Georgia State Sen. Brandon Beach, who announced his candidacy for the 6th Congressional District earlier this year, said Thursday he will campaign to retain his current North Fulton-based seat instead.
Beach, who was first elected to the senate in 2013, was one of several Republican candidates seeking to defeat incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath.
In a statement announced by his campaign, Beach said:
“During this campaign, I have come to realize that a calling to public service does not always mean running for higher office. After speaking with Governor Kemp this weekend, I believe that, at this time, I can help more Georgians in the positions I currently hold and be more effective in the State Senate than in Congress.”
Here’s Kemp’s response in a statement also released by the Beach campaign:
“I applaud Senator Beach for his willingness to serve in Congress but respect his decision to remain in the State Senate. Quite honestly, we need bold leadership under the Gold Dome to continue our success and keep Georgia the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
Beach, the president of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, has been in the senate since 2013, representing District 21, which includes some of North Fulton and Cherokee counties. A resident of Alpharetta, he is the chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.
The 6th Congressional District includes East Cobb, North Fulton, Sandy Springs and North DeKalb.
Until 2018, it had been in Republican hands for 40 years, when McBath defeated Karen Handel, who had won a 2017 special election.
Handel is running to regain that seat, along with Marjorie Taylor Greene, owner of a Milton commercial construction company, and Nicole Rodden, a former Merchant Marine.
The latest federal campaign finance reports had Handel raising $712,000 through Sept. 30 of this year, compared to $625,000 for Greene (most of that coming from the candidate) and $525,000 for Beach.
Among Beach’s campaign donors is former Atlanta Braves and Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz, who gave $2,000.
McBath, a high-profile proponent of gun-control, has raised $1.7 million this year for her re-election campaign, according to the Federal Elections Commission. That’s the 28th-highest money-raising total among U.S. House candidates, and the most for any Georgia congressional candidate.
McBath defeated Handel by less than 4,000 votes in 2018 in a race that helped the Democrats win control of the House.
The 6th District campaign figures to be hotly contested again in 2020, as Democrats have been making inroads in Republican strongholds in the north metro Atlanta suburbs.
Last month, McBath voted with House Democrats to begin an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Hearings began on Wednesday by the House Intelligence Committee.
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He isn’t even worthy of his current job. Voted for the rapist in the rape bill and wimped out of voting against campus carry. The only people he represents are old white people.vote him out of office.