2004 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia

Summary

The 2004 House elections in Georgia occurred on November 2, 2004, to elect the members of the state of Georgia's delegation to the United States House of Representatives. Georgia has thirteen seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census.

2004 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia

← 2002 November 2, 2004 (2004-11-02) 2006 →

All 13 Georgia seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Last election 8 5
Seats won 7 6
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 1
Popular vote 1,819,817 1,140,869
Percentage 61.46% 38.53%
Swing Increase 3.91% Decrease 3.91%

These elections were held concurrently with the United States presidential election of 2004, United States Senate elections of 2004 (including one in Georgia), the United States House elections in other states, and various state and local elections.

This would be the last time Democrats would gain a U.S. house seat in Georgia until the 2018 House elections.

Overview edit

United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia, 2004[1]
Party Votes Percentage Seats +/–
Republican 1,819,817 61.46% 7 -1
Democratic 1,140,869 38.53% 6 +1
Totals 1,918,917 100.00% 13

District 1 edit

 

In this conservative, coastal Georgia-based district, incumbent Republican Congressman Jack Kingston ran for re-election to a seventh term in Congress. Kingston was re-elected in the general election without any opposition whatsoever.

Georgia's 1st congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jack Kingston (inc.) 188,347 100.00
Total votes 188,347 100.00
Republican hold

District 2 edit

 

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Sanford Bishop did not face a credible threat to his re-election in this liberal-leaning, southwest Georgia district. Opposed by Republican Dave Eversman, a businessman and local chamber of commerce official, Bishop was overwhelmingly re-elected.

Georgia's 2nd congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sanford Bishop (inc.) 129,984 66.79
Republican Dave Eversman 64,645 33.21
Total votes 194,629 100.00
Democratic hold

District 3 edit

2004 Georgia's 3rd congressional district election
 
← 2002
2006 →
     
Nominee Jim Marshall Calder Clay
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 136,273 80,435
Percentage 62.9% 37.1%

 
County results
Marshall:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%     80–90%

U.S. Representative before election

Jim Marshall
Democratic

Elected U.S. Representative

Jim Marshall
Democratic

 

In 2002, Jim Marshall was narrowly elected to Congress in this conservative, central Georgia-based district. This year, Congressman Marshall faced a rematch against businessman Calder Clay, who was the Republican nominee for Congress. In a significant improvement over his previous performance, Marshall crushed Clay with over sixty percent of the vote, surprising given the fact that President George W. Bush carried the district comfortably.

Georgia's 3rd congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim Marshall (inc.) 136,273 62.88
Republican Calder Clay 80,435 37.12
Total votes 216,708 100.00
Democratic hold

District 4 edit

 

One-term incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Denise Majette opted to run for Senate, creating an open seat in the House. Cynthia McKinney, the previous representative of this district, ran for her sixth nonconsecutive term in Congress. McKinney faced Republican Party official Catherine Davis in the general election, whom she defeated, but by a smaller margin than expected in this solidly liberal district.

Georgia's 4th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Cynthia McKinney 157,461 63.76
Republican Catherine Davis 89,509 36.24
Total votes 246,970 100.00
Democratic hold

District 5 edit

 

John Lewis, the dean of the Georgia congressional delegation, ran for his tenth term in this solidly liberal, Atlanta-based district. Just as with the previous election, Congressman Lewis was unopposed in the general election and coasted to re-election.

Georgia's 5th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Lewis (inc.) 201,773 100.00
Total votes 201,773 100.00
Democratic hold

District 6 edit

 

When three-term incumbent Republican Congressman Johnny Isakson sought election to the Senate, an open seat emerged. Physician Tom Price became the Republican nominee after surviving a contentious primary that featured many candidates and a run-off election. Seeing as no Democratic candidate filed to run in this district, Price was sent to his first term in Congress without opposition. However, in this conservative district based in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, the Republican primary is tantamount to election, so Price would not have faced a serious challenge in either case.

Georgia's 6th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tom Price 267,542 99.97
Write-ins 77 0.03
Total votes 267,619 100.00
Republican hold

District 7 edit

 

In Republican Congressman John Linder’s bid for a seventh term, he faced no opposition in any form and was successful in his re-election in this staunchly conservative district, which wraps around the northern collar of the suburbs of Atlanta.

Georgia's 7th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Linder (inc.) 258,982 100.00
Total votes 258,982 100.00
Republican hold

District 8 edit

 

Though Republican Congressman Mac Collins could have easily won a seventh term in this solidly conservative, gerrymandered district based in the southern suburbs of Atlanta and rural north-central Georgia, he instead opted to run for Senate. Lynn Westmoreland, the Republican leader in the Georgia House of Representatives, became the Republican nominee and faced off against Democratic candidate Silvia Delamar. Delamar did not face a fighting chance in this district that has a proclivity for electing Republicans, and on election day, she was crushed by Westmoreland.

Georgia's 8th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lynn Westmoreland 227,524 75.55
Democratic Silvia Delamar 73,632 24.45
Total votes 301,156 100.00
Republican hold

District 9 edit

 

Though popular Republican Congressman Charlie Norwood faced a challenge from Democrat Bob Ellis, he might as well have been unopposed in this solidly conservative district based in north Georgia and some of the suburbs of Atlanta and Augusta. Come election day, Congressman Norwood was overwhelmingly re-elected to his sixth term in Congress.

Georgia's 9th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Charlie Norwood (inc.) 197,869 74.29
Democratic Bob Ellis 68,462 25.71
Total votes 266,331 100.00
Republican hold

District 10 edit

 

Though he was originally elected as a Democrat, incumbent Congressman Nathan Deal has built a solid profile as a conservative Republican. In this north Georgia district, Deal did not face a Democratic opponent, which meant that he was easily elected to his seventh term.

Georgia's 10th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Nathan Deal (inc.) 219,136 100.00
Total votes 219,136 100.00
Republican hold

District 11 edit

 

Republican Congressman Phil Gingrey has represented this conservative-leaning district since 2002 and ran for his second term this year. The 11th district, which is somewhat moderate only because it is heavily gerrymandered, has a shape that has been described as similar to that of Indonesia.[2] Congressman Gingrey faced a challenge from Rick Crawford, the chairman of the Polk County Democratic Party and a special Assistant Attorney General of Georgia. Gingrey ultimately beat Crawford by a somewhat comfortable margin, undoubtedly helped by the strong performance of President Bush in Georgia that year.

Georgia's 11th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Phil Gingrey (inc.) 120,696 57.40
Democratic Rick Crawford 89,591 42.60
Total votes 210,287 100.00
Republican hold

District 12 edit

 

Though one-term Republican Congressman Max Burns has managed to win election in 2002 in this Democratic-leaning district, which stretches from Athens down to the western suburbs of Savannah, his stroke of luck vanished by 2004. Burns faced a scandal- and controversy-free Democratic opponent in Athens-Clarke County Commissioner John Barrow. In a bitterly fought election, Barrow ousted Burns and won his first term in Congress.

Georgia's 12th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Barrow 113,036 51.81
Republican Max Burns (inc.) 105,132 48.19
Total votes 218,168 100.00
Democratic gain from Republican

District 13 edit

 

Originally elected in 2002 in a gerrymandered district drawn to elect a Democrat, incumbent Congressman David Scott sought election to a second term in Congress. Congressman Scott did not face any sort of challenge in his re-election bid, so he was sent back to Washington unopposed.

Georgia's 13th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic David Scott (inc.) 170,657 100.00
Total votes 170,657 100.00
Democratic hold

References edit

  1. ^ "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives".
  2. ^ "The Colbert Report | Comedy Central".