Who is in the race to replace Tom Price in Georgia’s 6th District

Candidates in the race to represent former U.S. Rep. Tom Price’s suburban Atlanta district begin qualifying for office on Monday, and the contest is shaping up to be an early test of Donald Trump’s popularity.

With Price’s confirmation by the U.S. Senate as Trump’s health secretary, the race to fill his 6th District seat is one of the first congressional elections since the presidential vote – and the field of candidates range from liberal Democrats running against the new president to conservatives who promise to be his biggest ally.

 

 

Nationally, the race will be cast as an early test of Trump’s popularity in an establishment-friendly district that never really warmed up to him during the presidential campaign. And locally, the victor will represent a wealthy swath of north Atlanta’s suburbs, from east Cobb County to north DeKalb County, that has been a proven springboard to higher office.

Qualifying for the seat begins Monday and ends Wednesday. The vote will be held on April 18 and a runoff – all but guaranteed with this crowded field – is set for June 20. All will be on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation.

Below is your list of candidates in the running – or likely to join the race. We’ll update this list throughout the week.

Republicans:

Mohammad Ali Bhuiyan: A Cobb County economist who led an aborted effort to hold a Nobel peace summit in Atlanta, Bhuiyan is advertising himself as potentially the first Republican Muslim member of the U.S. House — and an enemy to “out of control” government spending.

Status: He’s in.

Johns Creek Councilman Bob Gray: The business executive is running as a “willing partner” with Trump and has hired several of the president’s one-time Georgia field operatives to run his campaign.

Status: He’s in.

Former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel: As a former chair of the Fulton County commission, she has deep roots in north Fulton County and remains a powerbroker in the area. She also enjoys high name recognition throughout the district, thanks in part to her 2010 campaign for governor and 2014 campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Status: She’s filed preliminary federal paperwork and is expected to enter the race this week.

State Sen. Judson Hill: The first Republican to announce a bid, Hill jumped in shortly after Price was nominated. Almost all of Hill’s Senate territory – which stretches from Cobb County to Sandy Springs – is in Price’s district. And as the only high-profile Cobb candidate, he hopes to unite the county’s voters behind him.

Status: He’s already scheduled two fundraisers, including one co-hosted by GOP uber-lobbyist Brad Alexander.

Bruce LeVell. As the head of Trump’s diversity coalition, the Dunwoody jeweler might have the biggest claim of any potential candidates to family’s endorsement. LeVell once led the Gwinnett GOP and served on MARTA’s board for five years, and he has said he wouldn’t accept money from “special interests” and would commit to serving only four terms – as long as Trump was in office.

Status: He’s likely to enter the race this week.

Former state Sen. Dan Moody: The one-time Roswell politician is also a U.S. Army veteran who served on the state Department of Transportation board. If he jumps in the race – he has already filled out preliminary paperwork – he is likely to focus on a support for term limits. He’s also expected to dig deep in his wallet to finance his own campaign.

Status: He’s in.

State Rep. Betty Price: Tom Price’s wife would have tremendous name recognition in the district, and in November she won another term as a state legislator representing a Roswell-based stretch of his district.

Status: She said she would decide this week.

Kelly Stewart: The former Johns Creek councilwoman would likely try to position herself as an outsider who can fund her own campaign.

Status: Uncertain.

Kurt Wilson: A Roswell small business owner who appears ready to challenge his rivals to sign a term-limit pledge that includes a promise that he and his family members will never lobby Congress for the rest of their lives.

Status: He’s in.

Democrats: