ATLANTA, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal defeated former Gov. Roy Barnes for governor of Georgia Tuesday as the Republican Party won big in the state.
Deal succeeds the incumbent Republican, Sonny Perdue, who joined him at a hotel in Buckhead just before midnight, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
"Georgia has placed its faith in the Republican Party, and we are not going to let them down," Deal told cheering supporters. "But tomorrow the work starts all over again."
Deal received about 53 percent of the vote to 43 percent for Barnes and 4 percent for a Libertarian candidate.
The Republicans also kept control of both houses of the state Legislature.
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican, defeated Democrat Michael Thurmond with almost 60 percent of the vote.
Deal was elected to Congress as a Democrat in 1992 and changed parties three years later. He resigned to begin his gubernatorial campaign.