Updated: Who’s running in Georgia’s 7th Congressional District

Seventh District candidates from left to right: Carolyn Bourdeaux; Ben Bullock; John Eaves; Renee Unterman.

Seventh District candidates from left to right: Carolyn Bourdeaux; Ben Bullock; John Eaves; Renee Unterman.

It didn't take long after five-term U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall announced he wouldn't seek re-election for a sprawling field of more than a dozen would-be candidates to come into focus.

The last time Georgia’s 7th District seat was open in 2010, no fewer than eight Republicans jostled to represent the Gwinnett and Forsyth-based seat, which hasn’t elected a Democrat since the mid-1990s.

But the region, and particularly Gwinnett, has changed dramatically over the years. The now majority-minority county voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Stacey Abrams for governor two years later.

That same cycle, Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux came within 500 votes of defeating Woodall. She's running again - but won't have a clear path.

Meanwhile, a sprawling field of GOP contenders has emerged as the party looks to hold onto the seat in 2020.

The race, much like the one in the neighboring 6th, is expected to attract national attention.

Several candidates on both sides of the aisle initially admitted they don't live within district boundaries, although most have since moved.

Here’s who qualified for the June 9 primary:

Democrats 

7th Congressional District Candidate Carolyn Bourdeaux speaks to a supporter during an election night party in Norcross on Nov. 6, 2018.  Branden Camp/Special

Credit: Branden Camp

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Credit: Branden Camp

Former 7th District candidate Carolyn Bourdeaux

Details: The public policy professor and former state budget official was a political neophyte when she announced her bid to challenge Woodall in 2017. After emerging from a testy Democratic primary runoff, Bourdeaux proved to be a formidable fundraiser as she campaigned on a health care-focused platform and came within a hair of defeating Woodall. She announced in February that she'd seek the seat again.

State Sen. Zahra Karinshak, D-Duluth, spoke Wednesday against the Senate’s new sexual harassment rules. Bob Andres / bandres@ajc.com

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State Sen. Zahra Karinshak

Details: The LaFayette native attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and served as an intelligence officer during the Gulf War. She later graduated from Emory Law School and was legal counsel to Gov. Roy Barnes amid the fight to change the Georgia state flag. She flipped a Gwinnett-based Senate seat in 2018 and emerged as a leading opponent of anti-abortion legislation. She entered the race in August.

Brenda Lopez Romero.   Bob Andres / bandres@ajc.com

Credit: Bob Andres

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Credit: Bob Andres

State Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero

Details: Lopez Romero made history in 2016 when she became the first Latina elected to the Georgia General Assembly. A native of Mexico who came to the U.S. at age 5, she's an attorney who helps immigrants become U.S. citizens. Lopez Romero represents a Norcross-area district and is seen as a rising star within the state party. She joined the contest in May 2019.

Fulton County Commission Chairman John H. Eaves was among the county officials in attendance. In Fulton County court, DeKalb Judge Alan Harvey agreed to allow Fulton County to collect tax money after a plea from Fulton County Attorney Patrise Perkins-Hooker. The decision affects the cash flow of two school systems, 15 cities and Fulton County government. It stems from commissioners’ decision to freeze property taxes when values rose. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM AJC FILE PHOTO

Credit: Bob Andres

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Credit: Bob Andres

John Eaves, former Fulton County Commission chairman 

Details: First elected to the Fulton board in 2006, Eaves earned praise during his 11 years as the county's top official for his collaborative style and his work professionalizing the county's management. He was a late entry in the packed field for Atlanta mayor in 2017 and finished with just 1,200 votes. Eaves recently moved from Fulton to Gwinnett and announced his candidacy earlier this year.

Seventh District congressional candidate Nabilah Islam.

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Nabilah Islam, political activist 

Details: The Lawrenceville native has been involved in political activism around the nation since getting her start on Andre Dickens' run for Atlanta City Council and Jason Carter's 2014 bid for governor. She raised cash for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign, and later worked for the Democratic National Committee. She announced her intent to run for the seat in February.

Rashid Malik, entrepreneur

Malik, who unsuccessfully challenged Woodall in 2016, recently filed paperwork to begin fundraising. He admitted to paying bribes in 2017 to boost enrollment and tuition income at his since-shuttered medical trade school in Chamblee. Malik has said he was blackmailed to pay the bribe.

Notes:

Lawyer Marqus Cole, a political newbie and Snellville resident, was the first person to formally announce his candidacy in January 2019.  He ultimately did not move forward with placing his name on the ballot.

Republicans

Lynne Homrich is a Republican running for Georgia's 7th District. AJC screenshot.

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Lynne Homrich, business executive

Details: A former Home Depot executive and founder of a nonprofit organization, Homrich entered the race in April with a pledge to bring the perspective of an "outsider, a businesswoman and a mom" to Congress. She launched her campaign with an ad that featured a string of clips of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who each have fast become the favorite targets of Republicans. She's partially self-funding her campaign.

June 6, 2019 Gwinnett County- State Senator Renee Unterman addresses the crowd during the announcement of her congressional bid on Thursday, June 6, 2019 in Buford, Georgia. Unterman will campaign to represent Georgia's seventh congressional district, and is running as a pro-life Republican. She strongly supported the passage of Georgia's heartbeat bill.(Christina Matacotta/christina.matacotta@ajc.com)

Credit: Christina Matacotta

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Credit: Christina Matacotta

State Sen. Renee Unterman

Details: One of only two GOP women in the state Senate, Unterman is a former nurse who was the longtime leader of the Senate Health Committee – until her ouster earlier this year. Since then, she's been even more vocal in her frustration with GOP leadership. Still, that didn't stop her from shepherding the anti-abortion "heartbeat bill" through the Georgia Senate earlier this year. She is considered one of the biggest names in the GOP race, which she entered in early June, and is partially self-funding.

ajc.com

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Mark Gonsalves, real estate investor

Details: A Johns Creek-based businessman and investor, Gonsalves says he'll focus his campaign on fiscal responsibility and whittling down the national debt. "I don't really see anybody standing up to take on these hard issues," Gonsalves told The Gwinnett Daily Post. He said border security, health care and tackling the opioid crisis are other major priorites.

Dr. Richard McCormick

Details: An emergency medicine physician at Gwinnett Medical Center, McCormick is a graduate of the Morehouse School of Medicine and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy who served in combat zones in Afghanistan, Africa and the Persian Gulf. Largely unknown in political circles, McCormick is partially self-funding his campaign and emphasizing his military service and his conservative stance on taxes and social issues.

Other Republican candidates:

Duluth teacher Lisa Noel Babbage, hotel auditor Zachary Kennemore and businessman Eugene Yu.

Notes:

Some candidates who announced they would run for the seat ultimately did not move forward with qualifying for the ballot, including educator Lerah Lee and Gwinnett GOP Secretary Jacqueline Tseng.

Former Falcons player Joe Profit, who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson in the neighboring 4th District in 2018, qualified to run in the 6th Congressional District instead.

Businessman Ben Bullock, an Air Force veteran, switched to the 14th Congressional District once that seat became open.

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