Rep. Bell Re-Elected Handily

It’s been a fast and furious election season finish for Rep. Simone Bell (D-Atlanta)

Not because she was in a hotly contested race Tuesday because she wasn’t. With all 26 precincts reporting, the Incumbent from District 58 garnered 87 percent of the votes to defeat Republican challenger Earl Cooper of Midtown. Almost 20,000 votes were cast.

The backwards L-shaped district stretches from Virginia-Highland down to Fort McPherson in the southwest part of the city.

Since winning a special election in 2009, Bell has served three sessions in the Georgia House of Representatives, but she entered Election Day 2012 doing all she could to make sure the next session doesn’t begin with the Republicans holding a the two-thirds “supermajority” threshold in the Legislature.

Republicans needed to pick up five House seats Tuesday to make such happen, so Bell has been assisting other Democrats in races around the state. From Milledgeville, to LaGrange, to McDonough, to Lawrenceville, Bell has been helping make sure voters get out and vote for Democratic candidates.

“I’m very proud of the work Democrats did across the state, to do everything we can to stop the Republican supermajority,” she said explaining that such power by one party at the Capitol would not be in the best interest for Georgians. Early results Tuesday seemed to indicate the GOP falling short of its supermajority goal, but nothing was official at this article's posting.

Bell was still working the phones Tuesday afternoon, saying she’s “excited about helping move Georgia forward.”

After celebrating with staff and interns, Bell had plans for a busy night filled with parties and gatherings both big and small. It would be a night of not only celebrating her own victory, but also the re-election of President Barack Obama.

“I want to thank the people for sticking in there during this very long campaign season. It’s been a little overwhelming for everyone.”

Efforts to reach Cooper for comment were not immediately successful.