2014 Georgia 12th District - Allen vs. Barrow
| pollster | date | Allen (R) | Barrow (D) * | spread |
|---|
10/22/14 -- Reports from Georgia suggest that this race is closer than many had previously suspected. Given history, one would want to bet on Barrow, but this appears to be a true tossup now.
----------Race Preview----------
The Georgia redistricting maps of 2002 were supposed to have been the crown jewel of Democratic efforts to shape state districting that cycle. Many observers predicted that the maps would produce a 7-6 Democratic edge in the delegation. But the map backfired: 2002 ended up as a strong Republican year, especially in the South, and Republicans won eight seats (and nearly won nine). Saxby Chambliss, whose seat was eliminated, chose to run for Senate, and defeated Sen. Max Cleland.
Two years later, Athens-Clarke County Commissioner John Barrow snatched back one of the seats the Republicans had won, defeating Max Burns narrowly. A mid-decade redistricting in 2006 left him as one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the country, but he prevailed by a half point. The 2012 redistricting made Barrow’s district substantially more Republican, but he won re-election by seven points. This cycle, Barrow faces construction company owner Rick Allen. He’s the favorite, but given the Republican lean of his district and the apparent mood of the country, he can’t take anything for granted.
