Handel cruises in GOP primary for 6th District Congress

There will be a rematch in the 6th Congressional District election in November.

Former Congresswoman Karen Handel easily won the Republican primary Tuesday night against four other candidates, getting 73 percent of the vote.

Karen Handel concedes, 6th Congressional District — *Former U.S. Rep. Karen Handel*

That’s with 135 of the 140 precincts reporting in the district, which stretches from East Cobb to North Fulton and north and central DeKalb.

Handel received 21,287 votes to 4,525 votes for her nearest competitor, former Atlanta Falcons running back Joe Profit (full results here).

She won all 51 precincts in East Cobb, tallying 8,576 votes, or 68 percent.

Handel will be facing U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, a Democrat who was unopposed Tuesday. Two years ago, McBath unseated Handel to become the first Democrat to represent the 6th in 40 years.

After thanking her supporters, Handel said Wednesday that “Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Michael Bloomberg will be back to pour in millions to protect the investment they’ve made in Lucy McBath. GA-6 deserves serious, proven leadership in these difficult times, and I look forward to taking on Lucy McBath and her do-nothing record.”

McBath’s campaign sent out several messages Wednesday morning, including a response to a Handel comment that during her time as Georgia Secretary of State, Georgia was “a model for voter integrity.”

Said McBath: “I have heard from numerous constituents who have applied for a ballot and never received it, who were stuck in lines for over two hours today in the rain, and many more who never were able to vote. For Karen Handel to cite this as a model for voter integrity is despicable.”

In 2018, McBath prevailed by fewer than 3,000 votes in one of the key races that swung control of the U.S. House to Democrats. It’s considered another bellwether campaign in the fall.

In the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, former 6th Congressional District candidate Jon Ossoff appeared headed for a runoff.

With 77 percent of precincts reporting statewide, he had 48.8 percent of the vote to 14 percent for former Columbus mayor Teresa Tomlinson and 12 percent for former lieutenant governor candidate Sarah Riggs Amico.

They’re vying to compete in November against incumbent Republican David Perdue, who was unopposed.

In a special election in 2017, Ossoff held a commanding lead in a jungle primary for 6th District Congress. But he was forced into a runoff, where Handel defeated him.

Georgia’s other senator, Kelly Loeffler, will be involved in a jungle primary in November. A Republican, she was appointed in January to succeed Johnny Isakson.

The winner in the fall will fill out the last two years of Isakson’s term.

In the Georgia Democratic presidential primary, former vice president Joe Biden got 83 percent, although he wrapped up the nomination several weeks ago.

President Donald Trump was the only Republican on the statewide ballot.