Race To Replace Tom Price In Congress Taking Shape

A couple of weeks ago, Cody Hall shared a list of the potential candidates that may line up to replace Congressman Tom Price should he be tapped for a Trump Administration post (or announce that he was running for Governor). Well, this morning’s announcement has turned this from a theoretical exercise into one that is already generating action.

There are at least more than half a dozen North Suburban Atlanta Republicans actively exploring the seat. We’re sure there are others, so update us in the comments of what you’re hearing. We’ll also update as we can.

1) Brandon Beach: He’s a State Senator that just won re-election handily in a hotly contested primary. He’s been lining up fundraising commitments for a while under the theory that Price would at least be running for Governor. The nature of this race now being a special election poses a sooner deadline for Beach, as Georgia’s “resign to run” law means he would have to resign his seat in order to seek Price’s. He’s a friend of the Chamber and serves as North Fulton Chamber of Commerce’s President, so a robust fundraising network may be his biggest asset.

2) Karen Handel: She’s a longtime resident of Roswell and close friends with both Tom and Betty Price. As such, she entered the 2014 Senate race late deferring to Price’s decision to enter or not. She’s actively making calls, and a member of her inner circle reports that she has commitments from much of her 2010 finance team, when she ran for Governor. She’s maintained an active grassroots following, and the 6th district has always been her core base of support. Her biggest asset is her name ID and grassroots network, which become bigger advantages if the call for the election is sooner rather than later.

3) Judson Hill: We have sparse details other than word that “he’s in” and is assembling a team. A State Senator from East Cobb, he may be the only player from the county with the second largest number of votes. It’s been a while since he’s been in a contested race, so fundraising may be a question mark. His play is that he has a conservative voting record, was a Reagan appointee, and perhaps hopes to hold Cobb voters together while the first two mentioned split Fulton. He, like Beach, would have to decide if he wishes to resign to run.

4) Chuck Martin: The State Representative from Alpharetta is said to be contacting potential supporters in the 6th District. Apparently, no decision has been made as to whether he will run or not, but he is clearly interested in the possibility. Late information in says that he is definitely running, according to a source.

5) Bruce LeVell: LeVell is a jeweler from Sandy Springs. Prior to that, he lived in Gwinnett, where is was chair of the Gwinnett GOP. LeVell is better known as part of President Elect Trump’s campaign team, leading diversity efforts for the campaign. He starts out with relatively low name ID, but possibly has some national friends he can tap for fundraising in addition to his local network.

6) Dan Moody: Moody is the only one kicking tires and making calls that wasn’t on our list from 2 weeks ago. His most recent stint in public service was as a member of the GDOT board, where he resigned mid-meeting because he didn’t want to promote Russell McMurry to GDOT Commissioner, favoring a nationwide search. He was once a State Senator, but the 6th is somewhat transient. He says he can self fund. He’ll probably have to.

7) Jan Jones: The only woman in a House leadership position is reportedly very likely to run for the seat. The Milton Republican was instrumental last year in working out the MARTA SPLOST agreement, and has worked hard to develop good relationships with House members. Should she jump in, that would set off a new race for Speaker Pro Tem.

That’s what we’re hearing thus far. How about you?