5th district Incumbent: John Lewis (D) 13th term (74 percent) Rating: Safe Democrat
There are few districts more Democratic than the new 5th, which includes much of urban Atlanta. And although Lewis faces a primary challenge, it seems highly unlikely that anyone will unseat the civil rights icon.
6th district Incumbent: Tom Price (R) 4th term (Uncontested) Rating: Safe Republican
Price’s new district is substantially different from the current 6th in geography, but he should have no trouble winning under the new lines, which include the northern portions of Cobb, Fulton and DeKalb counties.
7th district Incumbent: Rob Woodall (R) 1st term (67 percent) Rating: Safe Republican
Woodall should cruise to his sophomore term in the House. The district’s new political slant will closely resemble its current one.
8th district Incumbent: Austin Scott (R) 1st term (53 percent) Rating: Safe Republican
The redistricting process was good to Scott, who lost some of his more Democratic precincts to Bishop’s 2nd district and gained some GOP-leaning ones in return. He will run in a district that stretches from the Florida border to Monroe County and that would have voted for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) with more than 65 percent in 2008.
9th district New district Rating: Safe Republican
Though the general election here looks to be among the most yawn-inducing races of the cycle, the GOP primary in this Hall County-anchored new district has all the makings of an exciting establishment-versus-outsider battle.
The early frontrunners are tea-party-affiliated talk-radio host Martha Zoller and state Rep. Doug Collins (R), who has early support from a good chunk of the Georgia Republican establishment. Zoller hired Joel McElhannon, a well-regarded GOP operative, as her general consultant. Collins brought on Chip Lake, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland’s former chief of staff, as his general consultant. Brian Miller, former Sen. Zell Miller’s (D) grandson, is managing the Collins campaign. Deal won’t endorse in the race, but many vendors who worked for his 2010 campaign have signed on with Collins.
Since the Republican nominee will certainly be the next Congressman — the district would have voted more than 76 percent for McCain in 2008 — all the candidates in the primary will be playing for keeps.
10th district Incumbent: Paul Broun (R) 2nd full term (67 percent) Rating: Safe Republican
There’s considerable buzz about Broun facing a primary challenge. He is gaining a substantial amount of new territory under the redrawn lines, but the doctor will probably diagnose and dispatch any GOP rivals without too many complications. Broun has one of the better grass-roots organizations in the state, and he has the support of some pretty important players.
“The governor is close personal friends with Congressman Broun and will endorse him if he faces a primary opponent,” Deal spokesman Brian Robinson told Roll Call.
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