ATLANTA – Former prosecutor Ken Hodges easily defeated state Rep. Rob Teilhet to claim the Democratic Party’s nomination for attorney general in one of the most heated battles in Georgia’s election season.
Hodges will face one of three Republicans running to succeed Democrat Thurbert Baker, who ran unsuccessfully for governor. Hodges had 67 percent of the vote with 65 percent of the precincts counted.
Ex-Cobb County Commission chair Sam Olens leads that contest with 38 percent of the vote. If he fails to get more than 50 percent he could face an Aug. 10 runoff against state Sen. Preston Smith or former U.S. Attorney Max Wood.
In the bitter Democratic primary, Teilhet ran an emotional attack ad accusing Hodges of making mistakes in a high-profile criminal case. Hodges said his opponent was exploiting the victim’s family for political gain.