For the second time in a month, Tom Graves came out on top in a 9th Congressional District election, edging opponent Lee Hawkins 56 percent to 44 percent.
"We're very excited about the results and look forward to representing Georgia as a bold voice in Washington," Mr. Graves, 40, said in a phone interview Tuesday. He will finish the term vacated when Nathan Deal left office to run for governor.
"We're very pleased by the way this campaign operated, and I think the voters of North Georgia are, too," he said.
He defeated Mr. Hawkins, a 59-year-old dentist from Gainesville.
Tuesday night, Dr. Hawkins said his staff would begin working soon for July 20, when the two candidates will meet again in the Republican primary for the seat's full term.
"What we do is we just work harder and see more people," Dr. Hawkins said. "I believe a heavier turnout favors us."
Steve Tarvin, Blairsville cardiologist Chris Cates and state Rep. Bobby Reese also will be on the ballot on July 20 along with two other candidates who have dropped out of the race.
No Democrat has qualified to run for the seat in November.
Mr. Graves, a real estate developer and former state representative from Gordon County, won the six Northwest Georgia counties 69 percent to 31 percent. He led by 81 percent in his home county, Gordon. He took 72 percent in Murray and 69 in Whitfield, as well as 65 percent in Dade and Catoosa.
The 9th District comprises a 15-county swath of North Georgia running from Dade, Walker and Catoosa counties over to Hall, White and Forsyth.
COUNTY BY COUNTYGraves HawkinsCatoosa 1,162 617Dade 292 160Dawson 640 713Fannin 682 339Forsyth 5,224 3,074Gilmer 952 390Gordon 643 153Hall 4,763 7,466Lumpkin 750 763Murray 704 270Pickens 1,335 478Union 804 506Walker 1,076 616White 879 711Whitfield 2,778 1,243Source: Georgia Secretary of State's Office
Mr. Graves ran with support from the Atlanta Tea Party Patriots and the anti-tax groups Club for Growth and FreedomWorks. He tapped into anti-Washington anger in the conservative North Georgia district where frustration is high over government spending, a sweeping health reform law and the
lack of federal action on immigration reform.
Dr. Hawkins, a former state senator, cast himself as the mainstream conservative and a problem solver.
Mr. Graves, meanwhile, adopted insurgent rhetoric in his bid, referring to supporters as "freedom fighters."
Tuesday morning, Mr. Graves was the first to cast a ballot at the Ranger community center in Gordon County. Arriving a few minutes before 7 a.m., Mr. Graves chatted with staff and his son John, who had turned his "Elect Tom Graves" shirt inside out before coming inside. Once the clock rolled over to 7, Mr. Graves quickly cast his vote and headed out for last-minute campaigning.
"It's perpetual it seems," Mr. Graves said of the campaigning. "Our campaign team is already prepared for tomorrow."
Mr. Tarvin said Mr. Graves' win doesn't alter his plans for the 41 days until the candidates meet again on the ballot.
"July the 20 is the race we entered last October," the Chickamauga businessman said. "We're not changing anything."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Article: Georgia's District 9 votes again