Republican businessman Rick Allen ousted Democratic U.S. Rep. John Barrow to take Georgia’s 12th Congressional District.

The Associated Press called the race for Allen around 10:20 p.m. with most of the counties in the district reporting results.

Barrow, the last of the white Democrats from the Deep South in the House, had held the seat since 2004, despite the district twice being redrawn to favor GOP candidates.

The race was Georgia’s most watched congressional race, garnering millions of dollars in outside spending by conservative groups hoping to unseat Barrow.

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Constituent Services Director Vesna Kurspahic helps a student with his service academy application at U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick’s office in Cumming, Ga., on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. Kurspahic is constituent services director for Congressman Rich McCormick. During the government shutdown, she is handling a caseload of roughly 250 requests without receiving any salary. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

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