CD 6
Qualifying ended Wednesday in the race to replace former Congressman-now-Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price, and what a field has lined up. A whopping 18 candidates shelled out the $5,220 for the opportunity to see their name on the ballot on April 18th, when the special election will dump everyone running from both parties into what promises to be a very divided vote.
While it’s far too early to call anyone a front-runner, here are some of the better known candidates lining up on the blocks for the sprint to election day.
Republicans
- Former state Sen. Judson Hill – The first candidate to declare, Hill picked up some early endorsements from the likes of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and has already put together a hefty war chest. He is also the best known candidate from Cobb County, which should score him some points in a large district split between three counties.
- Former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel – Handel ended weeks, (if not months) of speculation Wednesday when she finally officially declared for the seat. Popular in Fulton County, which contains by far the biggest chunk of votes in the district, Handel has experience in big campaigns and deep connections to the local establishment.
- Former state Sen. Dan Moody – The Johns Creek candidate has a secret weapon – a campaign team comprised of Perdue family-connected operatives that has a sterling election record in recent years.
- Former Johns Creek Councilman Bob Gray – A self professed Trump ally, Gray made a big ad buy early and is already busy introducing himself to voters in the district.
Also in the mix, (among others) are Bruce Levell, formerly head of Trump’s diversity coalition, former Congressional aide David Abrom, and Mohammad Ali Bhuiyan, who seeks to become the first Muslim Republican in the House of Representatives.
Democrats
- Jon Ossof – Darling of progressives, the former U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson aide has the support of both Johnson and civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, and boasts a $250,000 war chest that should give him a leg up on the competition.
- Former state Sen. Ron Slotin – He has experience after serving in the state legislature as well as losing a Congressional race to Cynthia McKinney back in 1996.
Those two are joined by five other Democrat candidates of varying levels of name recognition, (those levels range from none to very little). Trump only won the district by one point in November, and despite Price taking his race with over 60% of the vote they have reason to believe they can score an upset. With the President’s approval levels dropping and a seemingly never-ending string of scandals coming out of Washington, could a district that never really embraced Trump be up for grabs?
A crowded field will undoubtedly lead to a runoff, so any Democrat that can claw their way into the top two has a chance in that election on June 20th. However once again, a lack of direction from Democratic leadership could be their undoing, as a nebulous seven candidate field on the left will dilute the field and may result in two well funded and well known Republicans taking the top spots.
