Metro Atlanta is sending its incumbent congressmen back to the U.S. House -- with the addition of one new representative who's a lot like his predecessor -- while elsewhere in the state, Republicans were poised to pick up two seats long held by Democrats.
Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson also won a second six-year term in office over Democratic challenger Michael Thurmond, who never put up much of a challenge against Isakson, one of Georgia's most popular politicians.
In metro Atlanta, Democratic Reps. John Lewis and David Scott of Atlanta and Rep. Hank Johnson of Lithonia all won re-election. So did Republican Reps. Lynn Westmoreland of Coweta County and Paul Broun of Athens.
The Republican wave that swept the rest of the nation was sinking Democrats in other parts of Georgia, however.
In central Georgia's 8th Congressional District, Republican Austin Scott defeated four-term Democrat Jim Marshall of Macon, whose reputation as one of the most conservative Democrats in the U.S. House apparently wasn't enough to satisfy the district's conservative voters.
"He's one of those guys who could've withstood the wave, but we beat Jim Marshall because we had a better campaign," said Scott, a state representative who was backed by the national GOP.
In southwest Georgia's 2nd Congressional District, meanwhile, nine-term incumbent Democrat Sanford Bishop struggled against Republican challenger Mike Keown.
Even in Georgia's 12th Congressional District, where Democratic Rep. John Barrow was expected to cruise to re-election, he sometimes struggled behind GOP challenger Ray McKinney before ultimately winning a fourth term in a rare bright spot for Democrats.
There will be one new representative from metro Atlanta when a new Congress convenes.
Republican Rob Woodall of Lawrenceville easily won the 7th Congressional District seat northeast of Atlanta over Democrat Doug Heckman. Woodall is replacing nine-term Republican Rep. John Linder, who is retiring. Woodall is Linder's former chief of staff, and was Linder's top choice for the job.
Echoing voter sentiment nationwide, Woodall said his victory was less about him or Republicans and more about backlash against Democrats in Washington.
"This is not about Rob Woodall, it's about Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama," he said.
"It's crystal clear to me that this isn't about folks who love me just because I'm a Republican," Woodall added. "It's about folks who threw Republicans out because they failed who are now throwing Democrats out because they failed even worse."
Isakson also chalked up the big GOP wins to voter angst over national issues.
"This is a nationalized election, and the agenda over the last two years has caused a lot of consternation," Isakson said.
"It's a rejection of what's happened in the last two years, but not necessarily a ratification of Republicans," he said. "We've got the wind at our backs, but now people want to see results."
No race in Georgia hinged more on disappointment with Democrats than the contest for the 8th District in central Georgia.
In advertisements and on the campaign trail, Democrat Marshall emphasized his votes with Republicans against the Democrats' health care and Recovery Act legislation. In response to Republican attacks that exaggerated his connections with Nancy Pelosi, Marshall even declared that if re-elected, he would not vote for Pelosi for House speaker.
In the 2nd Congressional District race, Bishop had been considered a shoo-in for re-election early in the campaign. But coupled with a backlash against Democrats nationally, revelations that he steered scholarships from the Congressional Black Caucus to family members hurt him in the final weeks before Tuesday's vote.
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