Marshall ousted, Bishop hangs on

ATLANTA – Republicans ousted one Democratic Congressman from Georgia and took a second to a tight finish.

Former state Rep. Austin Scott defeated U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall in the 8th Congressional District race. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Scott, a Republican, was leading Marshall, a Democrat, 52.7 percent to 47.3 percent.

Marshall, a conservative-leaning Democrat, served as mayor of Macon from 1995 until 1999. He was elected to the House in 2002. Last month, Marshall said he would not support Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for another term as speaker, if Democrats were to retain control of the House.

In the 2nd Congressional District, Rep. Sanford Bishop, a Democrat, appeared to edge Republican Mike Keown. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Bishop had 51.4 percent of the vote to Keown’s 48.6 percent.

Keown led for much of the night, but Bishop surged in late returns.

In the 7th Congressional district, Republican Rob Woodall defeated Dough Heckman, a Democrat. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Woodall had 67.1 percent of the ballots cast; he replaces John Linder, a Republican who opted not to seek re-election.

Elsewhere, Reps. John Barrow, David Scott, John Lewis and Hank Johnson, all Democrats, and Reps. Jack Kingston, Lynn Westmoreland and Paul Broun, all Republicans, won re-election.
Reps. Tom Graves, Phil Gingrey and Tom Price, all Republicans, ran unopposed.

U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson won a second term, defeating Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond.