July 16, 2008
Gwinnett Daily Post
Beaudreau cruises to easy victory in District 3
By Jamie Ward
Staff Writer
LAWRENCEVILLE – Everything came up roses at the Vines Botanical Gardens in Loganville on Tuesday night for Republican incumbent Mike Beaudreau. It was there Beaudreau declared victory in the District 3 Board of Commissioner’s primary race.
“It’s a wonderful victory,” Beaudreau said. “We’ve increased our base in the district in the north, south, east and west,” he said. “The fat lady is warming up.”
Beaudreau had expressed concern earlier in the day about low voter turnout, but apparently his concerns were alleviated by his impressive margin of victory in the primary. Of the votes cast, Beaudreau won by a margin of more than 2-1.
“You’d always like more turnout and active participants in democracy,” he said Tuesday night. “But the bottom line is the people who participated today have spoken.”
With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Beaudreau drew 9,301 votes to Doug Stacks Jr.’s 4,161. All results are still considered unofficial.
Beaudreau credited his all volunteer staff for their hard work and said he was quite proud of each of them. More than 40 of these people were with him Tuesday night as he watched the results trickle in. His parents even made the trip in from South Carolina and helped him walk the neighborhoods Monday. He said it’s the door to door canvassing he finds “invigorating” and said he realizes the office of commissioner is merely a temporary one. He said he was honored to know the people have chosen him again.
For Stacks Jr., Beaudreau’s challenger, the results weren’t what he had hoped for. But the political newcomer and city of Lilburn’s planning and economic development director said his loss was not the end.
“I was told I wouldn’t win on the first go-round,” Stacks said. “But I’m definitely not going to go away.”
Asked if that meant he’d run again, Stacks said it was “a definite possibility.”
For Beaudreau, the focus now moves toward the November general election where he’ll face Dacula’s Earl Hendon, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
When asked what to expect in that race Beaudreau declined to engage in the conversation.
“I’m going to savor this one for a little while,” he said.
