Georgia 9th and 12th Districts to GOP Runoffs

Both meaningful House primaries in Georgia will need runoffs to pick Republican nominees. No candidate reached the all-important 50 percent threshold in the new 9th District or the contested 12th District, necessitating another nominating vote on Aug. 21, in three weeks.

In the 12th District, the Associated Press called that state Rep. Lee Anderson advanced to a runoff, with businessman Rick Allen and attorney Wright McLeod battling for the second runoff slot. With 82 percent of precincts reporting, Anderson led with 34 percent while Allen had 26 percent and McLeod had 23 percent.

The eventual GOP primary winner will get to challenge Democratic Rep. John Barrow in the fall. Barrow is among the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents after redistricting, which dropped him in a much more conservative district than before, one that voted 56 percent for John McCain in the 2008 presidential race. Still, Barrow will have another three weeks to insulate himself and build up a sizable campaign account while the Republicans continue their competition.

In the 9th District, a new, safely Republican seat, the AP called that state Rep. Doug Collins advanced to a GOP runoff alongside radio host Martha Zoller. With 80 percent of precincts reporting, Collins has 42 percent and Zoller 41 percent of the vote. That sets up a continuation of the establishment-versus-outsider contest that dominated this primary storyline.


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