AP: Graves wins runoff in 9th

Republican Tom Graves headed to victory Tuesday in a special election to replace Rep. Nathan Deal, The Associated Press reported.

With 93 percent of precincts reporting, Graves garnered 56.8 percent of the vote to Lee Hawkins’ 43.2 percent, according to the secretary of state’s office.

On May 11, Graves, a Ranger Republican, garnered 34.8 percent – below the 50 percent plus one vote majority he needed to avoid a runoff. Hawkins, a Gainesville Republican, collected the second most votes, pulling in 23.2 percent of the ballots cast.

Eight candidates – six Republicans, a Democrat and an independent – qualified to replace Nathan Deal, a Republican who resigned from Congress in March to run for governor. Deal had held the seat since 1992.