The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, and elected the 14
U.S. Representatives from the state, one from each of the state's 14
congressional districts, an increase of one seat following the
2010 United States census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial
presidential election. The party primary elections were held on July 31, 2012, and the run-off on August 21, 2012.
Republican incumbent
Austin Scott, who was first elected to represent
Georgia's 8th congressional district in
2010, is running unopposed in the primary as well as the general election.[47] In redistricting, most of
Macon—the heart of the 8th and its predecessors for over a century—was shifted to the neighboring
2nd, thereby making the 8th district more favorable to Republicans,[15] which prompted
The Hill to rank Scott at fifth in its list of house members most helped by redistricting.
In a leaked video of a speech given at Liberty Baptist Church Sportsman's Banquet on September 27, Broun is heard telling supporters that, "All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell." Broun also believes that the world is less than 9000 years old and that it was created in six literal days. In response to this, and as Broun is also on the
House Science Committee, libertarian radio talk show host
Neal Boortz spearheaded a campaign to run deceased biologist
Charles Darwin against Broun as the Democratic candidate, with the intention of drawing attention to these comments from the scientific community and having him removed from his post on the House Science Committee.[64] Darwin received nearly 4,000 write-in votes in the election, which Broun won.[65]
In redistricting,
Savannah was removed from
Georgia's 12th congressional district and replaced with the
Augusta area, thereby making the district more favorable to Republicans.[15] The former 12th district gave 55 per cent of its vote in the
2008 presidential election to Democratic nominee, whereas only 40 per cent of the new district's voters voted for Obama.[14] Democratic incumbent
John Barrow, who has represented the 12th district since 2005, is running for re-election.[70]
Given the increased Republican lean of his district and that his home in
Savannah had been removed, Barrow faced significant political headwinds entering the general election campaign. However, his ad campaign, where he made direct-to-camera appeals was able to paint him a conservative democrat without alienating the party's liberal base. One ad featured Barrow showing off his grandfather's revolver and his father's bolt-action rifle and recounting "Long before I was born, my grandfather used this little Smith & Wesson here to help stop a lynching”.[77]
In contrast, the Anderson campaign tried to appeal to the district's largely rural base by empathizing his background as a hay farmer. His cause wasn't helped by fact that Anderson, after stumbling in some of the GOP primary debates, has refused to share a debate stage with Barrow, a Harvard-educated lawyer.[78]
Anderson's performance during the campaign was criticised by
political analystStuart Rothenberg stating that "This district is one that should have never been a headache for the GOP, but after getting a weak nominee in state Rep. Lee Anderson, reality is setting in for many Republican operatives. Anderson's weakness isn't the only factor in this race. Rep. John Barrow has run a good race with terrific TV ads meant to demonstrate his political independence and get voters to focus on him and not on his party."[79]
As election day approached, Barrow expressed confidence, saying that “I'm encouraged by everything I see and hear”.[80]
In redistricting, the new
14th district includes almost all of northwestern Georgia. Republican incumbent
Tom Graves, who has represented the 9th district since May 2010, lives in this new district and is running for re-election here.[50]
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Tom Graves, incumbent U.S. Representative for Georgia's 9th congressional district
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, and elected the 14
U.S. Representatives from the state, one from each of the state's 14
congressional districts, an increase of one seat following the
2010 United States census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial
presidential election. The party primary elections were held on July 31, 2012, and the run-off on August 21, 2012.
Republican incumbent
Austin Scott, who was first elected to represent
Georgia's 8th congressional district in
2010, is running unopposed in the primary as well as the general election.[47] In redistricting, most of
Macon—the heart of the 8th and its predecessors for over a century—was shifted to the neighboring
2nd, thereby making the 8th district more favorable to Republicans,[15] which prompted
The Hill to rank Scott at fifth in its list of house members most helped by redistricting.
In a leaked video of a speech given at Liberty Baptist Church Sportsman's Banquet on September 27, Broun is heard telling supporters that, "All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell." Broun also believes that the world is less than 9000 years old and that it was created in six literal days. In response to this, and as Broun is also on the
House Science Committee, libertarian radio talk show host
Neal Boortz spearheaded a campaign to run deceased biologist
Charles Darwin against Broun as the Democratic candidate, with the intention of drawing attention to these comments from the scientific community and having him removed from his post on the House Science Committee.[64] Darwin received nearly 4,000 write-in votes in the election, which Broun won.[65]
In redistricting,
Savannah was removed from
Georgia's 12th congressional district and replaced with the
Augusta area, thereby making the district more favorable to Republicans.[15] The former 12th district gave 55 per cent of its vote in the
2008 presidential election to Democratic nominee, whereas only 40 per cent of the new district's voters voted for Obama.[14] Democratic incumbent
John Barrow, who has represented the 12th district since 2005, is running for re-election.[70]
Given the increased Republican lean of his district and that his home in
Savannah had been removed, Barrow faced significant political headwinds entering the general election campaign. However, his ad campaign, where he made direct-to-camera appeals was able to paint him a conservative democrat without alienating the party's liberal base. One ad featured Barrow showing off his grandfather's revolver and his father's bolt-action rifle and recounting "Long before I was born, my grandfather used this little Smith & Wesson here to help stop a lynching”.[77]
In contrast, the Anderson campaign tried to appeal to the district's largely rural base by empathizing his background as a hay farmer. His cause wasn't helped by fact that Anderson, after stumbling in some of the GOP primary debates, has refused to share a debate stage with Barrow, a Harvard-educated lawyer.[78]
Anderson's performance during the campaign was criticised by
political analystStuart Rothenberg stating that "This district is one that should have never been a headache for the GOP, but after getting a weak nominee in state Rep. Lee Anderson, reality is setting in for many Republican operatives. Anderson's weakness isn't the only factor in this race. Rep. John Barrow has run a good race with terrific TV ads meant to demonstrate his political independence and get voters to focus on him and not on his party."[79]
As election day approached, Barrow expressed confidence, saying that “I'm encouraged by everything I see and hear”.[80]
In redistricting, the new
14th district includes almost all of northwestern Georgia. Republican incumbent
Tom Graves, who has represented the 9th district since May 2010, lives in this new district and is running for re-election here.[50]
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Tom Graves, incumbent U.S. Representative for Georgia's 9th congressional district