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Special Election in Georgia

June 8, 2010    Content provided by DDC Advocacy

Among the primaries and run-offs in ten states today, Republicans in Georgia's 9th congressional district go to the polls to choose a successor to ex-Rep. Nathan Deal. Tonight's winner fills his unexpired term. Deal resigned his seat to run for Governor. The two candidates, both Republicans, are former state legislators - Tom Graves from the House and Lee Hawkins in the Senate. The race has been marked with recent controversy about a local bank suing Graves and his business partner, the state Senate Majority Leader, over a $2.25 million loan on a hotel property. The civil suit also accuses Graves of fraud pertaining to certain aspects of the various transactions. This story may have broken too late for Hawkins to take full advantage. Until this point, Hawkins had been on the defensive over taxes, and retiring Rep. John Linder, from the adjoining 7th district, injected himself into the race on Hawkins behalf to "set the record straight," according to the Hawkins campaign. Graves has successfully maneuvered himself to Hawkins' right; a strategically sound move for a northern Georgia Republican primary. House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA-7) and Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN-6), along with Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) and Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA-3) have publicly endorsed Graves for the run-off election.