ATLANTA – Republican Rep. Tom Graves has clinched the GOP nomination for north Georgia’s congressional seat, winning his fourth election in three months.
In unofficial returns, Graves defeated fellow Republican Lee Hawkins 56 percent to 44 percent with 87 percent of precincts reporting.
Graves advances to the November general election for a full, two-year term in the House. No Democrat is on the ballot.
The 40-year-old from Ranger won a special election in June to fill the remaining months in the term of Nathan Deal, a longtime congressman who stepped down to run for governor.
Graves’ victory marked his fourth consecutive win over Hawkins, a dentist and former state senator.