55 precincts reporting W.F. Harris (D) 15,064 80 Willie Dixon (R) 3.817 20 District 28 (Coweta, Pike, Spalding) With 41 ol 47 precincts reporting Arthur K. Bolton (D) 8,940 47 Arthur Edge (R) 10.193 53 District 30 (Carroll, Douglas) With 15 of 17 precincts reporting Nan Orrock (D) 3,169 86 Ed Brewster (R) 450 12 With 30 of 35 precincts reporting WVTM.