Prof wins Georgia Democrat primary
WASHINGTON —Public policy professor Carolyn Bourdeaux was declared the outright winner Tuesday of a crowded Democratic primary in suburban Atlanta, as absentee ballots continued to be counted a week after the chaotic June 9 elections.
Bourdeaux had 52.7% of the vote in Georgia’s 7th District in tallies posted Tuesday afternoon, when The Associated Press called the race. Candidates in Georgia primaries need to exceed 50% of the vote to win a nomination or they face a runoff with the second-place finisher. Bourdeaux was below that level last week, when the AP said she would face a runoff with Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero, who had 12.4 percent. Progressive activist Nabilah Islam was a close third in the six-candidate field, with 12.3 percent.
Bourdeaux was the 2018 Democratic nominee and unexpectedly came within 1 percentage point of beating GOP Rep. Rob Woodall. Woodall was one of the first House members to announce his retirement this cycle.