Poll: Woodall leads Heckman by sizable margin

ATLANTA – With a pair of Congressional districts in Georgia up for grabs, one race appears to be all but decided, a new poll suggests.

A Landmark Communications survey shows Republican Rob Woodall running away in the 7th Congressional District, leading Democrat Doug Heckman by a 2-1 margin. According to the poll, 60 percent of voters plan to cast ballots for Woodall; 30 percent say they are likely to vote for Heckman.

The winner replaces John Linder, a Republican, who opted not to seek re-election this year. Woodall served as Linder’s chief of staff.

The wide margin isn’t that much of a surprise. In 2008, Linder handily defeated Heckman, garnering 62 percent of the vote to Heckman’s 38 percent. Two years earlier, Linder won the district with 70.9 percent of the vote.

Elsewhere in the state, a pair of conservative-leaning Congressional Democrats could be in trouble when voters head to the polls next week, new polling suggests. U.S Reps. Sanford Bishop and Jim Marshall both lag behind Republican challengers.

Following Tuesday’s election, Republicans could control nine of the state’s 13 seats, if polls are accurate. Reps. John Barrow, Hank Johnson, John Lewis and David Scott, all Democrats, seem safe, pundits predict.