Majette makes history; 1st African American and 1st Woman Nominated for US Senate in Georgia
U.S. Rep. Denise Majette defeated Cliff Oxford in a Democratic runoff Tuesday to become the first woman and the first African-American from Georgia nominated for the U.S. Senate. Majette will face veteran U.S. Rep. Johnny Isakson of Cobb County in November. Isakson will be a strong favorite in that matchup, heading into the race with a full war chest in a state tilting heavily toward the Republican Party. "We're ready for the fight," said Majette, who was greatly outspent by Oxford, a millionaire entrepreneur. "Money didn't matter in this race. We won it the old-fashioned way, by working for every vote." Should Isakson prevail in November, it would be the first time in history that both of Georgia's U.S. senators hail from the Republican Party -- Saxby Chambliss defeated Democratic incumbent Max Cleland in 2002. Democrats, in fact, had a difficult time fielding a well-known candidate to run to replace U.S. Sen. Zell Miller, who is retiring. Both Majette and Oxford entered the race after higher-profile Democrats chose to stay clear of the contest. [more]