Status quo prevails in Georgia congressional elections
Published 9:55 pm Tuesday, November 5, 2024
By Dave Williams
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – The makeup of Georgia’s congressional delegation likely will remain unchanged, as voters were poised Tuesday night to reelect 13 of the 14 U.S. House lawmakers and choose Republican Brian Jack to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Drew Ferguson.
The result would leave Republicans with the same 9-5 majority the GOP won two years ago.
Jack, the newcomer and a former aide to former President Donald Trump, was leading Democrat Maura Keller in the 3rd Congressional District in west-central Georgia, according to unofficial results. Jack had amassed 67% of the vote to 33% for Keller.
Two congressional incumbents were headed toward reelection after flipping districts thanks to the new congressional map the Republican-controlled General Assembly drew last year.
Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, switched from the 7th District to the 6th District after the legislature reformed the 7th into a heavily Republican district and redrew the 6th to favor Democrats. The new 6th District includes central and southern Fulton County, south Cobb, eastern Douglas, and northern Fayette counties.
Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Suwanee, switched from the 6th to the 7th, which now includes GOP-friendly northern Fulton County, all of Forsyth, Dawson, and Lumpkin counties, eastern Cherokee County and western Hall County.
On Tuesday, McBath racked up 75% of the vote in defeating Republican Jeff Criswell, while McCormick won 65% of the vote in besting Democrat Bob Christian.
The other reelected incumbents included Reps. Buddy Carter, R-Savannah; Sanford Bishop, D-Albany; Hank Johnson, D-Stone Mountain; Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta; Austin Scott, R-Tifton; Andrew Clyde, R-Athens; Mike Collins, R-Jackson; Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville; Rick Allen, R-Augusta; David Scott, D-Atlanta; and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome.
Bishop, the longest serving member of Georgia’s congressional delegation, was the only incumbent in that group with less than 60% of the vote. With 26 of 30 counties reporting in Southwest Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District as of 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, Bishop was leading with 53% of the vote to 47% for Republican challenger Wayne Johnson.