2012 Tuesday: GOP to tap a sure bet in one congressional seat, an underdog in another
Today’s the primary runoff election in Georgia. None of the races in my area went unresolved last month, so I’m sitting this one out. Metro Atlanta races of interest include commission races in Cobb and Gwinnett and the sheriff’s race in Clayton County.
The big election news in the state tonight will come from Republican races in two congressional districts. State Rep. Doug Collins and radio talk-show host Martha Zoller are in a heated race in the Northeast Georgia district centered on Gainesville: Collins bested Zoller by just 734 votes out of nearly 110,000 cast last month. To the east, the district that stretches from Augusta down almost t0 Savannah pits state Rep. Lee Anderson against Augusta businessman Rick Allen: Anderson led with 34 percent in the first round, while Allen barely made the runoff ahead of two other candidates.
Either Collins or Zoller is almost certain to win the very conservative 9th District’s general election in November, so after tonight one of them can start looking for a second home in Washington. The 12th District, however, is a different story.
The Democratic incumbent, John Barrow, has won a couple of easy contests after surviving his tough first two elections in 2004 and 2006. Although he’s aiming for just his fifth term, he’s working with his third different group of constituents. Georgia Republicans have redrawn the map on him twice already, in a manner reminiscent of what Democrats used to do to Newt Gingrich early in his congressional career.
This year, the first election with the newest map, the GOP would appear to have drawn the map so that it is sufficiently heavily Republican to give Barrow no hope. The national GOP congressional campaign has targeted the seat and seems prepared to put a good bit of money into the race. Yet, the primary looked like a contest to make it as easy as possible for Barrow to stick around Capitol Hill at least two more years.
The perceived frontrunner, Augusta attorney and former Naval pilot Wright McLeod, fell less than 600 votes short of overtaking Allen for second place and a spot in the runoff. Anderson, a farmer, rode rural support to first place but was an underwhelming speaker, to say the least, in debates. A fourth candidate, Maria Sheffield, moved into the district to run for the office and was never much of a factor.
If Barrow can dodge his party affiliation with President Obama — as he’s already working to do — he seems to stand a good chance of denying Republicans one of their best chances nationwide at picking up a seat.
– By Kyle Wingfield
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
128 comments Add your comment
Pizzaman
August 21st, 2012
4:08 pm
Just what we need. More skinny dipping, lying, stupid thugs in Congress. If the Trepubs win it all I’ll give it 2.5 yrs before we’re down the tubes financially, emotionally and morally.
@@
August 21st, 2012
4:09 pm
And make that “that” a “with”.
…in the 20th with Joe?
@@
August 21st, 2012
4:11 pm
Just what we need. More liberals focused on skinny dippers instead of the serious issues our country is now facing.
SlickRick - glad to not have to worry about suffering through Myth Robme and The Boy Wonder's ineptocracy
August 21st, 2012
4:14 pm
@@ – too funny! as if your team gives a rat$ a$$ about the serious issues our country is now facing. yeah, that’s why we’re still talking about gay marriage and abortion. where are the “jobs jobs jobs” mr. boner. methinks you’ll be chanting “i need a job i need a job i need a job” come 1/1/13.
Michael H. Smith
August 21st, 2012
4:36 pm
How many socialist dems are left in office for us to get rid of in Georgia, Kyle?
Yeah, of course you can count county dogcatchers too!
Michael H. Smith
August 21st, 2012
4:47 pm
Socialist liberals are focused on their “Social Democracy” with its’ mandate for “Equal Results” where the fascist GUB’MENT picks the winners and losers, redistributes wealth and incomes and promises – by a liar’s word – a womb to tomb Marxist utopia – at least until they run out of other people’s money.(kind of like the way things went in Greece)
I like Jody Cooley for the 9th
August 21st, 2012
4:54 pm
@Jock
A shame that you won’t give Jody Cooley the time of day – he seems like a reasonable choice to me. Take a peek at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12Ji5v2O_2A
SlickRick - glad to not have to worry about suffering through Myth Robme and The Boy Wonder's ineptocracy
August 21st, 2012
4:56 pm
Michael H. Smith – Congrats on your command of the buzzwords du jour and an uncannily misguided reading of pretty much everything.
I like Jody Cooley for the 9th
August 21st, 2012
4:59 pm
http://www.cooleyforcongress.com
Because he’s not Martha Zoller and he’s not Doug Collins. Good enough for this part of Rabun County. Still I guess my neighbors on food stamps and medicare will not think about that in November. Unreal. Wake up Clayton!
Ralph
August 21st, 2012
5:02 pm
I’m surprised they haven’t gerrymandered Barrow all the way into South Carolina.
JamVet
August 21st, 2012
5:02 pm
Slick, Mike and plenty of the other inane stuck in the 1950s boys here all follow the lead of the disgraced Alan West.
They all have an altar to Joseph McCarthy.
And are fervently praying for some more witch hunts…
retiredds
August 21st, 2012
5:12 pm
centrist: yes.
I also don’t believe that political adds do anything to enhance our electoral process because both sides do so much editing to favor their side. I think that super pacs are the worst. But, this is America, and anyone is entitled to their opinions no matter how biased. I have mine and you have yours so that makes us even and free.
Michael H. Smith
August 21st, 2012
5:31 pm
Brucie Wilcox the most stuck in the 1950s bigotry person I could ever think of speaking about… INANE ?
Brucie you and Joe Biden are definitely a couple – as a pair of ethnocentric nut-jobs. Watch out for those RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACIST, they’re behind every shrub
Oh I do so hope the demwit socialists intend to win this thing on your kind of ignorance Wilcox.
Michael H. Smith
August 21st, 2012
5:33 pm
I’m surprised they haven’t gerrymandered Barrow all the way into South Carolina.
Nah, only Roy Barnes has the gall to do something like that and get away with it.
L'il Aynie
August 21st, 2012
5:56 pm
Cede the Georgia Legislature to the Republicans to serve as an example for the rest of the nation to avoid!
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
August 21st, 2012
6:01 pm
Barrow votes with the Democrat leadership 95% of the time.
Good luck pretending you’re anything other than an Obozo sycophant, Barrow.
Toast.
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/John_Barrow
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
6:50 pm
The Labor Department paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal stimulus funds to a public relations firm to run more than 100 commercials touting the Obama administration’s “green training” job efforts on two popular MSNBC cable shows, records show.
And both of PMSNBC’s viewers said they sucked.
Aint that a sham
August 21st, 2012
6:53 pm
I wonder if that was any of the stimulus that Ryan lied about not taking
Aint that a sham
August 21st, 2012
6:55 pm
How much money did Purdue obtain for the state?
You know that stimulus he decried to the people of GA, but at the same time was begging the Feds for more and more?
Aint that a sham
August 21st, 2012
7:13 pm
Hank Williams no longer relevant in the music industry and regulated to playing fairs, probably for the same number of tickets as it takes to purchase a corn dog, can do nothing except demean himself by calling the President a Muslim.
What a clown
http://www.wnd.com/2012/08/music-superstar-weve-got-a-muslim-president/
He knows if he doesn’t mouth off with something stupid, he will no longer be sought after by any media source.
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
August 21st, 2012
7:20 pm
Obozo said on Stephanoloulos’ show that his faith is Muslim.
I know how that goes…I’m all the time saying that I’m Hindu or Baptist.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
7:24 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who is out-fundraising President Barack Obama by impressive margins, is attracting thousands of donors this summer from traditionally Democratic areas of the United States, collecting millions of dollars in even progressive communities from New York to Los Angeles, according to an analysis by The Associated Press of new campaign data.
I didn’t know there were thousands of Koch Brothers!
Aint that a sham
August 21st, 2012
7:33 pm
Has the sleeping giant woke up yet?
If so, is that being reflected in EC projections at this time?
Aint that a sham
August 21st, 2012
8:18 pm
Nobody has mentioned that the Tea Party backed Akin in MO.
Wonder why.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/07/congressman-akins-wins-missouri-gop-senate-primary-to-take-on-sen-mccaskill/
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
8:27 pm
Thousands of you tools have mentioned that the Tea Party backed Akin.
Hillbilly D
August 21st, 2012
8:30 pm
Why are all the folks in Atlanta so concerned about the 9th District, all of a sudden?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
8:43 pm
This is what passes for deep thought amongst the liberals -
Does Paul Ryan’s Black Ex-Girlfriend Matter? Certainly, having a relationship with someone of a different race does not automatically make someone more racially sensitive and enlightened.
How can we call him a racist if he likes black people!?!? Ugh?!?! And what will we call if we can’t call him a racist?!?! Duh?!?!
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
8:44 pm
The dummycrat party, where being ate up is an attribute.
Aint that a sham
August 21st, 2012
8:45 pm
I report
Is name calling that you love so much the only self esteem boost you get in your life?
I can see your bird chest poked out as you smile in the mirror.
Is that the only manner in which you are capable of communicating.
Bet your family is so proud
bluecoat
August 21st, 2012
8:46 pm
The white male.The vanishing race.
Aint that a sham
August 21st, 2012
8:49 pm
Heck, just a few weeks ago Bruno called you down for your consistent childish name calling.
And he loves to razz liberals.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
8:51 pm
No, stooge, I also happen to think I’m rather eloquent. Too bad your comprehension abilities are so minimal, you could see it too.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
8:55 pm
I musta missed the whole Bruno thingie.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
8:59 pm
By the way, “bird chest” is a form of name calling, just in case you were wondering.
Aint that a sham
August 21st, 2012
9:02 pm
I report
Little deprived man who gets his jollies by calling names.
No self esteem at home or elsewhere in life.
Poor soul still searching his way through life via talk radio and Drudge
haaaaaaaaaaaaa
Bless his heart
Aint that a sham
August 21st, 2012
9:08 pm
I report
Search inward little man, search inward
Your outward burst seeking any attention even though it is mostly negative, will not do much for your self esteem. Yes you smile in the mirror and think you are being intelligent, however you know you are not.
Your acceptance of yourself and increased self esteem will come from within. You haven’t noticed after years and years of name calling that in only last for a few minutes and you are back to wondering who you are in life.
You can be somebody. You will just have to change you and you are the only one that can do that.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
9:09 pm
It’s better than searching our way through life via PMSNBC, hahaha
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
August 21st, 2012
9:10 pm
bluecoat: The white male.The vanishing race.
———————–
I thought it was the employed Democrat.
In the future, we’ll all be the same shade of a sort of mocha color. Will that make you feel better, racist?
Aint that a sham
August 21st, 2012
9:11 pm
WWJD
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
9:13 pm
WWMD
Marx or Chairman Mao, either one.
Aint that a sham
August 21st, 2012
9:14 pm
Keep up the great Christian witness and name calling
Your God and family couldn’t be any more proud of you than the are when you blog
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
9:14 pm
I now return sham back to the People’s Republic of Stupidity, from whence it came.
See ya.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
9:20 pm
I see your Ayn Rand and raise it with a Vladimir Lenin.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 21st, 2012
9:21 pm
I just won the whole Pol Pot.
Beverly Fraud
August 21st, 2012
10:32 pm
Walking Small has a 53%-47% lead in Clayton County?
Fred ™
August 21st, 2012
10:36 pm
I was proud to see that Dekalb County residents rejected the School board incumbent who has been present for the debacle that are our schools by nearly a 2-1 margin. I don’t know if McMahon will be any better than Womack but one thinks he couldn’t be worse.
RW-(the original)
August 21st, 2012
10:55 pm
Why are all the folks in Atlanta so concerned about the 9th District, all of a sudden?
I think it happened when I moved up here.
Either that or the AJC found the one place with a race going on that they could sell papers. Now that the November ticket is set you won’t hear a peep out of them regarding the 9th.
Hillbilly D
August 21st, 2012
11:13 pm
RW
Yep, we’ll just go back to being the folks they look down on, since they got too uppity to “Cover Dixie Like The Dew”.
iggy
August 21st, 2012
11:18 pm
Victor Hill wins Clayton County Sheriiff, LMAO!! CC citizens are obviously out to lunch and will get what they deserve!! Except of course @@, he he.
“Its our turn now” YOU BETCHA!!!
Beverly Fraud
August 21st, 2012
11:35 pm
Isn’t there one asteroid out there that, in a moment of Christ-like consciousness, is willing to sacrifice itself by descending on Clayton County?