Last night, a Libertarian Party nominee won an important county partisan election in Georgia.
Ben Brandon won the run-off election for Dade County Executive. He beat the Republican candidate 1,614 to 845. Brandon received 33% of the vote in the November 2 election for the partisan office. The Republican candidate received 40% and the Democrat received 27%. This is the first time Dade County voters are electing a County Executive, so there is no incumbent. Previously, the post was a hired position.
It was the first time any Libertarian had won a partisan election in that state. It is also the first time any minor party has won any partisan election in Georgia since 1968, when George Wallace’s American Party carried the state in the presidential election. It may even be the first time a minor party has won a partisan election in Georgia (for office other than president) in over 100 years. The Peoples Party was very strong in Georgia in 1898, but odds are no minor party has won a partisan race in Georgia for county office since that year.