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Georgia's 5th Congressional District special election, 2020 (December 1 runoff)

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Kwanza Hall (D) defeated Robert Franklin (D) in a special runoff election for Georgia's 5th Congressional District on December 1, 2020. The winner of this race served the remainder of John Lewis’ (D) congressional term through January 3, 2021. Lewis died on July 17, 2020. When the 117th Congress was sworn in, the seat was represented by Nikema Williams (D), who won the November election for the seat.

Hall and Franklin were the top two finishers among a field of seven candidates in the September special general election. Hall received 32% of the vote and Franklin received 28%. The two candidates who ran in the 5th Congressional District's regularly scheduled general election, Williams and Angela Stanton King (R), did not run in the special election.

In Georgia, when no candidate receives over 50% of the vote in an election, the top two finishers advance to a runoff. In this case, the runoff took place on December 1, 2020, meaning the winner's tenure in Congress lasted 33 days.

There were 10 special elections called during the 116th Congress. Eight were called for seats in the U.S. House, and two for seats in the U.S. Senate. From the 113th Congress to the 115th Congress, 40 special elections were held. For more data on historical congressional special elections, click here.

Georgia's 5th Congressional District is based in central Fulton and parts of Dekalb and Clayton counties and also includes the state capital and largest city of Atlanta, as well as many of the surrounding suburbs.[2]

Robert Franklin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection Survey. Click here to see his responses.


Candidates and election results

General runoff election

Special general runoff election for U.S. House Georgia District 5

Kwanza Hall defeated Robert Franklin in the special general runoff election for U.S. House Georgia District 5 on December 1, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Kwanza Hall
Kwanza Hall (D)
 
54.3
 
13,450
Image of Robert Franklin
Robert Franklin (D) Candidate Connection
 
45.7
 
11,332

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 24,782
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Georgia District 5

The following candidates ran in the special general election for U.S. House Georgia District 5 on September 29, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Kwanza Hall
Kwanza Hall (D)
 
31.7
 
11,104
✔
Image of Robert Franklin
Robert Franklin (D) Candidate Connection
 
28.6
 
9,987
Image of Mable Thomas
Mable Thomas (D)
 
19.1
 
6,692
Image of Keisha Sean Waites
Keisha Sean Waites (D)
 
12.2
 
4,255
Image of Barrington Martin II
Barrington Martin II (D)
 
5.6
 
1,944
Image of Chase Oliver
Chase Oliver (L) Candidate Connection
 
2.0
 
712
Image of Steven Muhammad
Steven Muhammad (Independent)
 
0.8
 
282

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 34,976
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[3] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Robert Franklin

Image of Robert Franklin

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "  Robert M. Franklin, PhD is President-Emeritus of Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, having served from 2007 to 2012. Robert is currently a Senior Advisor to the President of Emory University and is the James T. and Berta R. Laney Professor in Moral Leadership at Emory. Previously, he was the director of the interfaith religion department at Chautauqua Institution (2013-2017) and a visiting scholar at Stanford University (2013). He is also a presidential fellow for the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership at Morehouse College.   He is the author of four books, including his recently released, Moral Leadership: Integrity, Courage, Imagination(2020).  He has provided commentaries for National Public Radio's, "All Things Considered," and televised commentary for Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasting.  Educated at Morehouse College (BA, 1975), an English Speaking Union overseas scholar at Durham University (UK, 1973), Harvard Divinity School (MDiv, 1978) and the University of Chicago Divinity School (PhD, 1985), Robert is the recipient of honorary degrees from Bethune Cookman University, Ursinus College, Bates College,  Hampden-Sydney College,  Centre College, University of New England,  and Swarthmore College. "

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Incumbent Seat is Vacant at a time of national crisis when stability, moral vision and voice are needed.

Have served as CEO of two institutions preparing leaders for the next generation.

Possess maturity, gravitas, and existing relationship with members of Congress that will enable immediate impact.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Georgia District 5 in 2020.

Kwanza Hall

Image of Kwanza Hall

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

  • Atlanta City Council (2006-2017)
  • Atlanta School Board (2003-2006)

Biography:  Hall studied political science at the Massachusetts Insitute of Technology. He worked as a director of business development at Mactec Engineering and Consulting, a senior advisor at Maxwell Stamp, and, leading up to the election, as a managing director at Entrepreneurial Endeavors.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Hall said he hoped to act as a bridge between the legacy of John Lewis and the next officeholder in Georgia’s 5th.

Hall said Lewis was a mentor to him and that he looked up to Lewis. He said his father and Lewis participated in the civil rights movement together.

Hall said he was politically experienced and had a track record of getting things done.

Show sources

Sources: Kwanza Hall's 2020 campaign website, "Kwanza Hall for Congress," accessed September 1, 2020. Facebook, "District 5 Candidate Forum," August 25, 2020; LinkedIn, "Kwanza Hall," accessed September 1, 2020.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Georgia District 5 in 2020.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Robert Franklin Democratic Party $362,643 $360,564 $2,078 As of December 31, 2020
Kwanza Hall Democratic Party $242,597 $230,091 $12,505 As of December 31, 2020

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.


Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.


Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Democratic Party Robert Franklin

Supporting Franklin

"Dr. Robert Franklin for Congress - Faith, Service, Integrity" - Franklin campaign ad, released November 28, 2020
"Women for Franklin" - Franklin campaign ad, released November 20, 2020
"We're with Robert" - Franklin campaign ad, released October 1, 2020
"Vote for the Future of the 5th" - Franklin campaign ad, released September 28, 2020
"A Leader for these Times" - Franklin campaign ad, released September 23, 2020
"Robert Franklin Speaks on the 57th Anniversary of the March on Washington" - Franklin campaign ad, released August 28, 2020
"Robert Franklin for Congress - Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District" - Franklin campaign ad, released August 17, 2020



Democratic Party Kwanza Hall

Supporting Hall

"Stand up and Vote Sept 29th" - Hall campaign ad, released September 26, 2020
"Prince Hall Mason’s Project" - Hall campaign ad, released September 26, 2020
"Time is Now—Counties" - Hall campaign ad, released September 26, 2020
"Trusted Leaders Support" - Hall campaign ad, released September 26, 2020
"Early Vote- Standup!" - Hall campaign ad, released September 24, 2020
"40 Years" - Hall campaign ad, released September 8, 2020


Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

Democratic Party Robert Franklin

Campaign website

Franklin’s campaign website stated the following:

“
  • Public Health

First among the inalienable rights affirmed by our founders is life itself. The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened and continues to take the lives of American citizens due to the inadequacy of the federal public health response. More than six million cases have been confirmed in the U.S., the highest case count in the world; nearly 200K Americans have died. More than 3,600 more Americans died of COVID-19 during the four days of the GOP Convention in August, which is more than died on 9/11 or at Pearl Harbor. And that’s just official fatalities, with “excess deaths” data at least doubling those numbers. The sooner Congress mounts a comprehensive national mitigation and testing program, the more thousands of lives we might save.

​The COVID-19 pandemic is far from the only health threat faced by Americans, but it has shone a spotlight on significant racial, ethnic, and socio-economic disparities in exposures, risks, health services and health outcomes. In fact, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) like poverty, poor quality education, food insecurity, unstable housing, pollution, toxic stress and violence, unequal healthcare access, and racism are known to contribute to health outcomes more significantly than biology and genetics combined. Achieving health equity is a moral imperative for our nation.

Background
The U.S. Public Health system holds the mandate to confront global disease, control infectious threats, mitigate other threats to health and to coordinate access to healthcare for the American populace. Largely due to understandings provided by science (e.g. bacteriology and virology), the public health service was formed around 1912 to coordinate public responses to pandemics. Now we are under an administration that ignores science and politicizes responses and guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) forcing local municipalities to implement their own policies regarding testing, isolation, quarantine.

COVID-19 Impact

  • Nearly 200K Americans have died during the COVID-19 pandemic. Left unchecked, the number is projected to rise to 300K by the end of the year.
  • Georgia has had one of the highest number of cases in the nation, now over 252K. Cases have increased substantially since early July.
  • The five Georgia counties with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases include Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, and Hall counties.
  • The unequal impact uncovers the vulnerabilities wrought by unequal, heightened exposures facing so-called “frontline workers,” deficits of protections accompanying economic disadvantage and more limited access to quality healthcare, as well as the underlying, disparate, burden and risks of chronic disease.
  • African Americans, Native Peoples, and Latinos have shouldered a disproportionate burden of cases and deaths. Nationwide, Blacks appear to be dying at rates 2-3 x those of Whites.

​Other Health Disparities

  • Georgia ranks 39th in the nation according to the 2018 Annual Health Rankings and Scores in overall health outcomes.
  • In the past six years, obesity increased by 3% from 28.0% to 31.6% of adults.
  • Since 2012, cancer deaths increased by 3% from 190.5 to 195.5 deaths/100K population.
  • In the past four years, premature deaths increased 10% from 7,624 to 8,391 lost before age 75, per 100,000 population.
  • Georgia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country; it is estimated that 60% of these pregnancy-related deaths were preventable.
  • In Georgia, non-Hispanic black women die at rates 3.3 times those of non-Hispanic White women.
  • Fulton County is ranked 6th highest among U.S. counties for new HIV diagnoses. The rate of new infections in Atlanta is twice that for Georgia as a whole.

​Policy Proposition and Implementation

  • We must follow medical science, backed by full federal funding and the force of law, to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of continuing to ignore the persistent inequities of American healthcare, we must face these challenges and resolve their underlying causes.
  • We must mount a federally coordinated, data-driven, nationwide response to check the COVID-19 pandemic, save lives, and get America back to work safe and sound. We expect accurate information and we oppose the politicizing of public health agencies that are supported by tax dollars.
  • We must exercise our personal agency and power by undertaking proven preventive practices such as a universal masking to fight COVID-19. FDA should be able to put in place protections and assure safety and effectiveness of therapies and vaccines without political pressure to subvert usual and customary controls.
  • We support Medicaid expansion in Georgia and the extension of comprehensive coverage for post-partum care for the full year after childbirth. We will advocate to protect and improve the Affordable Care Act.

Going forward we will broaden and deepen our conversations about public health from access to healthcare and insurance to achieving and maintaining health equity, with a clear understanding of the social determinants of health. And we will mobilize all the institutions in our community—faith, business, government, and social organizations-- to promote physical, mental, and spiritual health.

  • Education

Education holds the key to personal and social transformation. We are all created equal, but education is not distributed equally in the USA today. It is skewed by residential segregation by race and class. All our citizens have a right to gain the tools and resources of a first-rate education to live out their full potential and take a full part in our society.

BACKGROUND
Public education in America dates to the Massachusetts Bay Colony prior to the founding of the United States. In the 19th century, Horace Mann envisioned education as a tool to lift persons out of poverty and overcome social inequity. The U.S. Department of Education dates back to 1867 as a resource to assist states in building effective school systems. Yet states still largely control their own schools, making for a morass of models and widening educational inequality. More wealth and social advantage enable affluent families to shop more freely for better schools, including private schools, independent schools, magnet schools, charter schools, and homeschooling.

IMPACT
In 2017, the White-Black gap in 4th - grade reading achievement scores was 26 points and 25 points in 8th grade achievement scores. The White- Hispanic gap in 2017 was 23 points for 4th graders and 19 points for 8th graders.

In 2017, the White-Black achievement gap in 4th grade mathematics achievement scores was 25 points in while the White-Hispanic gap was 19 points. For 8th graders, the White-Black achievement gap in 2017 and the White-Hispanic achievement gap was 32 points and 24 points, respectively.

Georgia lawmakers cut $950 million from the state’s budget in June 2020 in basic K-12 school funding for the Department of Education. State support for private school vouchers through tax credits and direct state funding faced no budget cuts.

Online instruction, due to the pandemic, further disadvantages rural students and poorer students.

The Quality Basic Education Act (QBE) was passed in 1985 and went into effect in 1986 to ensure fair financing for schools in Georgia. But it was denied full funding until 2018, leaving the neediest school districts lagging behind for a full generation, and underscoring the need to sustain stronger support for the next generation.

POLICY PROPOSITION AND IMPLEMENTATION
We need to increase education funding—above and beyond salaries—for programming, technological infrastructure, and pandemic mitigation efforts. We need federal and state governments to pass laws funding education (including post-secondary, vocational, and technical schooling) with a weighted model to work fairly for those in poor and rural areas; provide technology to bridge the digital divide and overcome cyber-segregation deepened by the current pandemic.

  • Racial Justice and Healing

Demands for racial justice at last have come front and center in the streets as millions protest the live-video deaths of African Americans at the hands of the police. Three great plagues today—a viral pandemic, an economic implosion, and unjust law enforcement—reveal and sharpen the plight of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Our government must respond to bring about racial justice and healing across our country.

BACKGROUND
Notably absent from the original Constitution of the United States were freedoms and rights accorded to anyone but White males, including women and those enslaved. African Americans were counted as three-fifths of a citizen to tilt congressional representation in favor of slave states. This inequality among all to favor a few has continued to infect the full range of American institutions. Now we must acknowledge it, reckon with it, and resolve it justly.

IMPACT

  • The median net worth of White households is about 10 times the median net worth of Black households. White-$171,000/Black-$17,600
  • The median income for Black households is a little less than 60% of that of White households. White -$71,000/Black-$41,000
  • About six-in-ten Americans (58%) say race relations in the U.S. are generally bad, report Pew Polls. More than four-in-ten (45%) say it is now more acceptable for people to express racist or racially insensitive views.
  • Black people make up a larger share of US Covid-19 deaths. Blacks comprise 13% of population and represent 23% of Covid-19 deaths.
  • About 17% of the Black people who died as a result of harm from police were unarmed, a larger share than any other racial group and about 1.3 times more than the average of 13%.
  • In 2019, 54% of those who died as a result of harm from police and whose race was identified were people of color – including Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American and Pacific Islander individuals – compared to 50% in 2014.

POLICY PROPOSITION AND IMPLEMENTATION
The 5th District will partner with the United Way of Greater Atlanta in administering the United for Racial Equity and Healing Fund to back organizations dedicated to tackling the key causes of systemic racism in neighborhoods where most residents are Black and people of color.

  • Voting Rights

Voting, the cornerstone of our democracy, is under threat today. Overwhelming evidence shows a coordinated strategy to disenfranchise American citizens by unfairly burdening and blocking their path to the polls, including restrictive voter ID laws and voter registration rules, gerrymandering, purging voter rolls, and disenfranchising former felons.

Background
Attacks on our voting rights reach back to the founding of the Republic, when propertied White men alone enjoyed the right to vote. It took amendments to the Constitution and 1965 Voting Rights Act to enable women and African Americans to exercise this fundamental right.

In 2013, the Supreme Court wrongly decided Shelby County vs. Holder to gut voting rights and turn back the clock to allow southern states to restrict voting without federal oversight by the Justice Department.

Impact

  • Seventy percent of Georgia voters purged in 2018 were Black.
  • Across the country, one in 13 Black Americans cannot vote due to disenfranchisement laws.
  • One-third of voters with a disability report difficulty voting.
  • Only 40% of polling places fully accommodate people with disabilities.
  • Across the country, counties with larger minority populations have fewer polling sites and poll workers per voter.
  • Seven counties in Georgia now have only one polling place.
  • The pandemic is worsening election difficulties.
  • 1,688 polling sites across 13 states have closed in the six years since the Shelby vs. Holder decision gutted key voter protections.
  • Georgia has lost 214 polling places since 2015, hitting hardest its 31% African American population and its 9% Latino population.
  • Georgia counties have closed higher percentages of voting locations than any other state in the country, reports the “Democracy Diverted” study.

Policy Proposition and Implementation
Now is the time to restore full voting rights to all citizens and pass H.R. 4 as the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020. We need to establish fair criteria to determine which states and political subdivisions must obtain federal “preclearance” before changing state and county voting practices. Each voting precinct should provide adequate drop-off boxes for absentee/mail-in ballots.

  • Work and Economic Inclusion

All jobs are not equal. Employment prospects for numerous citizens are limited to jobs that offer low pay, no benefits, and limited opportunities for advancement or a career path. Many of these workers now have a name, “essential workers.” If America is to be the land of opportunity, then it is imperative that job creation efforts focus on providing a livable wage that allows people to thrive economically beyond subsistence.

Background
The commonwealth assumptions that created the United States and informed its original market structures were flawed from the start as many inhabitants of colonial America were considered means of production and excluded from economic prosperity experienced by an elite few.

The current pandemic has forced us to question many assumptions about our free market economy and revealed its limitations and biases requiring additional government intervention. Government policy should incentivize the creation of good jobs. Providing good jobs enhances not only the workers but also their employers and the economy overall.

Impact

  • Atlanta is number one in the wealth gap.
  • A 2019 report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows most metro Atlanta zip codes with the least resources are located along and below I-20.
  • Atlanta ranks lowest in terms of social mobility, increasing the likelihood and incidents of multigenerational poverty. The unemployment rate for Black Americans exceeds that of Whites: White 14.2%, Black 16.7%
  • The poverty rate for Black Americans is more than double that of Whites. White 8.1%, Black 20.8%
  • A larger share of Black Americans lack health insurance compared to Whites. White 5.4%, Black 9.7%
  • Child poverty impacts adult success. The longer children remain poor the lower the likelihood of being successful.
  • Food insecurity and food deserts continue to be an issue for the 5th District.
  • Atlanta is No. 7 among U.S. cities with the lowest percentage of Black homeowners. Whites 73.2%, Blacks 41.1%
  • Black households pay 13% more in property taxes each year than would a White family in a comparable situation.

Policy Proposition and Implementation
Federal labor laws should mandate wage equity and a livable working wage. OSHA guidelines should include pandemic mitigation efforts in line with CDC guidelines. Workforce development should begin earlier by teaching career and technical skill courses while students are in high school (e.g. Shaw High School East Cleveland, OH). Economic development efforts in the 5th District should require economic equity impact statements before granting corporate tax credits. [4]

”
—Robert Franklin’s campaign website (2020)[5]


Candidate Connections

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Robert Franklin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Franklin's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

 

Robert M. Franklin, PhD is President-Emeritus of Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, having served from 2007 to 2012. Robert is currently a Senior Advisor to the President of Emory University and is the James T. and Berta R. Laney Professor in Moral Leadership at Emory. Previously, he was the director of the interfaith religion department at Chautauqua Institution (2013-2017) and a visiting scholar at Stanford University (2013). He is also a presidential fellow for the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership at Morehouse College.  

He is the author of four books, including his recently released, Moral Leadership: Integrity, Courage, Imagination(2020).  He has provided commentaries for National Public Radio's, "All Things Considered," and televised commentary for Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasting.  Educated at Morehouse College (BA, 1975), an English Speaking Union overseas scholar at Durham University (UK, 1973), Harvard Divinity School (MDiv, 1978) and the University of Chicago Divinity School (PhD, 1985), Robert is the recipient of honorary degrees from Bethune Cookman University, Ursinus College, Bates College,  Hampden-Sydney College,  Centre College, University of New England,  and Swarthmore College. 

  • Incumbent Seat is Vacant at a time of national crisis when stability, moral vision and voice are needed.

  • Have served as CEO of two institutions preparing leaders for the next generation.

  • Possess maturity, gravitas, and existing relationship with members of Congress that will enable immediate impact.
Voting rights

Education

Work and wealth

Public health

Racial justice and healing

Enhancing transportation infrastructure
Integrity, courage, imagination

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Note: Franklin submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on August 17, 2020.

Democratic Party Kwanza Hall

Campaign website

Hall’s campaign website stated the following:

“
  • Voting Rights

My mentor, the late, great Congressman John Lewis, taught me the right to vote was our most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democratic society. I’m running to continue his work of protecting this sacred right. I’m running to ensure we protect our communities from voter suppression. I’m running to ensure our voices are heard at every level of our government.

  • Women’s Rights

Women have made great strides in our country with little to no support. In order to truly progress as a society, I believe we must invest in women to ensure they have the proper resources to thrive in our communities in whatever capacity they choose. It is imperative we protect their reproductive rights to further guarantee their right to determine their own life path.

  • LGBTQ Rights

I believe that orientation should not influence access or rights. For far too long, even in the metro-Atlanta region, persons along the sexuality spectrum have been forced to live in denial or only partially acknowledging who they are without fear of retribution. As a member of Congress, I will continue the work for equality in public policy to which I was committed when I served on the Atlanta City Council. My accomplishments and platform are below, but I believe it is important to affirm the beliefs that support my work.

  • Racial Equity

I’ve represented and worked for some of the most racially and economically diverse communities in Atlanta. For our communities to reach its full potential we must uplift the most disadvantaged. We’ve seen groups fight to reverse the progress we’ve made and I refuse to sit idly in this fight. I will continue the work of our Civil Rights hero to ensure all of us receive the justice, access and opportunity we deserve.

  • Justice Reform

Our justice system does not protect every citizen regardless of race or creed, as it promises. I will be the leader we need to begin the work to fully reform this oppressive system. The first step to reform is holding bad actors accountable through ending qualified immunity and requiring every police to wear body cams. True expungement of non-violent offenders is one route to true redemption.

  • COVID-19

We are living in a pandemic where many of our current state level and national leaders pushed aside science and experts and left our communities to fend for themselves. We need leaders who will make decisions guided by science and the experts. We need leaders who will ensure our communities can continue to thrive safely by providing relief for families and small businesses. COVID-19 exposed the unfair and unbalanced system we’ve lived in, I will fight to have our communities cared for properly.

  • Stopping Donald Trump

The late, great Congressman John Lewis fought Donald Trump’s oppressive policies at every turn. I will continue to stand up to Trump and his blind followers. My community deserves leaders who will challenge individuals abusing their power and authority and I am ready to take on that fight. [4]

”
—Kwanza Hall’s campaign website (2020)[6]


Special elections to the 116th Congress

See also: Special elections to the 116th United States Congress (2019-2020)

Eight special elections for the U.S. House of Representatives occurred:

Two special election for the U.S. Senate occurred:

Three of these races resulted in partisan flips. The special elections for U.S. Senate in Arizona and Georgia resulted in Democratic gains, and the special election for California's 25th Congressional District resulted in a Republican gain.

Special elections to Congress occur when a legislator resigns, dies, or is removed from office. Depending on the specific state laws governing vacancies, a state can either hold an election within the same calendar year or wait until the next regularly scheduled election.

Results

House

Results of special elections to the 116th Congress (House)
Race Election date Incumbent Winner Election MOV Previous election MOV 2016 Presidential election MOV[7]
Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District May 21, 2019 Republican Party Tom Marino Republican Party Fred Keller R+36 R+32 R+37
North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District September 10, 2019 Republican Party Walter Jones[8] Republican Party Greg Murphy R+24 R+100 R+24
North Carolina's 9th Congressional District[9] September 10, 2019 Republican Party Robert Pittenger Republican Party Dan Bishop R+2 R+16 R+11
Maryland's 7th Congressional District April 28, 2020 Democratic Party Elijah Cummings Democratic Party Kweisi Mfume D+49 D+55 D+55
California's 25th Congressional District May 12, 2020 Democratic Party Katie Hill Republican Party Mike Garcia R+12 D+9 D+7
Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District May 12, 2020 Republican Party Sean Duffy Republican Party Tom Tiffany R+14 R+21 R+20
New York's 27th Congressional District June 23, 2020 Republican Party Chris Collins Republican Party Christopher Jacobs R+5 R+0.3 R+25
Georgia's 5th Congressional District December 1, 2020 Democratic Party John Lewis Democratic Party Kwanza Hall D+8[10] D+100 D+73

Senate

Results of special elections to the 116th Congress (Senate)
Race Election date Incumbent Winner Election MOV Previous election MOV 2016 Presidential election MOV
U.S. Senate in Arizona November 3, 2020 Republican Party Martha McSally[11] Democratic Party Mark Kelly D+3 D+2 R+4
U.S. Senate in Georgia January 5, 2021 (runoff) Republican Party Kelly Loeffler[12] Democratic Party Raphael Warnock D+2.1 R+14 R+5

Historical data

Special elections, 2013-2022

From 2013 to 2022, 67 special elections to the United States Congress were called during the 113th through 117th Congresses. During that time, special elections were called for 23 seats vacated by Democrats and 44 vacated by Republicans.

The table below details how many congressional seats changed parties as the result of a special election between 2013 and 2022. The numbers on the left side of the table reflect how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the numbers on the right side of the table show how many vacant seats each party won in special elections.

Congressional special election vacancies and results, 113th Congress to 117th Congress
Congress Total elections held Vacancies before elections Seats held after elections Net change
Democratic Party Democrats Republican Party Republicans Democratic Party Democrats Republican Party Republicans
117th Congress 17 7 10 7 10 No change
116th Congress 10 3 7 4 6 +1D, -1R
115th Congress 17 4 13 8 9 +4 D, -4 R
114th Congress 7 2 5 2 5 No change
113th Congress 16 7 9 7 9 No change
Averages 13 4 8 5 7 N/A


U.S. Senate special election partisan change from special elections, 113th Congress to 117th Congress
Party As of special election After special election
Democratic Party Democrats 5 8
Republican Party Republicans 7 4
Total 12 12
U.S. House special election partisan change from special elections, 113th Congress to 117th Congress
Party As of special election After special election
Democratic Party Democrats 18 20
Republican Party Republicans 37 35
Total 55 55


Special elections, 1986-2012

The table below presents the results of special elections to Congress from 1986 to 2012. Contact Ballotpedia at editor@ballotpedia.org for access to earlier data.

Results of special elections to Congress (1986-2012)
Election cycle Total special elections U.S. House elections Seats changing partisan control U.S. Senate elections Seats changing partisan control
2011-2012 11 11 None None None
2009-2010 15 10 3 (2 Democratic gains; 1 Republican gain) 5 2 (all Republican gains)
2007-2008 14 12 3 (2 Republican gains; 1 Democratic gain) 2 None
2005-2006 12 12 3 (all Democratic gains) None None
2003-2004 6 6 None None None
2001-2002 6 5 2 (all Democratic gains) 1 1 (Republican gain)
1999-2000 9 8 1 (Republican gain) 1 1 (Democratic gain)
1997-1998 3 3 None None None
1995-1996 11 9 1 (Republican gain) 2 1 (Democratic gain)
1993-1994 9 6 1 (Republican gain) 3 3 (all Republican gains)
1991-1992 10 7 2 (all Republican gains) 3 1 (Democratic gain)
1989-1990 10 8 1 (Democratic gain) 2 None
1987-1988 12 12 3 (2 Democratic gains; 1 Republican gain) None None
1985-1986 8 8 1 (Republican gain) None None
Total 136 117 21 (11 Democratic gains; 10 Republican gains) 19 9 (6 Republican gains; 3 Democratic gains)


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Five of 159 Georgia counties—3.14 percent—are pivot counties. These are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 pivot counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Baker County, Georgia 8.68% 0.57% 1.07%
Dooly County, Georgia 2.05% 6.98% 3.53%
Peach County, Georgia 2.91% 7.48% 6.75%
Quitman County, Georgia 10.92% 9.04% 7.90%
Twiggs County, Georgia 1.58% 8.64% 6.97%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Georgia with 50.8 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 45.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Georgia voted Democratic 63.33 percent of the time and Republican 36.67 percent of the time. Georgia voted Republican in every presidential election from 2000 to 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Georgia. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[24][25]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 64 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 45.5 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 74 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 42.3 points. Clinton won 14 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 116 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 36.6 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 106 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 36.8 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


Georgia's 5th Congressional District election history

2018

See also: Georgia's 5th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Georgia District 5

Incumbent John Lewis won election in the general election for U.S. House Georgia District 5 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of John Lewis
John Lewis (D)
 
100.0
 
275,406

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 275,406
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 5

Incumbent John Lewis advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 5 on May 22, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of John Lewis
John Lewis
 
100.0
 
80,860

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 80,860
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Georgia's 5th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent John Lewis (D) defeated Douglas Bell (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Neither candidate faced a primary opponent on May 24, 2016.[26][27]

U.S. House, Georgia District 5 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Lewis Incumbent 84.4% 253,781
     Republican Douglas Bell 15.6% 46,768
Total Votes 300,549
Source: Georgia Secretary of State

2014

See also: Georgia's 5th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 5th Congressional District of Georgia held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent John Lewis (D) won an uncontested general election.

U.S. House, Georgia District 5 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Lewis Incumbent 100% 170,326
Total Votes 170,326
Source: Georgia Secretary of State

General election candidates


May 20, 2014, primary results

Republican Party Republican Primary

No candidates filed to run

Democratic Party Democratic Primary


2012

See also: Georgia's 5th Congressional District elections, 2012

The 5th Congressional District of Georgia held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Incumbent John Lewis won re-election in the district.[28]

U.S. House, Georgia District 5 General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Lewis Incumbent 84.4% 234,330
     Republican Howard Stopeck 15.6% 43,335
Total Votes 277,665
Source: Georgia Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

2010
On November 2, 2010, John Lewis won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Fenn Little (R) in the general election.[29]

U.S. House, Georgia District 5 General Election, 2010
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Lewis incumbent 73.7% 130,782
     Republican Fenn Little 26.3% 46,622
Total Votes 177,404


State profile

See also: Georgia and Georgia elections, 2020
USA Georgia location map.svg

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of April 9, 2020

Presidential voting pattern

  • Georgia voted Republican in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

Georgia Party Control: 1992-2025
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-one years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Georgia quick stats
More Georgia coverage on Ballotpedia:


Demographic data for Georgia
 GeorgiaU.S.
Total population:10,199,398316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):57,5133,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:60.2%73.6%
Black/African American:30.9%12.6%
Asian:3.6%5.1%
Native American:0.3%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.1%3%
Hispanic/Latino:9.1%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:85.4%86.7%
College graduation rate:28.8%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$49,620$53,889
Persons below poverty level:21.1%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Georgia.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "2020 State Elections and Voter Registration Calendar," accessed November 23, 2020
  2. ↑ Georgia Redistricting Map "Map" accessed July 5, 2012
  3. ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  5. ↑ Robert Franklin’s campaign website, “Issues,” accessed November 23, 2020
  6. ↑ Kwanza Hall’s campaign website, “Platform and Issues,” accessed November 23, 2019
  7. ↑ Daily Kos, "2008, 2012, & 2016 Presidential Election Results by District," accessed February 1, 2019
  8. ↑ Jones died on February 10, 2019.
  9. ↑ The 9th District was not filled in the 2018 elections due to allegations of electoral fraud. In February 2019, the North Carolina Board of Elections called for a new election to fill the vacant seat.
  10. ↑ This election was between two Democrats
  11. ↑ In December 2018, McSally was appointed to fill the Senate seat previously held by John McCain (R), who passed away in August 2018. Jon Kyl (R) was first appointed to the seat and held it from September 2018 to December 2018. The 2020 special election decided who would serve out the rest of the six-year term McCain was elected to in 2016.
  12. ↑ Isakson announced his resignation effective December 31, 2019. The 2020 special election decided who would serve out the rest of the six-year term Isakson was elected to in 2016.
  13. ↑ Both general election candidates were Republicans.
  14. ↑ This race was unopposed.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Both general election candidates were Democrats.
  16. ↑ Lamb won by a margin of 0.4 percentage points.
  17. ↑ Wild won by a margin of 0.2 percentage points.
  18. ↑ The state Board of Elections declined to certify the results of the 2018 election following allegations of absentee ballot fraud.
  19. ↑ Collins won by 0.3 percentage points.
  20. ↑ This special election was called to fill the vacancy left by 2020 Congressman-elect Luke Letlow (R), who died before being sworn in to Congress.
  21. ↑ Runoff MOV between two Republican candidates.
  22. ↑ Runoff MOV between two Democratic candidates.
  23. ↑ Runoff MOV between two Republican candidates.
  24. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  25. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  26. ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Qualifying Candidate Information," accessed March 12, 2016
  27. ↑ The New York Times, "Georgia Primary Results," May 24, 2016
  28. ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Georgia"
  29. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013


Georgia's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Jon Ossoff (D)
Raphael Warnock (D)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
Republican Party (9)
Democratic Party (7)

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