Thursday, Jul. 17, 2008

Primary hints at possible signs of trouble for Bishop

Though it was close at times, Bibb County Commission Chairman Charlie Bishop pulled out a solid win Tuesday over two opponents in the Republican primary.

But even with 2,620 votes and 55 percent of the electorate, Bishop polled only a fraction of the numbers captured by Democrat Sam Hart, who earned 8,734 votes without opposition. Hart, whom Bishop will face in November's general election, outpaced the entire Republican field in that race nearly two to one.

That could suggest an uphill climb this fall for the incumbent Bishop, who after four years on the commission won the chairmanship in a narrow 2004 victory over Lance Randall.

Also potentially troubling for Bishop: He lost or narrowly defeated primary opponent Theron Ussery on Tuesday in precincts outside the city that he had dominated in the general election four years ago.

His performance there "suggests a significant level of dissatisfaction with the chairman" among affluent north Macon voters, said Macon City Councilman Erick Erickson, who ran Bishop's campaign in 2004.

"If the election were held tomorrow, you would probably see Sam Hart getting elected on the strength of north Macon Republicans, ironically," said Erickson, a Republican who said he is not backing either candidate in the race. The councilman said it will come down to how strong of a sentiment there is among voters for a new direction, and whether Hart satisfies their desire.

Voicemail messages left for Bishop were not returned Wednesday afternoon.

While Bishop maintains a strong base in south and west portions of Bibb County, businessowners on the north side of the city will be looking for the candidate that will best boost their interests, Erickson said. Bishop can claim economic growth during his tenure, but Hart can counter by pointing to more rapid expansion in surrounding Houston and Monroe counties, Erickson said.

And if there is strong turnout among black voters for Sen. Barack Obama's Democratic presidential bid in November, as there is widely expected to be, it will lessen the extent to which Hart must make inroads in north Macon, Erickson said. In Bibb County, black voters overwhelmingly tend to support Democratic candidates.

"The numbers are just going to be so much larger than it ever has been before," said Erickson, referring to the number of black residents expected to go to the polls in November. "You're just not going to find the same dynamic on the Republican side."

Local Democratic Party operative Amy Morton agreed that high turnout among her party in the primary, coupled with Obama's name on the ballot, bodes well for Hart, a former Bibb commissioner.

"I think that reflects the enthusiasm that exists for change. ... I would absolutely expect a similar dynamic in the fall," she said.

But Elmo Richardson, who aside from Bishop is the only other Republican on the Bibb commission, said it's still early to accurately predict how county races might play out in the coming months.

He said many Republicans crossed over Tuesday to vote in the sheriff's race, which may partly explain the high number of voters on the Democratic side. More people voted in that race than any other local contest.

And in November, Bishop might be positioned to attract white Democrats who won't vote for Obama and will turn instead to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain.

"I think Bishop will probably pick up a lot there," Richardson said.

With no opponent to worry about in the primary, Hart said he has been spending his time talking to small groups of people around the community as he composes his platform. There are a "tremendous number" of unsatisfied voters, he said, and he has tried to tap into their concerns to figure out what kind of change they are looking for.

He, too, talks of reaching out to the business community, addressing growth issues and expanding Macon's role as an economic hub.

"Even though we've done some things, we can do better." he said. "People see me as an important part of the change they want to occur."

To contact writer Matt

Barnwell, call 744-4251.