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.
Republican incumbents Lynn Westmoreland in District 3; J. Austin Scott, District 8; and Tom Graves in District 14 were unopposed and will retain their seats. Former Republican state Sen. Barry Loudermilk in District 11 also ran unopposed. Democratic incumbents Hank Johnson in District 4; John Lewis, District 5 and David Scott in District 13 also faced no opponents and will return to Washington.
In a breakdown of the other contested House races:
- State Sen. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler, beat Savannah Democrat Brian Reese for the District 1 seat previously held by U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate against David Perdue. Reese was at a severe disadvantage in the race against Carter, whose decades in state and local politics and established support set him up for an easy victory in the southeast coastal district.
- Democratic U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop beat Republican Greg Duke for the 2nd District seat.
- Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Price beat Democrat Robert Montigel in District 6. The district includes parts of Cobb, Fulton and DeKalb counties.
- In District 7, Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall beat Democrat Thomas Wight.
- Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Collins beat Democrat David Vogel, a retired educator, for Georgia's northeast 9th Congressional District.
- Republican Jody Hice, a former minister, radio host and tea party favorite, beat Democrat Kenneth Dious, an Athens attorney in the District 10 race to fill the seat formerly held by U.S. Rep. Paul Brown, who also lost a bid for the GOP's Senate nomination.
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