ATLANTA (AP) - Georgians decide Tuesday whether to send Republican Johnny Isakson back to the U.S. Senate for a third term, testing the incumbent's efforts to remain independent from GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Isakson faces Democrat Jim Barksdale and Libertarian Allen Buckley on the ballot.
Democrats in Georgia hoped Trump's low popularity with some voters could hurt Isakson's re-election campaign.
But Barksdale has struggled to get momentum against the well-known Isakson. Barksdale, who owns an Atlanta investment firm, has given $3.5 million toward his first political campaign but got off to a slow start. He has since more aggressively attacked Isakson for continuing to support Trump amid reports of the businessman's vulgar comments about women.
The incumbent senator has maintained a comfortable lead though and few national groups are targeting the race.
State law requires Isakson to win more than 50 percent of the vote to prevent a January runoff election. Buckley's presence could make hitting that mark tougher.
Two races for U.S. Senate seats in Georgia have gone to runoffs in recent years. In 2008, Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss survived a runoff after falling just short of 50 percent in a three-person general election. Republican Paul Coverdell narrowly defeated sitting Sen. Wyche Fowler Jr. in 1992.
Isakson, though, has never failed to close out a Senate contest in November. He won about 58 percent of the vote in his last two Senate campaigns, winning over independent and Democratic voters swayed by his reputation as a moderate willing to work across party lines.
Isakson's supporters gathered Tuesday evening at the Georgia G.O.P.'s watch party at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta hotel, where results flashed across video screens. Two giant water color portraits of former President Ronald Reagan flanked both sides of the stage, with two more large Donald Trump and Mike Pence photos on the stage - with a picture of the White House directly behind the podium.
Chris Hamer, 48, voted for Libertarian Gary Johnson for president because he said he has no confidence in either Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton, but he shunned the Libertarian senate candidate in favor of Isakson.
"I can't really complain about the job he's been doing," said Hamer, after voting at a church in Sandy Springs. "For the state, he's been good."
Karen Taylor, 52, also voted at a Sandy Springs church and cast her presidential vote for Clinton. Her vote for Barksdale was motivated more by party need rather than a strong feeling of support for him, she said.
"If I want Clinton to win, then I need the Senate to be Democratic as well so she can get things done," she said.
Barksdale has tried to convince voters that Isakson's reputation doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Buckley also has targeted Isakson, trying to convince some Republicans that the incumbent isn't representing their priorities in D.C. and questioned whether the 71-year-o.ld Isakson is up to the job.
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Online: https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do
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Associated Press writer Kate Brumback in Sandy Springs contributed to this report.