The news on Thursday that Republican Rep. Rob Woodall had won re-election by 419 votes out of more than 279,000 cast in Georgia's 7th District ended what one Peach State wag dubbed "the second nastiest race in Georgia this year" — an obvious reference to the no-punches-pulled race for governor in which Democrat Stacey Abrams finally acknowledged she had no path to victory but refused to concede to Republican Gov.-elect Brian Kemp.
In the case of Woodall and Democratic foe Carolyn Bourdeaux, the incumbent had led on election night and still clung to a lead of 900 votes as absentee and military ballots were being counted. On Sunday, Georgia State University Prof. Bourdeaux stunned observers on all sides by filing a suit claiming numerous absentee ballots had discarded for reasons such as missing birthdates and that they should be counted.
Days later, U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May tossed out Bourdeaux's suit, and the ballot-counting in Gwinnett and Forsyth counties continued. As final ballots were being tallied, shouting matches erupted between observers from both camps.
As soon as Woodall is officially certified the winner, Bourdeaux is expected to call for a recount. Under Peach State election law, the outcome of their contest falls within 1 percent of the vote and thereby qualifies the runnerup to request a recount.
Privately, Republican activists from Georgia told Newsmax that the 7th District race was "too close for comfort." Bourdeaux's near-win, they said, and the 57 to 43 percent sweep of the district by Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abrams portended another all-out Democratic challenge to Woodall in 2020.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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