Edition: U.S. / Global

Tough Fight for a Crucial Senate Seat Is Looming in Georgia

Published: July 20, 2000

The death of Senator Paul Coverdell, Republican of Georgia, gives Democrats an unexpected chance to pick up a crucial seat in their uphill fight to seize control of the Senate this fall, political analysts said today.

''It doesn't take a genius to see this is a very competitive two-party state and that this race will be very competitive,'' said Chuck Clay, chairman of the Georgia Republican Party.

Gov. Roy Barnes of Georgia, a Democrat, is expected to appoint a temporary successor after Mr. Coverdell's funeral on Saturday, ensuring that a Democrat will hold the seat until a special election on Nov. 7. That would cut the Republican majority in the Senate to 54 to 46.

State and national party officials said it would be unseemly to publicly handicap the special election less than 24 hours after Mr. Coverdell's death from a stroke on Tuesday.

Nonetheless, politicians were already jockeying, however respectfully, for what Democrats and Republicans agree will be one of the nation's most hotly contested races. The term runs through 2004.

''We've been hearing from a lot of mourners,'' said one Georgia Democratic Party aide. ''The phones are ringing off the hook.''

Democratic and Republican strategists said that with less than four months to campaign, a candidate must have deep pockets or good fund-raising skills, statewide name recognition and experience running a statewide campaign.

The obvious choice for Democrats is the popular former governor, Zell Miller. But Mr. Miller rebuffed repeated entreaties by Democrats, including President Clinton, to run against Mr. Coverdell in 1998. Democratic aides said Mr. Barnes and others would try again to persuade Mr. Miller, who is 68, to change his mind.

Governor Barnes's short list is said also to include Michael Coles, a cookie mogul who lost to Mr. Coverdell in 1998; former Representative George Darden, a close friend of Mr. Barnes; Representative Cynthia A. McKinney; Charles W. Walker, majority leader of the State Senate; Thurbert E. Baker, the Georgia attorney general; and Cathy Cox, the Georgia secretary of state.

On the Republican side, at least three members of Congress are potential candidates: Jack Kingston, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson. Mr. Isakson, who took Newt Gingrich's seat in Congress when he stepped down as speaker last year, would seem to be the early favorite, having run competitive races for Senate and governor in the 1990's. But he supports abortion rights, and is likely to draw opposition from the Christian Coalition.

Waving off speculation that he would run, Mr. Isakson said, ''Now is the time to pay tribute to Paul, not talk about this other stuff.''

Mr. Chambliss and Mr. Kingston also have potential problems, because Democrats have a good shot at winning their House seats, Mr. Chambliss's in particular, if they were to run for the Senate.

Neither party holds a majority in Georgia, which is a battleground state in this year's presidential election. In recent years, Georgia has been leaning Republican, but Democrats say they believe they have stanched Republican in-roads, particularly in the suburbs.

Democrats control the governor's mansion, both chambers of the legislature and one Senate seat, Max Cleland's. But Republicans hold 8 of the state's 11 seats in the House.