▁was ▁not ▁el ig ible ▁for ▁re - e lection . ▁Tal mad ge , ▁who ▁strongly ▁opposed ▁the ▁New ▁De al ▁and ▁had ▁delayed ▁its ▁implementation ▁in ▁Georgia , ▁ran ▁for ▁the ▁US ▁Senate ▁and ▁back ed ▁Charles ▁D . ▁Red w ine ▁for ▁governor . ▁R ivers , ▁who , ▁as ▁Spe aker , ▁had ▁strongly ▁supported ▁the ▁New ▁De al , ▁was ▁his ▁oppon ent ▁and ▁won ▁with ▁about ▁ 6 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁vote , ▁the ▁same ▁margin ▁by ▁which ▁Tal mad ge ▁lost ▁his ▁Senate ▁race . ▁ ▁R ivers ' ▁first ▁two - year ▁term ▁as ▁governor ▁saw ▁Georgia ▁pass ▁the ▁legisl ation ▁required ▁to ▁bring ▁New ▁De al ▁programs ▁into ▁the ▁state , ▁and ▁was ▁widely ▁acc laimed . ▁R ivers ▁created ▁the ▁ 7 - month ▁school ▁year . ▁Under ▁R ivers ' ▁leadership , ▁elect rical ▁services ▁were ▁expanded ▁to ▁rural ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁state . ▁Georgia ▁moved ▁from ▁the ▁lowest - rank ed ▁state ▁to ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁list ▁in ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁rural ▁elect r ification ▁associations . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁office , ▁the ▁State ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Un emp loyment ▁Comp ens ation ▁was ▁created , ▁allowing ▁Georg ians ▁to ▁receive ▁un emp loyment ▁benefits . ▁ ▁After ▁R ivers ' ▁re - e lection ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁he ▁ran ▁into ▁problems ▁finan cing ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁improvement ▁programs . ▁Although ▁the ▁budget ▁was ▁reduced ▁by ▁ 2 5 ▁percent , ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to