July 24, 2003

WASHINGTON — Andrew Young, who served as Atlanta mayor and United Nations ambassador and helped bring the Olympics to Georgia in 1996, is seriously eyeing a bid to succeed retiring Georgia Sen. Zell Miller in 2004, according to friends and state Democratic officials who have discussed the race with Young this week.

Paul Rosser, a business and political associate, who was meeting with Young in Atlanta yesterday to organize a possible Senate race, said Young would decide whether to run "within about 10 days."

If he runs, he would likely schedule a campaign kick-off for mid-August. "We have another couple weeks of real hard work before we make any sort of formal announcement," Rosser said. "But there are a lot of favorable things weighing in favor of his running. Andy would be a great candidate."

Young has been out of elective office since 1990, when he lost a gubernatorial runoff to Miller. Nonetheless, he has maintained close ties to state Democrats and could offer his party an unexpected boost in Georgia, where voters last year threw out a Democratic senator and elected the first GOP governor since Reconstruction.

Miller, a maverick Democrat, dealt his party another blow early this year when he announced he would retire rather than seek a full six-year term in 2004.

Young, who is black, also may be one of the most viable African-American candidates to run for Senate in years. Currently, there are no black senators; only two African-Americans have ever been elected to the Senate since Reconstruction.

Democrats say Young started seriously considering a Senate bid earlier this month while he was traveling back from a tour of Africa with President Bush. On the trip, he met with several Democratic congressmen, who urged him to run for Miller's seat.

Democratic officials said that, if he runs, Young would draw strong support from among party leaders, both in Atlanta and on Capitol Hill.

"He has a lot of political juice. He's almost a clear-the-field candidate," said Georgia Democratic Party Chairman Calvin Smyre, who spoke with Young about the Senate race Thursday morning. "He's well respected. He's articulate. He knows the issues. He doesn't need on-the-job training. He's certainly one of Georgia's finest citizens."

Democrats have suffered from a series of setbacks trying to recruit a candidate to succeed Miller. Sen. Max Cleland, who was narrowly defeated by Republican Saxby Chambliss last November, declined to run, as did Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox, considered a rising star in state Democratic circles. Currently, state Sen. Mary Squires is the only announced Democratic candidate, and she is widely considered a long shot.

Meanwhile, two well-funded House Republicans, Johnny Isakson and Mac Collins, are seeking their party's nod.

Young served in the House from 1973 to 1977, when he was appointed ambassador to the United Nation by President Carter. He later served two terms as mayor of Atlanta, and in 1994 President Clinton named him to chair the Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund, a $100 million privately managed fund to provide equity to businesses in 11 countries in southern Africa.

Young also was co-chairman of the Centennial Olympic Games in 1996, and is currently Chairman of GoodWorks International, a specialty consulting group based in Atlanta, Georgia, that provides strategic services to corporations and governments operating in the global economy.

He lives in Atlanta with his wife, Carolyn, and is the father of three daughters and one son. He also has two granddaughters and three grandsons.