pboyum@statesboroherald.com
Posted: Nov. 5, 2008 12:46 a.m.
Democratic Congressman John Barrow secured his third term in Congress Tuesday, easily defeating Republican challenger John Stone in the race for Georgia's U.S. House District 12.
With 95 percent of the precincts reporting, Barrow had 66.5 percent of the vote to 33.5 percent for Stone.
"We've got a big responsibility," Barrow said when asked about returning to Congress for a third term. "The voters voted for change two years ago and got gridlock and they voted for change again this time around. Now we have to deliver something better than gridlock. I'm real proud of the fact that we in our part of the country are going to be a big part of that."
Barrow said he plans to work within his caucus, the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats, as well as with representatives from across the aisle to bring solutions to the middle class - namely confronting the high cost of energy, health care and health insurance.
Reacting to his defeat late Tuesday night, Stone was bitter towards his own party, particularly the National Republican Congressional Committee.
"We beat John Barrow," Stone said. "What we couldn't beat was the combination of the (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) coming in here at the last minute and bailing him out and the behind the scenes undermining of our campaign by the (National Republican Congressional Committee). You can't beat both parties at the same time."
Stone said the NRCC directly undermined his campaign's ability to fund raise in this race.
"The silver lining - this give us the opportunity to fire the entire National Republican Congressional Committee for their political incompetence. And that's what I'm demanding in the morning. We'll get a chance to clean house and turn this party back to the party of Reagan."
Stone said at his election party in Augusta Tuesday night that he plans to run against Barrow again in 2010.
On Tuesday afternoon, the two candidates campaigned in Statesboro across the street from each other on Gentilly Road in a cold, misty rain.
"There have been big lines everywhere we've been in the district today," Stone said. "There's been a big crowd on election day."
When asked if he was tired, Stone said, "Not a bit. I wish we had three more months. If you can't have fun during a congressional campaign, you don't deserve to be elected."
Barrow saw the lines at the Pittman Park polling place, which ran along the back of the church and all the way out onto Terrell Drive, and said, "It's amazing. I think there's going to be more young people voting in this election, as a percentage, than is usually the case. So many young people are excited about Senator Obama and what he represents."
Barrow was asked if there is a concern about a drastic shift to the left when Democrats control both chambers of Congress and the White House in January.
"There's a big concern, but custody and control aren't the same thing," Barrow said. "It's essential that folks who represent districts like ours be heard from and that we make sure folks realize that this is a big country. We have an obligation to reach out to folks on the other side of the aisle and try to build relationships with people who don't agree with us."
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