Mike Keown defeated two challengers in Tuesday’s primary election, earning the Republican nomination and the chance to take on U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop for the 2nd Congressional District seat in November.
With 74 percent of precincts reporting, Keown took 19,989 votes, or 80.7 percent. Rick Allen took 2,740 votes, or 11.1 percent. Lee Ferrell earned 2,031 votes, or 8.2 percent.
“People are looking for a little bit of hope that people in Washington will listen to them,” Keown said. “We haven’t worked this hard just to win a primary.”
Keown, 56, appeared at a forum in Columbus on Thursday with the other two candidates. He touted his ability to raise money, his campaign’s organizational abilities and his opposition to President Barack Obama’s health care initiative. He said the country had mortgaged the future of its children and grandchildren, and that he’s worked harder than anyone to defeat Bishop.
Keown said Tuesday night that people want an alternative, and that they believe him when he says he will represent southwest Georgia.
“We’re ready to catch another gear and go after Sanford Bishop in November,” Keown said.
Elsewhere, U.S. Rep. David Scott easily defeated two Democratic newcomers Tuesday while three other Georgia congressmen led primary challengers Tuesday in an early election-year test of the incumbents’ strength.
Democratic voters also chose Michael Thurmond, Georgia’s labor commissioner, to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson in November. Thurmond defeated R.J. Hadley of Conyers, who worked on Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.
“This is a great moment, considering my life’s journey from a sharecropper’s family in Sandy Creek to having won the nomination for the highest office in the state,” Thurmond said Tuesday night.
In metro Atlanta’s 13th District, Scott cruised past two opponents — he had 79 percent of the vote in unofficial returns with 48 percent of precincts reporting. Challenger Mike Murphy had 15 percent, followed by Michael Frisbee with 6 percent.
Murphy of Mableton served as campaign manager to Scott’s Republican opponent in 2008. Frisbee of Winston considered running as an independent, but decided the only way to beat the incumbent was to run as a Democrat.
A six-way Republican primary race for Scott’s seat was led by Mike Crane of Fairburn with 34 percent. Deborah Honeycutt of Riverdale, who lost to Scott in the 2008 general election, had 29 percent.
In southern Georgia’s 12th District, unofficial returns showed Democratic Rep. John Barrow of Savannah ahead in his rematch with former state Sen. Regina Thomas. Barrow had 67 percent of the vote with 43 percent of precincts reporting. Thomas had 33 percent.
A key issue in the race was Barrow’s conservative voting record that included a vote against Obama’s health care overhaul. It was that vote that prompted criticism from some party loyalists in the district, who said they couldn’t vote for Barrow.
“He was a little too conservative,” said Cody Shelley, 26, a Savannah social worker who voted for Thomas. “If I were qualifying the top things that made me decide on Regina Thomas, Barrow’s health care vote was very definitive for me.”
However, Thomas struggled to raise money to spread her message. She ended up with just $43,709 compared to the $1.3 million Barrow raised.Four Republicans were seeking the GOP nomination in Barrow’s district. Ray McKinney, a Lyons project manager, led with 43 percent in unofficial returns, with 42 percent of precincts reporting.
He was followed by Carl Smith, a fire chief from Thunderbolt, who had 27 percent of the vote.
In Atlanta’s 4th District, U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson of Lithonia was leading two fellow Democrats seeking his seat.
Unofficial returns showed Johnson with 55 percent of the vote with 22 percent of precincts reporting. Former DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones had 27 percent, followed DeKalb County Commissioner Connie Stokes with 18 percent.
Johnson’s opponents entered the race not long after the congressman announced he’d been diagnosed with Hepatitis C, though neither challenger raised Johnson’s health as an issue in the race. Johnson’s re-election bid also received a boost when Obama endorsed him the primary.
Among four Republicans competing in Johnson’s district, Atlanta consultant Lisbeth Carter led with 56 percent, followed by Tucker property manager Larry Gause with 26 percent.
Georgia’s newest congressman, Republican Rep. Tom Graves of Ranger, was on the ballot Tuesday for the third time since May, trying to avoid a runoff in a six-way GOP race in north Georgia’s 9th District. Graves won a special election runoff last month to replace U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, a Republican who resigned to run for governor.
Graves had more than 49 percent of the vote in unofficial returns with 73 percent of precincts reporting. Lee Hawkins of Gainesville, who lost to Graves in June, followed with 24 percent.
No Democrats sought Graves’ seat.
The 7th District, a Republican stronghold in the Atlanta area, drew a swarm of eight GOP candidates all seeking to replace longtime Rep. John Linder, who’s retiring after 18 years in the House.
Linder’s former chief of staff, Rob Woodall of Lawrenceville, led the GOP field with 38 percent of the vote in unofficial returns, with 40 percent of precincts reporting.
Minister Jody Hice of Bethlehem had 26 percent, followed by state Rep. Clay Cox of Lilburn with 19 percent.
One Democrat, Doug Heckman of Norcross, ran unopposed in the primary. There were no primary challengers for Georgia’s eight other congressmen.
