Conservative Reed concedes in Georgia primary - Yahoo! News

Conservative Reed concedes in Georgia primary - Yahoo! News

Wed Jul 19, 12:46 AM ET

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Ralph Reed, a poster boy for the U.S. Christian right who helped promote the rise of Republican political power in the 1990s, conceded defeat in Georgia on Tuesday in a primary race for Lieutenant Governor.
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Georgia state Sen. Casey Cagle defeated Reed in large part because he was unable to shake off links to convicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, making Reed the Abramoff scandal's first electoral casualty.

Reed's role as former leader of the Christian Coalition, and his reputation as a clean-cut conservative with a talent for grass-roots organizing made him an early favorite in his first run at elected office. It also attracted national interest in the race.