DECATUR -- Despite lagging behind in early returns, it appeared Tuesday night that Cynthia McKinney had reclaimed her 4th Congressional District seat.

With 63 percent of the vote, McKinney was well on her way to recapturing the post, which covers most of DeKalb and part of Gwinnett counties, she lost two years ago.

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"It's a new day and it belongs to us," she said to supporters. "Now is our time and sieze it (and) we must."

McKinney was ousted by Democratic challenger Denise Majette in 2002 after implying that President Bush had knowledge of terror threats and did not act to prevent the Sept. 11 attacks on New York City.

In 2004, Majette opted to run for Georgias open U.S. Senate seat instead of running for a second term in the U.S. House. That cleared the way for McKinney who beat five Democrats in the July 20 primary. Her more than 50 percent margin of victory avoided a runoff and set her up as the strong favorite.

McKinneys challenger, Republican Catherine Davis, fought an uphill battle to gain name recognition. Her campaign suffered from a lack of campaign funds and low voter awareness levels.

Still, Davis maintained she had a strong shot at winning against McKinney. The telephone company executive said voters in the district wanted change and effective leadership. She said that's what she brought to the table. Davis believed her lack of political experience and name recognition would not hurt her.

wsbtv.com Staff Writer Steve Riley contributed to this report.