Barrow falls in Georgia’s most-watched congressional race

Republican businessman Rick Allen brought an end to Democratic U.S. Rep. John Barrow string of victories against tough odds in Georgia’s 12th Congressional District.

The contest was the state’s only competitive U.S. House race and had the two running neck-and-neck in the polls in the runup to Tuesday’s election. Since first winning the seat in 2004, Barrow had maintained his position in the district as the Deep South’s last white Democrat in the House despite Republican efforts nationally to unseat him, including two rounds of redistricting to weaken his support.

That record of persistence met its demise with Barrow concession.

“For 10 years, the people of Georgia’s 12th District have given me the honor of my life to serve them. … Today, they’ve chosen new representation, and I respect that”

Allen, a construction company owner from Augusta, used the district’s Republican leanings to paint Barrow as just another Democrat and tie him to President Barack Obama, an unpopular figure in the east Georgia district. Barrow’s usual methods of campaigning as an independent Democrat backfired as his attempts to distance himself from Obama weren’t enough to sway voters.

The campaign saw a major influx in outside spending on television advertising — likely the most of any U.S. House race — including nearly $1 million spent in the final weeks in attacks on Barrow by the American Future Fund, a conservative organization tied to the billionaire Koch brothers.

The 12th District contest was the most watched congressional race in Georgia. Many of the other districts were settled in the primary or in runoffs earlier this year. In Tuesday’s race, half of the state’s 14 congressional seats were uncontested.