3rd UPDATE

An Underwhelming End To Qualifying

3rd Update at 5:46 p.m. adds historical perspective, adds link to updated Senate list. New material highlighted
2nd Update at 3:50 p.m. adds detail of legislative races, adds link to updated House list.
1st Update at 12:10 p.m. with qualifying over.

By Dick Pettys
InsiderAdvantage Georgia

(5/2/08) Both parties said they were having a harder time recruiting candidates this year and on Friday, as qualifying ended, it showed. In legislative races, fewer races will be fought over in November than two years ago.

The rumored flood of candidates failed to materialize, despite predictions that anger over the 2008 session would bring challengers forth in record numbers. Friday's half-day qualifying period (it began at 9 a.m. and ended at noon) was a pretty underwhelming affair.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the unexpected retirement of Republican Rep. Richard Royal, a 25-year veteran who kept his decision close to his chest in order to help choose his successor. It worked. Royal brought former Camilla Mayor Jay Powell to the Capitol to qualify in the last 15 minutes. And when the doors closed roughly around noon, Powell was the only man in the race.

A few top House leaders ended the week with opposition, among them House Rules Chairman Earl Ehrhart (facing a challenger he defeated four years ago), and Rep. Ben Harbin (facing a challenger who got less than 4 percent of the vote in a special Senate election last year.) But House Speaker Glenn Richardson was unopposed.

Here's a preliminary look at how things appear to stand right now in legislative elections, looking just at raw numbers with no attempt made to handicap the individual races:

In the House, Republicans are certain of 81 seats next year because no Democrats qualified in those districts. Democrats are assured of 61 seats because no Republicans qualified in those districts. Thirty-eight seats will be in play in the November general election.

Two years ago, Republicans could be certain of only 70 seats which Democrats had left unchallenged and Democrats could count on just 60 seats that Republicans weren't contesting.

(The current breakdown: Republicans have 107 seats and Democrats have 72 with one seat vacant.)

In House primaries, counting contests for open seats, it looks like 16 contested primaries for the GOP and 23 for the Dems.

In the Senate, Republicans are guaranteed 20 seats because no Democrats entered those contests. Democrats are assured of 17 seats. Nineteen seats will be in play in the November general election.

Two years ago, Republicans also had 20 guaranteed seats but Democrats had just 14.

(The current breakdown: Republicans have 34 seats, Democrats 32.)

In Senate primaries, counting battles for open seats, it looks like the GOP will have 7 races while the Dems will have 9.

We've got links to Excel spreadsheets of House and Senate qualifying at the bottom of this page.

First, here's a look at statewide and congressional contests:

U.S. Senate

Democrats:
Dale Cardwell
Vernon Jones
Josh Lanier
Rand Knight
Jim Martin

Republicans:
Saxby Chambliss

Public Service Commission District 4
Bob Indech (D)
Jim Powell (D)
Pam Davidson (R)
Lauren W. McDonald Jr. (R)

Public Service Commission District 1
Doug Everett (R)
Rick Collum (R)

U.S. Congress

District 1
Bill Gillespie (D)
Jack Kinston (R )

District 2
Sanford Bishop (D)
Lee Ferrell (R)

District 3
Stephen Camp (D)
Lynn Westmoreland (R)

District 4
Hank Johnson (D)

District 5
Markel Hutchins (D)
John Lewis (D)
"Able" Mabel Thomas

District 6
Bill Jones (D)
Tom Price (R)

District 7
Doug Heckman (D)
John Linder (R)

District 8
Jim Marshall (D)
Robert Nowak (D)
Rick Goddard (R)

District 9
Jeff Scott (D)
Nathan Deal (R)

District 10
Bobby Saxon (D)
Paul Broun (R)
Barry Fleming (R)

District 11
Hugh "Bud" Gammon (D)
Phil Gingrey (R)

District 12
John Barrow (D)
Regina Thomas (D)
Ben Crystal (R)
Ray McKinney (R)
John Stone (R)

District 13
Donzella James (D)
David Scott (D)
Deborah Honeycutt (R)

Legislature

Click here for the Updated House list (Excel spreadsheet, both parties)

Click here for the Updated Senate list (Excel spreadsheet, both parties)