Several state legislators in northeast Georgia have drawn challengers either in their own party primaries or the General Election or both, and the same is true of incumbent U.S. Representatives from the area.
Qualifying for the first test of their candidacies, the May 22 primaries, closed at noon Friday.
In the 9th Congressional District, incumbent Doug Collins of Gainesville is unopposed in the Republican Primary but two candidates have qualified for the Democratic nomination: Dave Cooper of Clayton and Josh McCall of Gainesville.
In the 7th District, incumbent Republican Rob Woodall picked up Primary opposition from Shane Hazel of Cumming. There are five Democratic candidates: Carolyn Bourdeaux, Suwanee; Ethan Pham, Duluth; Kathleen Allen (hometown not listed on Georgia Secretary of State's Elections webpage); Melissa Davis, Cumming; and, Steve Riley, Lawrenceville.
In the 10th District, incumbent Jody Hice has GOP Primary opposition from Bradley Griffin and Joe Hunt (hometowns not listed on Secretary of State's Elections webpage). Democratic challengers are Chalis Montgomery, Richard Dien Winfield, and Tabitha A. Johnson-Green.
Among members of the Hall County State Legislative delegation, State Rep. Matt Dubnik (District 29) is running unopposed in the Republican Primary but Maria Palacios has qualified for the Democratic Primary and the right to challenge him in the General Election. Incumbent state Rep. Emory Dunahoo (District 30) is also unchallenged in the GOP Primary but there are two Democrats seeking to challenge him in the General Election - Alana Watkins and Patrick Anderson.
State Senators Butch Miller and John Wilkinson, both Republicans, who represent all or part of Hall County qualified for re-election and face no opposition in either the GOP Primary or the General Election. The same is true of Republican state Reps. Lee Hawkins and Timothy Barr.
(Click here for more on qualifying for federal, state and county offices in Georgia.)
