Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal re-elected

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal on Tuesday won re-election over state Sen. Jason Carter.

Deal picked up nearly 53 percent of the vote to Carter’s early 45 percent. Libertarian Andrew Hunt garnered 2 percent of the vote.

Heading into Tuesday’s election, it looked as if no candidate would received the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff.

Celebrating his re-election victory, Deal thanked supporters and vowed to keep building upon his first-term successes during the next four years.

“Sandra and I are humbled and honored by the support we’ve received from every corner of this state,” Deal said. “It has been the privilege of my life to serve as your governor. We thank the voters who have shown their faith in us, and we thank the Deal for Governor grass-roots network that worked hard behind the scenes to make this possible.

“In my first term, I’ve worked every day to make Georgia the No. 1 place in the nation in which to do business and create jobs, and together, we accomplished that goal,” Deal added. “We’ve received top rankings from CNBC, Area Development magazine and Site Selection magazine in the past year. We’ve helped create nearly 300,000 private-sector jobs, lowered taxes for all Georgians, and maintained our AAA bond rating. We’ve invested in education, transportation, workforce development, and implemented criminal justice reforms that are already paying dividends.

“I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished working with the General Assembly these past four years, but we have only just begun. I’ll continue working together with our elected officials and the General Assembly on behalf of all Georgians. Together, we’ll keep building upon our successes, and, together, we’ll keep Georgia No. 1,” Deal said.