CQ Politics | District Detail: GA-12 (original) (raw)
CQ 2008 Election Guide
U.S. House, Georgia - 12th District
East -- most of Savannah and Augusta
Race Forecast: Leans Democratic
2006: Rep. John Barrow (D) 50 percent, Max Burns (R) 50 percent
Barrow and his Democratic supporters are working this year to bolster Barrow’s conservative profile as he faces what is certain to be yet another competitive re-election race in 2008. National Democrats pegged Barrow for campaign assistance shortly after he held onto his seat by just 864 votes in 2006. Barrow faced in that election a newly-drawn district, one that excluded his hometown of Athens and other bases of support. Georgia Congressional staff veteran John Stone is one of several candidates gunning for the GOP nomination.
Race Information
- Incumbent: Rep. John Barrow, D
- First Elected: 2004 (2nd term)
- Last Elected: 2006 (50.3%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Leans Democratic
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
The 12th reaches from Augusta to Savannah along the South Carolina border, taking in a string of sparsely populated counties on its western edge that were added during redistricting prior to the 2006 election. The politically competitive district includes urban Democratic strongholds, socially conservative rural counties and GOP-friendly suburbs.
Savannah's port, the East Coast's second-largest container port, fuels the 12th's economy, and Fort Stewart (shared with the 1st) and Hunter Army Airfield together employ tens of thousands of people. Savannah's downtown has a vibrant tourism industry. Many in Richmond County (Augusta) work at Fort Gordon (shared with the 10th) or at the Energy Department's Savannah River Site, across the river in South Carolina.
Many textile factories in the center of the district have shut down. The rest of the 12th mainly relies on agriculture. Toombs County's Vidalia grows its famous sweet onion; Bulloch and Emanuel counties are timber-growing areas.
Effingham County, north of Savannah, now hosts many white residents who have left urban areas of Chatham County (Savannah). GOP strength is rooted in Effingham and the southern counties of Toombs, Tattnall and Bulloch. The 12th's portions of Chatham and Richmond are reliably Democratic, as are Hancock and Washington counties. Hancock County, in the district's northwest, is one of Georgia's most heavily black counties and one of its poorest. Democrats narrowly held the 12th in 2006, and Democrat John Kerry would have eked out a 50.2 percent majority of the new 12th's 2004 presidential vote.
Major Industry
Agriculture, manufacturing, timber
Military Bases
Fort Stewart (Army), 17,760 military, 3,170 civilian (2007) (shared with the 1st); Fort Gordon (Army), 11,998 military, 2,814 civilian (2007) (shared with the 10th); Hunter Army Airfield, 7,900 military, 730 civilian (2007)
Cities
Augusta-Richmond (pt.), 119,865; Savannah (pt.), 110,616; Statesboro, 22,698
notable
Vidalia onions were named the official state vegetable in 1990.
Demographics (2000 census)
Population: 629,735
Under 18: 25.3%
Over 65: 10.7%
Married: 44.9%
Non-Hispanic White: 52%
Black: 42%
Hispanic: 3%
Asian: 1%
Foreign Born: 3.7%
Language other than English: 7%
Median Household Income: 31,108
Owner Occupied Housing: 58.4%
Income above $200k: 1.3
Workforce/Education (2000 census)
White Collars: 53.6%
Blue Collars: 29%
Services: 17.8%
Bachelor's Degree: 19%
Graduate Education: 7.3%
Civilian Veterans: 63,486
District Election History
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | general | John Barrow (D) | 71,651 | 50.3% |
| Max Burns (R) | 70,787 | 49.7% | ||
| 2004 | general | John Barrow (D) | 113,036 | 51.8% |
| Max Burns (R) | 105,132 | 48.2% | ||
| 2002 | general | Max Burns (R) | 77,479 | 55.2% |
| Charles Walker (D) | 62,904 | 44.8% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BURNS, O MAXIE (R) | March 31, 2008 | 61,192.00∣61,192.00 | 61,192.00∣41,428.00 | $57,983.00 | |||
| CENTER, TONY (D) | September 30, 2007 | 22.00∣22.00 | 22.00∣39,469.00 | ||||
| BARROW, JOHN J (D) | March 31, 2008 | 1,388,871.00∣1,388,871.00 | 1,388,871.00∣304,670.00 | 79,714.00∣79,714.00 | 79,714.00∣563,421.00 | 1,311,478.00∣1,311,478.00 | 1,311,478.00∣65,000.00 |
| EDENFIELD, RODNEY CHRISTOPHER (R) | March 31, 2008 | 13,786.00∣13,786.00 | 13,786.00∣13,485.00 | 13,786.00∣13,786.00 | 13,786.00∣300.00 | ||
| MCKINNEY, RAYMOND LOUIS (R) | March 31, 2008 | 35,460.00∣35,460.00 | 35,460.00∣25,374.00 | 18,241.00∣18,241.00 | 18,241.00∣10,086.00 | $17,219.00 | |
| STONE, JOHN ERWIN II (R) | March 31, 2008 | 61,018.00∣61,018.00 | 61,018.00∣18,186.00 | 58,518.00∣58,518.00 | 58,518.00∣42,832.00 |
