Posted at 10:35 p.m. on Aug. 21
(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Updated 11:32 p.m. | State Rep. Doug Collins won the GOP runoff today in Georgia’s 9th district and is almost certain to be coming to Congress from the ultra-Republican seat in the northeast portion of the state. Close with Gov. Nathan Deal (R) and backed by the Atlanta Republican establishment, Collins easily won the runoff, besting conservative talk radio host Martha Zoller by almost 10 points.
With 98.1 percent of precincts reporting, Collins had 54.6 percent to Zoller’s 45. 4 percent, the Associated Press reported.
With support from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), and former GOP presidential contender Herman Cain, Zoller cast herself as the insurgent tea party candidate against Collins, who has establishment roots.
But Collins had more than twice the cash on hand as of Aug. 9 and managed to prevail in the conservative district.
Meanwhile, the 12th district race for the GOP nomination to take on vulnerable Rep. John Barrow (D) was too close to call. At 11:30 p.m., with 97.9 percent of precincts reporting, the AP had still not called the runoff. State Rep. Lee Anderson had 50.3 percent to businessman Rick Allen’s 49.7 percent.
Barrow is a top target for national Republicans regardless of who he faces on the November ballot. Roll Call rates the race as a Tossup.
