Two prominent Georgia House incumbents facing runoffs after failing to get enough votes Tuesday are being promised help from the chamber's Republican leadership, including colleague cash expected to flow into their campaigns ahead of the July 26 election.
Ninety-four-year-old state House Veterans Affairs Chairman John P. Yates, R-Griffin, the last World War II veteran serving in the Georgia Legislature, is one of them, locked in a tight race with Griffin chiropractor Karen Mathiak. The other, state Rep. Tom Dickson, is the retired schools superintendent of Whitfield County and a subcommittee chairman on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. He fell 16 votes short Tuesday of defeating two challengers outright and will now face Chatsworth farmer Jason Ridley in a runoff.
The runoffs were outliers on a night that otherwise saw state House and Senate leaders beat back primary challenges. Two Democrats in the Georgia House were also defeated.
"I can't talk much about Washington, but for the majority caucus in the Georgia House of Representatives, it tells us people appreciate what we're doing," said House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, who handily won his primary and faces no opposition in November.
Now, he added, “I’m going all out” for Dickson and Yates. “They’re both great men,” the speaker said. “John Yates is a World War II hero, and Tom Dickson is probably the most solid guy in the Georgia House. We need both of them back.”
Both have already been getting plenty of help from House leadership, according to a review of campaign reports by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The weekend before the start of the 2016 session, Dickson's campaign received $10,250 from legislative leaders such as Ralston, House Majority Leader Jon Burns, R-Newington, House Appropriations Chairman Terry England, R-Auburn, and Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Hill, R-Reidsville.
Since the end of the session, he has received an additional $21,000 from 12 other lawmakers and the House Republican caucus’ political action committee, which is funded with contributions from lobbyists, companies and individuals with a financial stake in what lawmakers do at the Capitol.
Yates has reported collecting $14,600 from the House PAC and six lawmakers, including Ralston and Burns, since the end of the 2016 session.
Those contributions are likely to only increase in coming weeks, since most incumbents are now assured re-election and will fight to help colleagues facing runoff campaigns.
One incumbent House Democrat, veteran Rep. Darryl Jordan of Riverdale, who was first elected in 2000, was forced into a runoff with Rhonda Burnough. In the Democratic primaries, Rep. Rahn Mayo, D-Decatur, was beaten by medical sales representative Renitta Shannon, and Rep. Earnest Smith, D-Augusta, was ousted by retired U.S. Postal Service worker Sheila Clark Nelson.
Updated results from Tuesday’s primary also include:
- In Sandy Springs, local attorney and community activist Deborah Silcox won outright over former Sandy Springs City Councilman Graham McDonald for a seat in the state House. The seat's incumbent, 16-year Rep. Joe Wilkinson, withdrew earlier this year after facing unexpected opposition from McDonald, who was encouraged to run by Rep. Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs, and Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul. Wilkinson had endorsed Silcox and, with no Democrats in the race, the Republican is all but assured of being sworn in as the seat's next representative.
- In Brookhaven, businessman Alan Cole and attorney Meagan Hanson were the top two vote-getters in the GOP primary for a tossup House District 80. They will meet again in the runoff.
- In Chamblee and Doraville, 33-year-old pilot and business owner Lane Flynn and longtime real estate broker Jim Duffie were the top two finishers in the GOP primary for another tossup, House District 81. They will also meet in a runoff.
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