For the first time in 52 years, there won't be a major party election battle for the 4th congressional district.

That's because no one signed up to run against Democrat freshman U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson of Decatur.

Johnson is the only one of Georgia's 13 U.S. House members in the 2008 elections without a Democrat or Republican opponent.

The week-long qualifying period for candidates running for federal, state and local offices in Georgia ended at noon Friday.

Besides rendering Johnson a virtual shoo-in for re-election, the end of qualifying:

• Put Democratic challengers in all seven congressional races that have Republican incumbents. The GOP put up challengers for four U.S. House seats currently held by Democrats.

• Nearly assures that Republicans will retain control of both houses of the Georgia General Assembly.

Republicans are guaranteed 24 of 56 Senate seats and 81 of 180 House seats because Democrats didn't field candidates in those races.

• Set up a crowded Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Josh Lanier, a Vietnam veteran from Statesboro on Friday joined DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones, former state Department of Human Resources chief Jim Martin, former WSB-TV reporter Dale Cardwell and environmental scientist Rand Knight in the race. The winner faces incumbent GOP U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Moultrie in the November general election.

Both Republican and Democratic leaders said they don't expect the 2008 elections will bring major gains for their parties in the Georgia General Assembly.

"We'r extremely pleased. Our recruiting efforts this year were more strategic," said House Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons). "We wanted to look at certain areas that we thought we could compete in and we filled everyone of those."

Jane Kidd, who chairs the Georgia Democratic party, said "our strategy was always to take back three or four House seats and one or two and maybe three Senate seats and lay our base down for 2010 when we have to elect a Democratic governor."

This year, Democrats are focused on winning congressional seats. Hoping to capitalize on voter discontent with President Bush's handling of the Iraq war, the party recruited four military veterans to run against incumbent Republicans. Three of those incumbents ran unopposed in 2004 and faced only token Democratic opposition in 2006.

Among the Democratic veterans is Army Lt. Col. Bill Gillespie, who is challenging incumbent Republican U.S. House Rep. Jack Kingston of Savannah, in Georgia's 1st congressional district.

Democrat Bill Jones, a retired Air Force pilot from Marietta, is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Price of Roswell. Democrat Doug Heckman, a retired U.S. Army colonel and senior advisor to the Iraqi army, is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. John Linder of Duluth.

The fourth Democratic veteran running for Congress is Bobby Saxon, a U.S. National guard major from Nicholson who also served in Iraq. Saxon is taking on Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, of Athens.

State Rep. Barry Fleming (R-Augusta) also qualified to run against Broun in the July GOP primary election.

Republicans, meanwhile, recruited a veteran of their own to run against Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop of Columbus.

Another Democratic congressional incumbent, U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon, drew challengers from both major parties. They are Democrat Robert Nowak of Macon and Rick Goddard, a Republican from Warner Robins.

Two other Democratic congressional incumbents faced challenges from within the party. Civil rights leader and longtime U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Atlanta is opposed by two Democrats, Markell Hutchins, who is a minister, and state Rep. Able Mable Thomas of Atlanta.

Former state Rep. Donzella James is running against incumbent U.S. Rep. David Scott. Scott is also opposed by a Republican, Deborah Honeycut of Riverdale.

An expected primary challenge for Johnson in DeKalb County's 4th congressional district never materialized. Johnson, who ousted Cynthia McKinney from the seat in 2006, becomes the first candidate to run unopposed for the post since 1956. Democrat J.J. Flynt was the last lone candidate to seek the office.

The 4th district has historically been one of the nation's most volatile congressional districts. Since 1984, the post has changed hands through elections and redistricting eight times.