Democrat Josh McCall will challenge a Republican congressman from Hall County this fall for his seat in northeast Georgia.
McCall of Gainesville won the Democratic primary Tuesday for the 9th Congressional District. Although not yet certified, McCall defeated fellow Democrat Dave Cooper of Clayton by 5-percentage points.
He will face U.S. Rep. Doug Collins of Gainesville in the fall midterm election.
McCall is a high school teacher who defeated fellow Democrat David Cooper of Clayton in the primary contest. Collins had no primary opposition on the Republican ballot.
He said of his inaugural foray into the political arena, "It's my first time, I'm anxious...it's a lot of work doing this. I'm confident in the work we've done; I'm confident in the time we've put in...just trust in the work."
Family, friends and supporters of McCall packed the Taqueria El Mercadito restaurant on Pearl Nix Parkway in Gainesville to watch election returns as they trickled in Tuesday evening.
The 9th District covers portions of 20 counties in the northern corner of Georgia. Collins has held the seat since 2013.
