Republicans Misread Tea Leaves Minority Voters and Democrats Flex Strength
"We massacred the Republican Pundit's Dubious Predictions."

November 4, 1998

Decatur, GA - Winning another landslide victory in the Georgia 4th congressional district, a jubilant Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney danced and karoked late into the evening, at her victory party, surronded by her most fervent suporters. "It feels good to be victorious, but I'm not taking anything or anyone for granted. This will be my fourth term and my agenda for the next Congress will be consistent with the mission that I have fought for since my first day in Congress," commented McKinney. Forboding headlines and early Republican analyst's predictions suggested that the Democrats would stay home this mid-term election. "We massacred their predictions. They misread the tea-leaves and underestimated the nation. Partisanship just does not play well right now and there is strength in our numbers," she continued. McKinney captured 63% of the vote in her district.

With the weight of pending presidential impeachment hearings among the agenda items for the 106th Congress, McKinney commented, "Right away I will want to make sure that the people of DeKalb County see their share of modernized schools and additional teachers. Before the 105th ended we passed a budget and the President signed into law bill that would allow for the hiring of 100,000 new teachers in order to reduce class sizes and improve education. DeKalb County surely could benefit from a modernization program that will allow our children to move from annex trailors back into school buildings," said McKinney. In terms of a national agenda for the 106th Congress, "I will continue to support efforts to pass a patients' bill of rights that will truly protect the consumer; save Social Security, and increase the minimum wage. With the nation soon facing the millennium census and soon thereafter national reapportionment . The time for serious consideration of my Voters Choice Act, which purports proportional, representation is here! I will be working furiously on this measure, making sure that there is national discourse on the possibility."