Republicans take North Georgia

photo U.S. Rep. Tom Graves from Georgia
Arkansas-Florida Live Blog

With most of the precincts reporting, Republican candidates dominated North Georgia races.

Congressman Tom Graves (R) secured his seat over political newcomer Daniel Grant (D) in the U.S. House District 14 race with 75 percent of the vote.

Graves, who has served in Congress since 2010, was expected to beat Grant, who had never run for public office before.

Graves previously represented District 9, and announced he would run in the District 14 after redistricting. While in Congress, Graves has served on the House Appropriations Committee and was recently nominated for chairman of the Republican Study Committee.

Republican candidate John Deffenbaugh won in the Georgia House District 1 over Democrat Tom McMahan.

Deffenbaugh, the former Dade County Republican chairman, took the district that covers Dade and most of Walker County with 69 percent of the votes and 89 percent of precincts reporting.

The seat was vacated by Republican and local pastor Martin Scott, who decided not to run again this year. When Georgia the district lines were redrawn last year House District 1 and 2 flipped their areas.

In local sheriff races, Republicans also had big wins.

Long-time Murray County incumbent Sheriff Howard Ensley lost to his challenger Gary Langford. Langford, the Republican candidate, claimed nearly 57 percent of the votes over Ensley.

In Dade County, Republican candidate Ray Cross won Dade County sheriff with nearly 55 percent of the votes.

Cross won against former Sheriff Philip Street who lost reelection in 2004 to outgoing Sheriff Patrick Cannon. Cross beat Cannon this summer in the Republican primary runoff elections.

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