Political Insider
Political Insider

Doug Collins, Paul Broun race tests what it means to be conservative

From left, Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., and Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., and other House Republicans walk through a basement corridor at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on the way to a GOP caucus meeting, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014, as the 113th Congress comes to an end. With time running short before Congress adjourns, Republicans and Democrats agreed Tuesday on a $1.1 trillion spending bill to avoid a government shutdown and delay a politically-charged struggle over President Barack Obama's new immigration policy until the new year. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Credit: Tamar Hallerman

Credit: Tamar Hallerman

From left, Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., and Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., and other House Republicans walk through a basement corridor at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on the way to a GOP caucus meeting, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014, as the 113th Congress comes to an end. With time running short before Congress adjourns, Republicans and Democrats agreed Tuesday on a $1.1 trillion spending bill to avoid a government shutdown and delay a politically-charged struggle over President Barack Obama's new immigration policy until the new year. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
By
May 19, 2016

The five Republican candidates running in next week's Ninth District congressional primary all frame themselves as the most conservative man for the job. But what does 'conservative' mean in the reddest district east of the Mississippi in the era of Donald Trump?

At its core, the fascinating Ninth District race can be boiled down to a question of strategy: Is the best way to represent voters in Northeast Georgia through negotiation or unyielding ideological purity?

Incumbent Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, and his four tea party-tinged challengers, including former U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, are putting that question to the test.

ExploreRead the full story here. 

Also, check out our piece on how four challengers are trying to harness voter anger to topple incumbent Barry Loudermilk in the Eleventh District.

About the Author

Tamar Hallerman is an award-winning senior reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She covers the Fulton County election interference case and co-hosts the Breakdown podcast.

Follow Tamar Hallerman on twitter
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