By Russ Bynum
ATLANTA – Georgia’s newest congressman, Republican Rep. Tom Graves of Ranger, was on the ballot Tuesday for the third time since May, and was unable to avoid a runoff in a six-way GOP race in North Georgia’s 9th District. Graves won a special election runoff last month to replace U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, a Republican who resigned to run for governor.
Graves had more than 49 percent of the vote in unofficial returns with 99 percent of precincts reporting. Lee Hawkins , of Gainesville, who lost to Graves in June, followed with 27 percent.
No Democrats sought Graves’ seat.
U.S. Rep. David Scott easily defeated two Democratic newcomers Tuesday while three other Georgia congressmen led primary challengers Tuesday in an early election-year test of the incumbents’ strength.
Democratic voters also chose Michael Thurmond, Georgia’s labor commissioner, to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson in November. Thurmond defeated R.J. Hadley, of Conyers, who worked on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.
“This is a great moment, considering my life’s journey from a sharecropper’s family in Sandy Creek to having won the nomination for the highest office in the state,” Thurmond said Tuesday night.
In metro Atlanta’s 13th District, Rep. David Scott cruised past two opponents – he had 79 percent of the vote in unofficial returns with 48 percent of precincts reporting. Challenger Mike Murphy had 15 percent, followed by Michael Frisbee with 6 percent.
Murphy of Mableton served as campaign manager to Scott’s Republican opponent in 2008. Frisbee of Winston considered running as an independent, but decided the only way to beat the incumbent was to run as a Democrat.
A six-way Republican primary race for Scott’s seat was led by Mike Crane of Fairburn with 34 percent. Deborah Honeycutt of Riverdale, who lost to Scott in the 2008 general election, had 29 percent.
There were no primary challengers for Georgia’s eight other congressmen – Democratic Reps. Sanford Bishop, John Lewis and Jim Marshall; and Republican Reps. Jack Kingston, Tom Price, Paul Broun, Lynn Westmoreland and Phil Gingrey.
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