Voters in Georgia’s just-redistricted 6th U.S. House District on Tuesday will decide the Republican nominee against Democrat and combat veteran Bob Christian.
But as impressive as Christian’s background may be, the Republican nomination for Congress will be tantamount to election in the new 6th.
Since all Republican candidates failed to reach the 50% threshold in the May 24 primary, the top two vote-getters, Dr. Rich McCormick and Trump-endorsed lawyer Jake Evans, must go head-to-head in a runoff election Tuesday.
From former U.S. Marine Corps pilot to emergency room doctor, McCormick seems to have done it all.
But he faces a runoff election against Evans, a past chairman of Georgia’s State Ethics Commission. Evans is also the son of longtime Republican donor Randy Evans, who served as former President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Luxembourg.
In 2020, McCormick was the Republican nominee in the old 7th District and fell just shy of victory with 180,564 votes to Democrat and current Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux’s 190,900 votes.
The story is different this time. Thanks to Georgia’s new redistricting and incumbent Democrat Rep. Lucy McBath vacating the seat, Republicans have a far greater chance of claiming victory.
“It is a whole new district but I started off with a large portion of those people knowing who I was already and appreciating what I stand for,” McCormick told Newsmax, “So it wasn't as hard to get my name out there.”
Evans echoed similar sentiments, detailing how the electorate is very conservative.
With both candidates having name recognition and sizable war chests, this is going to be a heated race.
Fueling the contest is Trump’s coveted endorsement.
The “MAGA president” endorsed McCormick in 2020, but this time, he decided to chart a different course by supporting Evans. Also weighing in for the younger Evans is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a longtime friend of the elder Evans.
Evans told Newsmax that he is the America-First candidate with a “record of fighting for conservative values.”
McCormick hit back: “Just because he [Trump] endorses somebody doesn't mean the public falls for it.”
Failing to win Trump’s endorsement, McCormick still drew 43.2% of the vote, and Evans came in second with 23%.
Drawing a contrast between himself and his opponent, the former pilot said Evans was raised in politics, but he, McCormick, grew up as the guardian by taking care of his parents and providing for himself.
“I put myself through college,” he told us. “I put myself through [graduate school to earn] my MBA. I put myself through medical school. I bought my first car and every car after that. I paid for my own car insurance literally with my own policy since the time I was 16 years old.”
Evans, however, argued that he is running against an “establishment Republican” who has been bought out by liberal special interest groups.
“We need more Jim Jordans in Congress and less Adam Kinzingers, '' said Evans, “Democrats have been playing hardball and Republicans have been playing tee-ball.”
On Tuesday night, Georgia's District 6th Republicans will determine just what brand of conservative they want to represent them in Congress.
Micah Hart, a Newsmax intern, is studying politics and journalism at Hillsdale College in Michigan.
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