On Aug. 21, voters in Georgia’s 12th congressional district went to the polls to cast their ballots in the Republican primary runoff election. This race was particularly important to AGC, as one of its own was vying for the opportunity to face Rep. John Barrow (D) in the general election.
AGC PAC-backed candidate Rick W. Allen, a former AGC - Georgia Branch President, was running against state Representative Lee Anderson in what was expected to be a close race. When the votes were counted on Election Night, just 154 votes separated the two candidates – a difference of less than one percent.
With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, the vote was:
- Lee Anderson: 50.3%, 13,780
- Rick W. Allen: 49.7%, 13,626
Anderson was declared the winner, but the election has yet to be certified. Overseas absentee and provisional ballots are still being tabulated. According to a spokesman in the secretary of state’s office, there were 139 uncounted overseas and an unknown quantity of provisional ballots. It is expected the vote will be certified on Friday, at which time Mr. Allen will decide if he would like to proceed with a recount.
With the results still up in the air, one thing is for certain - Barrow is in for the fight of his life. After redistricting, only 53 percent of the old 12th District remains, creating a feeling that this is an open seat contest. In addition to significant district boundary changes, the new district voted 55.6 percent for McCain in the 2008 presidential election. In fact, during the last two presidential elections, the district voted 10 points more Republican than the national average. For Republicans, the 12th district represents one of the better pickup opportunities for a House seat against an incumbent Democrat.
For more information, please contact David Ashinoff at (202) 547-5013 or ashinoffd@agc.org. 