Gop Rep. Karen Handel from the sixth congressional district of Georgia finally conceded victory to her opponent, Democratic gun control activist Lucy McBath Thursday morning.
Handel had won the seat in June of 2017 by narrowly defeating Democrat Jon Ossoff in a special election.
McBath immediately received a congratulatory tweet from Nancy Pelosi.
“Congratulations U.S. Representative-Elect Lucy McBath @LucyWins2018! After the tragic death of your son Jordan Davis to gun violence, you chose to be the change America needs to make common sense gun reform a reality. I will be honored to serve with you #ForThePeople. –NP #GA06”
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Congratulations U.S. Representative-Elect Lucy McBath @LucyWins2018! After the tragic death of your son Jordan Davis to gun violence, you chose to be the change America needs to make common sense gun reform a reality. I will be honored to serve with you #ForThePeople. –NP #GA06 pic.twitter.com/B5dVLXjvId
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) November 7, 2018
The victory puts Georgia’s sixth district in Democratic hands for the first time in over thirty years. Democrats had fallen short in last year’s special election that drew national attention and set records for fundraising. In that election Handel won by about five points over Ossoff.
The district had been represented for two decades by former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who is now a Trump adviser and TV analyst.
The win by McBath adds to the Democratic total in the House. With many races still too close to call Democrats have picked up 28 seats and may gain as many as 35 once all races are decided.
McBath decided to run for Congress after her teenage son was shot and killed. She got a huge amount of support nationally from groups linked to gun control advocate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The billionaire Democrat spent millions of dollars this year to help his party take back the House.
Ossoff quickly congratulated McBath on the win.
“Congratulations Lucy McBath, U.S. Representative-elect for Georgia’s Sixth District. Lucy’s 16-year-old son Jordan was murdered. His legacy endures in his mother’s powerful voice for Georgia. Thank you @LucyWins2018, and the thousands who have worked like hell for this victory.”
Congratulations Lucy McBath, U.S. Representative-elect for Georgia’s Sixth District.
Lucy’s 16-year-old son Jordan was murdered. His legacy endures in his mother’s powerful voice for Georgia.
Thank you @LucyWins2018, and the thousands who have worked like hell for this victory.
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) November 7, 2018
Georgia Democratic governor nominee Stacey Abrams received some of the credit for McBath’s victory.
Abrams had mobilized nonwhite voters in her get-out-the-vote efforts. Another factor was the changing demographics of the Sixth Congressional District.
After the 2010 census the district was 72.4 percent white but had dropped to below 68 percent white by the end of 2017.
McBath gained prominence by appearing publicly as one of the Mothers of the Movement, a group of black women whose children have been killed by police or vigilante violence.
I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.
