Voters in Georgia’s 9th Congressional District go to the polls today to elect a successor to former Rep. Nathan Deal, the Republican who resigned the seat he’d held since 1992 to seek the Republican nomination for governor. The special election has attracted a large number of candidates, though it remains to be seen how many voters their campaigns will bring to the polls.
Typically, special elections of this type prompt a relatively low turnout when compared to general elections when national and statewide races are on the ballot. The race to fill out Mr. Deal’s term could prove the exception. The six Republicans, one Democrat and one Independent in the race have run, for the most part, highly visible campaigns in what is an overwhelmingly Republican and conservative district.
Given the size of the field and the relative brevity of the campaign, it is difficult even for seasoned political observers to name a favorite. The most common opinion is that no candidate in the field will receive the majority of votes needed to become a member of Congress. If that’s the case, a special runoff election will be held June 8.
The winner of Tuesday’s special election — or the June 8 runoff if one is needed — will serve the remainder of Mr. Deal’s term. Those who want to serve a full two-year term will have to run in the state’s regular primary election on July 20. That, of course, raises the possibility of a rematch in July between candidates in Tuesday’s special election, since several have qualified for the primary.
Whatever the case, there could be a lot of elections in the future of District 9 voters before someone wins a full term in the U.S. House. There’s today’s special election and a possible runoff on June 8. That’s followed by the state primary on July 20 with a possible runoff to follow on Aug. 10. Finally, there’s the Nov. 2 general election. The last might prove anticlimactic