A map showing the 1971 lordship election results in Georgia by earldom:
Looking back, the 1971 lordship election was arguably the most consequential political event in Georgian history. Since the reign of Georgia's first Lord-Governor, George I, Georgia had been run by a closed group of political elite under the guise of the Executor Party. George I founded the Executor Party, it orchestrated the rise of his successor, John, then of John's successor, and so on, and so on. Georgians had lived under the rule of 10 Lord-Governors when they went to the polls in 1971, and all but one had been members of the Executor Party. The party and its leaders had a history of stamping down dissent and authoritarianism that went hand in hand with their history of 180 years of uninterrupted power.
But 1971 changed all of that. Georgia and the Executor Party were in crisis. Georgia in 1971 was a place of chaos following the abdication of Lord-Governor Harold amidst confederal pressure and public scrutiny surrounding the Civil Rights Riots. With opinion polls plummeting for the Executor Party, it's segregationist wing which had dominated for decades was faltering. Interim Executive Michael Belford, wanting to calm things down and tired of Georgia's reputation as a pariah, agreed to having confederal officials monitor the election process and promised to uphold a fair process. Doom for the segregationist wing was finally coming, right - but the party would endure, party leaders foolishly thought, because the opposition parties (what few there were) were too small, and too splintered, and too...
In the midst of all this turmoil was a charismatic peanut farmer, who ran an independent campaign focused on getting the backing of all the minor parties. Yes, that's right,
all of them. With folksy charm, measured words, strong faith and an ability to engage with nearly anyone, James Carter succeeded in binding together a coalition of disaffected voters the realm over. The campaign became about corruption, racism, authoritarianism, cronyism, nepotism - all the filth associated with Georgian government for decades. All the filth of the Executor Party.
His message resonated and James Carter did the seemingly impossible. Carter's victory would spell a new dawn for Georgia. Although his electoral coalition, the New Georgia Movement, did not represent a clear political entity, it would go on to morph into one. Moreover, James would prove incredibly long live, still holding office today, making him the longest served Lord-Governor in the realm's history. Since taking office, Georgia has gone through a number of fundamental reforms from healthcare to education to racial relations. On that last part, a dark and long history still stains the realm, but criminal reform efforts and other measures taken during the Carter Era have helped end Georgia's reputation for being home to "Slavery, With A Wink."
Elected Lord-Governor: James (Carter) Liberal Party [New Georgia Movement]