SAVANNAH - In the race for Congress in southeast Georgia's First District, Democrat Don Smart, a Savannah attorney with no legislative experience, concedes he has a difficult battle against popular Republican Jack Kingston. <br>
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Kingston, also from Savannah, was first elected to Congress ten years ago in an area once considered a Democratic stronghold. <br>
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But the First District has grown and changed through redistricting, losing all or part of ten counties and picking up an inland swath that spans 19 new, mostly rural, counties. <br>
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Republican leaders say Kingston's popularity and name recognition, combined with the hefty financial resources traditionally enjoyed by incumbents, will carry him once again. <br>
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Democrats quietly agree this may be a battle not worth waging. Instead, they have directed resources to more competitive candidates at a time when the Democratic Party clings to a one-seat advantage in the U.S. Senate. <br>
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But Smart, who two years ago lost the Democratic primary to Joyce Griggs, says Kingston is vulnerable.
