Karen Handel said Monday she’s running for the Georgia 6th Congressional District seat she lost last November.
The Roswell Republican and former Georgia Secretary of State held the seat for a little more than a year following a 2017 special election, then was defeated by Democrat Lucy McBath.
In a brief message on her website, Handel said she’s running because the 6th District—which includes East Cobb—”deserve[s] better than a Pelosi pawn as our representative in Washington. We need someone who works for our best interests, not just for the Pelosi agenda or to gain national celebrity.”
Those were references to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who regained that position when Democrats took the House in the November elections, and to McBath, who’s gained national attention for her gun-control efforts.
McBath, who lives in Marietta, became the first Democrat elected to the seat once held by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in 40 years after she narrowly defeated Handel.
McBath used Handel’s announcement to make a fundraising pitch on her campaign Facebook page, saying “we know we’re in for a tough re-election fight… but when the going gets tough, #TeamLucy hasn’t failed me yet.”
No other candidates have announced to run for the 6th District seat, which includes North Fulton, Sandy Springs, and north and central DeKalb.
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There are actually two other Republicans running against Handel.
It would be nice to be represented by someone with more experience than a flight attendant but Karen had her chance and blew it.
Is Handel the best candidate that the Republicans can trot out? A career politician that was beaten by a carpet bagger?