CQ Politics | District Detail: GA-08 (original) (raw)

CQ 2008 Election Guide

U.S. House, Georgia - 8th District

Middle Georgia -- Macon

Race Forecast: Leans Democratic

2006: Rep. Jim Marshall (D) 51 percent, Mac Collins (R) 49 percent

In a year marked by national Democratic gains, Marshall was one of a handful of Democrats who just survived re-election in 2006. A Republican-led redistricting plan forced Marshall to run in a newly-drawn district the last time around, but Marshall’s two years of experience within the new boundaries has given supporters reason to believe 2008 will be easier for the incumbent. Marshall remains one of the few white Southern Democrats in the House and some supporters continue to hold out hope he’ll run for the Senate this year. Former Air Force base commander Rick Goddard tops the list of GOP candidates for the district. The primary is July 15.

Race Information

• Incumbent: Rep. Jim Marshall, D
• First Elected: 2002 (3rd term)
• Last Elected: 2006 (50.54%)
• Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
• Race Forecast: Leans Democratic

District Information

Politics in America District Profile

The 8th, a long vertical strip in central Georgia, extends from outer Atlanta suburbs in Newton County south through Macon to Colquitt County near the Florida border. The district is politically, economically and racially diverse and includes urban, suburban and rural areas. About one-third of residents are black, and although the district is generally middle-class, pockets of poverty dot the 8th.

Macon has a diverse economy — with regional distribution centers, a university and a hospital system — that serves central Georgia. The city’s economy remained stable in recent years despite job loss after the closure of a large Brown & Williamson tobacco plant. South of Macon, Robins Air Force Base is the area’s economic engine; the base employs more than 25,000 people, including military and civilian personnel and aerospace contractors and manufacturers.

In the 8th’s north, fast-growing Newton County serves as a bedroom community for Atlanta, and some of the old-line rural counties to the south of Newton also now house commuters. The 8th relies heavily on agriculture, especially in the southern tier of the district where cotton and peanuts are grown. Timber, peaches and pecans also are harvested in the 8th, and every county here has some agricultural production.

Many residents are traditional Southern “Yellow Dog” Democrats who still support Democrats at the local level but back the GOP in national races. Macon, more than 60 percent black, is a Democratic stronghold. Colquitt and Tift, in the southern tip, have become solidly GOP counties. While the district’s portion of Newton is Republican, increases in black and younger residents are shifting it to the left. The 8th, most of whose residents lived in the old 3rd before redistricting prior to 2006, would have given George W. Bush 61 percent of its presidential vote in 2004.

Major Industry

Agriculture, aerospace, distribution, timber

Military Bases

Robins Air Force Base, 6,329 military, 13,431 civilian (2006)

Cities

Macon, 97,255; Warner Robins (pt.), 48,787; Dublin, 15,857

notable

Macon’s Wesleyan College, one of the first degree-granting colleges for women, was founded in 1836.

Demographics (2000 census)

Population: 629,700

Under 18: 27%

Over 65: 9%

Married: 63.2%

Non-Hispanic White: 83%

Black: 13%

Hispanic: 2%

Asian: 1%

Foreign Born: 3.2%

Language other than English: 5.2%

Median Household Income: 52,406

Owner Occupied Housing: 81%

Income above $200k: 2.3

Workforce/Education (2000 census)

White Collars: 60.7%

Blue Collars: 27.7%

Services: 11.6%

Bachelor's Degree: 23%

Graduate Education: 8.0%

Civilian Veterans: 70,419

District Election History

Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race