On the next day, the Georgia delegation and a majority of the Arkansas delegation withdrew.
John Lewis, the dean of the Georgia congressional delegation, ran for his tenth term in this solidly liberal, Atlanta-based district.
For years, the Georgia delegation met periodically.
The entire Georgia congressional delegation is working with Governor Perdue and his staff to pursue that course.
Before the 1992 redistricting, the Georgia delegation in the House of Representatives consisted of nine Democrats and one Republican.
Once in office, he was the only member of the Georgia congressional delegation to vote for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The Georgia delegation in the House now has eight white Republicans and three black Democrats.
Before the previous redistricting, there was only one Republican in the Georgia delegation, Newt Gingrich.
He said that half of his own Georgia delegation had engaged in giving out temporary, year-end increases to staff members.
On the convention floor, members of the Georgia delegation were surprised, though not overly upset, at the news that Mr. Carter would not attend.