ATLANTA - Georgia's House delegation, whose only change in the past eight years has been the resignation of Newt Gingrich, began an overhaul during Tuesday's primary, with four open seats up for grabs, two incumbents running against each other and another incumbent facing her toughest challenge ever. <br>
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The overhaul is mostly thanks to the Census, which gave the state two more House seats. Democrats also used the redistricting to dismantle the seats of Republican Reps. John Linder, Bob Barr and Saxby Chambliss. <br>
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Barr and Linder decided to run in the same suburban Atlanta district and Chambliss decided to run for the Senate, facing former State Senator Bob Irvin for the right to meet Democratic Senator Max Cleland. <br>
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The other incumbent who may not make it back to Washington is outspoken Democrat Cynthia McKinney, whose support of Muslim causes and criticism of President Bush and others has made her vulnerable against former judge Denise Majette. <br>
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Redistricting was also a factor in the governor's race. A trio of Republicans who say Democrat Governor Barnes orchestrated the severe redrawing of maps battled for the right to challenge him in November. <br>
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The Republican governor's race in Georgia is expected to end up in a runoff. If no one gets 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters among former state Sen. Sonny Perdue, state School Superintendent Linda Schrenko and former Cobb County Commission Chairman Bill Byrne will face off again in three weeks. <br>
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Most observers and polls have indicated that the Barr-Linder and Majette-McKinney races were too close to call.
