Republican rout expected to boost some in Georgia's congressional delegation

WASHINGTON -- Tuesday's Republican rout will make Georgia's congressional delegation even more solidly Republican -- and potentially open doors for some GOP Georgians to move into leadership positions in the U.S. House.

Republicans now outnumber Democrats 10-5 in Georgia's congressional delegation, after state Rep. Austin Scott beat out Democrat Jim Marshall in Middle Georgia's 8th Congressional District and Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson easily won re-election.

The GOP almost picked up one more seat in southwest Georgia's 2nd Congressional District, but nine-term incumbent Democrat Sanford Bishop eked out a win over Republican challenger Mike Keown after trailing for much of Tuesday night.

"I think what Georgia said last night was ... that the people of our great state want the kind of conservative leadership that Republicans bring," U.S. Rep. Tom Price of Roswell said Wednesday.

With the dust still settling from elections, Republicans on Wednesday began the process of picking their new leaders in the House -- and Price quickly topped the list of potential leaders from Georgia.

Rep. John Boehner of Ohio is slated to become the House speaker, but Republicans are planning to vote on other top leadership positions in the House on Nov. 17 and begin doling out new committee assignments for the next Congress shortly after that.

Here's a look at how some members of Georgia's delegation fit in:

• Price is in line to become the Republican Policy Committee chairman, which could make him No. 5 on the GOP's leadership roster and put him at the forefront of helping craft Republican legislative policies. One potential complicating factor: Some Republicans -- including the current chair of the policy committee -- want to abolish the committee and cut its $360,000 annual budget, saying it's a waste of money. Current GOP leaders don't back that idea, however. Price, currently chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, also is bucking for a position on the influential House Ways and Means Committee.

• Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Coweta County is running for regional representative on the Republican Steering Committee, the group that hands out committee assignments to other members. If he's elected by his peers, Westmoreland could help put other Georgians on top congressional committees, which ultimately could help the state attract federal funding and give the state a bigger role in legislative matters.

• Rep. Jack Kingston of Savannah, the longest-serving Georgia GOP member in the House, is expected to get an important subcommittee chairmanship in the House Appropriations Committee, the body that gives out federal funding. Kingston is expected to chair the agriculture subcommittee on Appropriations, a job that could help funnel federal money and other resources to the state's agricultural interests.

• Democratic Reps. John Lewis of Atlanta and Hank Johnson of Lithonia will lose subcommittee chairmanships with the leadership change. Lewis currently chairs the influential Ways and Means subcommittee on oversight, which oversees tax issues. Lewis also is currently the Democrats' senior chief deputy whip, making him part of the outgoing Democratic leadership in the House. Johnson currently is chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on courts and competition.

Georgia's newest members of Congress are expected to get some fairly plum assignments, too.