1996 Georgia Senate election

[MT Treasurer]

Max Cleland won with 48.9% of the vote. Why was there no runoff and who would have won such a runoff in your opinion?

[SATW]

Maybe the run off rule was not low at the time? or maybe Millner conceded, for whatever reason.

[JerryArkansas]

The runoff was repealed in 95 IIR, and was renew stated some time after because he won by such a same margin.

[Vosem]

The runoff was repealed in '95 and then reintroduced, I think, whenever it was the GOP took control of the Georgia legislature in the early 2000s. This was because the runoff had the property of reversing narrow Democratic victories and giving them to the GOP (this took place in '92, and would have in '96 had there been a runoff).

[Adam Griffin]

Vosem's right: each party taking advantage of what's politically-expedient.

From the beginning of time through the 1992 election, Democrats in Georgia had no trouble winning run-offs, so the threshold was set at 50%.

After Fowler's loss, the General Assembly reduced the threshold to 45%, where it remained through 2004.

When the GAGOP took control of both chambers beginning in 2005, they moved the threshold back to 50%.

[MT Treasurer]

Thanks, guys. I had no idea and didn't find anything in the internet. Who do you think might have won a runoff? I think Millner would have barely eked it out...

[ElectionsGuy]

Thanks, guys. I had no idea and didn't find anything in the internet. Who do you think might have won a runoff? I think Millner would have barely eked it out...

Millner, and that's probably why the Democrats changed it. Now a runoff would probably have the same electorate as a normal election, but back then it was much more Republican.

[Adam Griffin]

Now a runoff would probably have the same electorate as a normal election, but back then it was much more Republican.

Nah, it'd be even worse now.

Compare the 1992 election and run-off...
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=13&year=1992&f=0&off=3&elect=0&class=3
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=13&year=1992&f=0&off=3&elect=6

to the 2008 election and run-off...
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=13&year=2008&f=0&off=3&elect=0&class=2
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=13&year=2008&f=0&off=3&elect=6

[ElectionsGuy]

Now a runoff would probably have the same electorate as a normal election, but back then it was much more Republican.

Nah, it'd be even worse now.

Compare the 1992 election and run-off...
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=13&year=1992&f=0&off=3&elect=0&class=3
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=13&year=1992&f=0&off=3&elect=6

to the 2008 election and run-off...
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=13&year=2008&f=0&off=3&elect=0&class=2
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=13&year=2008&f=0&off=3&elect=6

I know that 2008 runoff was widely different than the original, but I think black turnout is better now than ever before, and the Louisiana runoff wasn't much different in 2014. I don't know why its so much different in Georgia.

[Del Tachi]

Now a runoff would probably have the same electorate as a normal election, but back then it was much more Republican.

Nah, it'd be even worse now.

Compare the 1992 election and run-off...
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=13&year=1992&f=0&off=3&elect=0&class=3
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=13&year=1992&f=0&off=3&elect=6

to the 2008 election and run-off...
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=13&year=2008&f=0&off=3&elect=0&class=2
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=13&year=2008&f=0&off=3&elect=6

Eh, 2008 isn't really a good example of a missed Democratic opportunity.  Chambliss bested Martin by 100,000 votes in the first round.  There was no way he was losing the runoff.