What's the most conservative congressional district in the Eastern time zone?
According to the Cook Political Report, Georgia's 9th Congressional District, which includes Dade, Catoosa, Whitfield and 12 other North Georgia counties, is the "most Republican" in the East.
Ken Ellinger, a political science professor at Dalton State College and a Democrat, said voter attitudes in the North Georgia district include a "perfect storm" of conservative ideals characterized by "anti-tax, anti-government and anti-incumbent" sentiments.
Eight candidates are vying for the 9th District seat in a special election Tuesday to replace former Republican Rep. Nathan Deal, who resigned in March to run for governor.
The current Cook Political Report's Partisan Voting Index rankings for "most Republican" and "most Democratic" congressional districts is calculated by using the margin of victory in each district in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections. Those figures are compared with national averages in the same elections, said David Wasserman, U.S. House editor for the Washington, D.C.- based report.
The Peach State's 9th District has the same Republican rating (R+28) as the 11th Congressional District in Texas, which is the third "most Republican" district in the country, according to the index. The district in midwestern Texas includes the cities of San Angelo, Midland and Odessa.
However, Georgia's 9th District statistically is ranked the fourth "most Republican" district nationally, Mr. Wasserman said.
The "most Republican" district in the country, according to the index, is Alabama's 6th Congressional District, which includes all or part of seven counties around Birmingham. The second "most Republican" district is the 13th in Texas, stretching from the Texas Panhandle to counties east of Dallas.
The "most Democratic" congressional district also is in the Eastern time zone - New York's 16th, home to Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Zoo and Fordham University.
President Barack Obama captured 95 percent of the vote in that Empire State district in 2008 against Republican challenger Sen. John McCain of Arizona, according to the index.
Fleischmann picks up endorsement
The campaign of Republican 3rd Congressional District candidate Chuck Fleischmann announced that he has picked up the endorsement of the Can-Do Conservatives of America.
According to a campaign news release, the group was founded by Brian Donegan, a legally blind resident of Lawrenceville, Ga. The group advocates for the disabled.
Smith blasts Obama on Day of Prayer
The campaign of Republican 3rd Congressional District candidate Robin Smith announced that she participated in the National Day of Prayer on Thursday.
In the news release, Mrs. Smith blasted the Obama administration for what it called an "assault" on prayer.
"We have liberal activist courts declaring the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional," Mrs. Smith said in a news release. "Christian leaders such as Franklin Graham of Samaritan's Purse and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council are banned from participating in military observances on orders of the Obama Defense Department and our ability to express our faith is attacked by our own government under the guise of 'political correctness.'"