Election night recap... now in photos

Creative Loafing photographers captured the joy of victory and agony of defeat last night at the election parties of Gov. Nathan Deal, Michelle Nunn, Jason Carter and David Perdue. Here’s our photographic timeline of the evening’s shenanigans.

• Eric Cash
• 8:20 p.m., Carter signs that were taped to the walls at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta began to fall before the party really got going at the gubernatorial candidate’s event.

• Joeff Davis
• 9:03 p.m., Across from the College Football Hall of Fame, where Gov. Nathan Deal held his victory party, Lewis zips up his sleeping bag for the night before lying down under picnic tables. When asked how long he had been homeless, he replied “too long.” When asked who he wants to win the election, he said “I don’t even know who is running.”

• Joeff Davis
• 9:07 p.m, the entrance to the College Football Hall of Fame.

More Photos after the break

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• Joeff Davis
• 9:17 p.m., Matthew Callahan (left) and his friend Thomas Tucker watch the returns on the big screen at the Deal party. Thomas said that he liked the Republicans because “when I was a kid my parents always encouraged me to look stuff up and the Republicans went along with my views like (on issues of) gay marriage, fair tax, abortion and a bunch of my foreign policy beliefs.”

• Eric Cash
• 9:38 p.m., A group of Carter supporters participated in popular dances like the macarena and the wobble while waiting for final results at the Carter for Victory party.

• Joeff Davis
• 9:47 p.m., Deal’s communication director Brian Robinson poses with former boxing champion Evander Holyfield in front of the College Football Hall of Fame. Earlier in the evening, Holyfield was asked what he liked most about about Deal and the Republicans. “I am just here with some people,” he said. “I am not a Republican.”

• Joeff Davis
• 9:53 p.m., Deal and his staff pore over the election numbers in a suite on the 28th floor of the Omni Hotel. At the moment, with roughly half of the votes counted, he was maintaining a nearly 20-percent lead over Jason Carter.

• Joeff Davis
• 9:53 p.m., Deal in a suite on the 28th floor of the Omni Hotel.

• Joeff Davis
• 10:24 p.m., A couple stand on the fake turf inside the College Football Hall of Fame. The Deal Victory party was held mostly on a mock college football field.

• Joeff Davis
• 10:28 p.m., Andy Kalajian bows his head in prayer during the Deal Party. “I don’t care if you are a Democrat or a Republican,”he said. “Obama sucks as a leader. He demonstrates zero leadership. ZERO!”

• Eric Cash
• 10:31p.m., A Michelle Nunn supporter watches anxiously as CNN reports more and more results.

• Kate Lamb
• 10:33 p.m., A Perdue supporter is shocked by the polls,

• Eric Cash
• 10:34 p.m., A Nunn supporter plugs her ears while focusing on the CNN results.

• Joeff Davis
• 10:44 p.m., Flanked by Republican members of the General Assembly, House Speaker David Ralston declares victory for Georgia Republicans.

• Kate Lamb
• 10:53 p.m., Three young Republicans kept the energy alive. Left to right: Connor Meitin, Brad Callahan, and Sebastian Wong.

• Kate Lamb
• 10:54 p.m., Rapper Waka Flocka came to support Perdue.

• Joeff Davis
• 11:00 p.m., Twin nine-year-old sisters Claire (left), and Charlotte Leiter, from Marietta smile for the camera. When asked if they were having a good time, Charlotte admitted that she was tired, adding that she normally goes to bed at 8:30 p.m.

• Joeff Davis
• 11:08 p.m., Members of Deal’s family take the stage in anticipation of his victory speech.

• Joeff Davis
• 11:08 p.m., Deal takes the stage to deliver his victory speech. In his speech, the governor thanked voters for their support, campaign staff for their work, and apologized to his family for the personal toll the race might have taken on them. He dedicated the victory to Mack Burgess, an aide who died in a car accident in October.

• Eric Cash
• 11:08 p.m., Nunn delivers her concession speech.

• Joeff Davis
• 11:19 p.m., Deal addresses the media following his victory.

• Joeff Davis
• 11:22 p.m., Deal’s wife Sandra looks on as the governor takes questions from the media.

• Eric Cash
• 11:22 p.m., Carter thanks his supporters after conceding the race to Deal.

• Kate Lamb
• 11:22 p.m., Supporters wave their signs and cheer during Perdue’s speech.

• KAte Lamb
• 11:23 p.m., Perdue gives his acceptance speech.

• Eric Cash
• 11:25 p.m., Jason Carter hugs his grandfather, former president Jimmy Carter, after his speech.