Our neighbors in North Georgia's 9th Congressional District long benefited from the able service of Republican U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal. But this year, Deal stepped down from Congress to focus on his race for Georgia governor.
That move apparently has paid off. In Tuesday's GOP runoff, he narrowly defeated former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel, and thus will face Democrat former Gov. Roy Barnes in the November general election. Barnes was defeated eight years ago in his bid for a second term, and he is seeking to return to office.
Handel graciously conceded the race to Deal despite his thin margin of victory in Tuesday's runoff. She had the option to demand a recount but chose not to do so.
"The best thing for our party is to rally around Congressman Deal as our nominee in the fight against Roy Barnes," she stated in a news release. "Barnes would return Georgia to a past that is best kept in our rearview mirror. We must marshal all of our resources to defeat him. ... I spoke with Nathan this morning and let him know that I endorse his candidacy and look forward to the fight against Barnes. I have also called on all who were supporting me to give their same commitment and energy to Nathan."
We second that. Barnes holds liberal views on issues such as the sanctity of human life. Deal has a clearly more conservative record. He is the wiser choice to build on the accomplishments of term-limited Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue.
We also commend soundly conservative Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, who won the GOP runoff for the seat formerly held by Deal. Graves had previously won the race to complete Deal's term. His win Tuesday means he is virtually assured of victory in November because no other candidate qualified for the general election.
We recommend the overwhelming election of Deal as governor in November, and we believe the 9th District will be represented effectively by Graves.