McBath, Handel to face off in Georgia House rematch

Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) and former Rep. Karen Handel (R-Ga.) are set for a rematch in Georgia’s 6th District.

Handel prevailed in her GOP primary, defeating four other candidates with 74 percent of the vote after 73 percent of precincts had reported. Meanwhile, McBath was unchallenged in her Democratic primary.

Their face-off in November is expected to be one of the most closely watched House contests of the cycle.

The two competed in 2018, when McBath unseated Handel by 1 point to flip the Atlanta-area House seat. McBath was part of a wave of wins that handed the lower chamber to Democrats. Many of these wins were by women in suburban areas such as Georgia’s 6th District, leading to the most diverse House Democratic Caucus in history. 

McBath is part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Frontline program, which seeks to elevate lawmakers in tough districts in their reelection bids.

For her part, Handel is part of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Young Guns program, which seeks to elevate GOP challengers in swing districts across the country.

Both programs are intended in part to indicate to donors where they should send their money.

Handel had won the seat in 2017 in a special election, defeating Democrat Jon Ossoff in the most expensive House race in history. Ossoff is running for the Senate this year as he looks to challenge Sen. David Perdue (R).

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, rates the House race as a “toss up.”