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Buddy Carter

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Buddy Carter
Official portrait, 2014
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded byJack Kingston
Member of the Georgia State Senate
from the 1st district
In office
November 22, 2009 – 2014
Preceded byEric Johnson
Succeeded byBen Watson
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 159th district
In office
January 10, 2005 – September 15, 2009
Succeeded byAnn Purcell
Personal details
Born
Earl LeRoy Carter

(1957-09-06) September 6, 1957 (age 67)
Port Wentworth, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Residence(s)Pooler, Georgia, U.S.
EducationYoung Harris College (AA)
University of Georgia (BS)
WebsiteHouse website
Buddy Carter's voice
Buddy Carter speaks on Jewish American Heritage Month
Recorded May 25, 2023

Earl LeRoy "Buddy" Carter (born September 6, 1957)[citation needed] is an American pharmacist and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 1st congressional district since 2015. The district is based in Savannah and includes most of the state's coastal southern portion. A member of the Republican Party, Carter served as a Georgia state representative (2005–2009) and Georgia state senator (2009–2014).[1][2]

Early life and education

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Carter graduated in 1975 from Robert W. Groves High School in Garden City, Georgia. He earned an associate degree from Young Harris College in 1977 and a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy from the University of Georgia in 1980. Carter was conferred the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree by Young Harris College at its 2024 commencement ceremony.[3]

Carter is a Methodist.[4]

He is not related to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, nor any of his descendants.

Political career

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Carter served on the planning and zoning commission for the city of Pooler from 1989 to 1993 and on Pooler's city council from 1994 to 1995. He served as Pooler's mayor from 1996 to 2004. Carter was first elected to the state legislature in 2005, serving two terms in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2006 to 2010. He was elected to the Georgia Senate in 2009.[1] He sat on the Senate Appropriations, Health and Human Services, Higher Education, and Public Safety committees.[1]

In March 2014, a controversy emerged regarding S.B. 408, a bill authored by Carter that would increase reimbursement rates for pharmacies in Georgia. As he is the owner of three pharmacies that would see increased profits as a result of the bill, many considered his vote in violation of the Senate's ethical guidelines. "Obviously, it's borderline," he admitted.[5]

Carter gave up his state senate seat in 2014 to run for Congress after 22-year incumbent Jack Kingston announced he was running for the United States Senate. He finished first in the six-way Republican primary–the real contest in this heavily Republican district–with 36% of the vote, well short of the 51% required for outright victory.[6] He then defeated Bob Johnson in the runoff with 53% of the vote.[7] In the general election, he defeated the Democratic nominee, Brian Reese, with 60.9% of the vote, carrying all but two counties in the district.[8] In 2016, he was unopposed in both the primary and general elections, and took over 99% of the vote against a write-in candidate.[9][10]

Carter was reelected in 2018, 2020, and 2022. The Democratic challengers both years were the first since 1992 to clear 40% of the vote in the district.[citation needed]

Carter has considered running against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff in the 2026 United States Senate election in Georgia.

In May 2023, Carter listed a property in Camden County, Georgia, for sale for $4.25 million after having purchased it in 2018 for $2.05 million.[11] He had not listed the property in his Congressional financial disclosures and instead said he had not bought the property as an investment. Shortly after purchasing the property he urged the FAA to issue Camden a launch site operator's license, which would have increased the value of his property tremendously, but he did not disclose that he owned nearby property in his letter.

Political positions

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2020 presidential election

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On January 6, 2021, in a vote held after protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol, Carter voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election due to unfounded claims made by the president, a vote he has continued to defend, saying it "will be a cold day in hell" before he apologizes for it.[12]

Drug policy

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The marijuana legalization advocacy organization NORML has rated Carter a "D".[13][failed verification]

Carter voted against the Veterans Equal Access Amendment in 2015 and 2016 (which would expand access to medical marijuana for veterans), against the McClintock/Polis Amendment in 2015 (which would prevent the Department of Justice from prosecuting federal marijuana offenses that are legal in the state) and against the Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment in 2015 (which would prevent federal officials from interfering with a state's medical marijuana program).[13][failed verification]

In 2017, Carter renewed his push to drug-test people who receive unemployment insurance.[14]

Carter is against cannabis legalization. He has called it "nothing more than a gateway drug". On April 1, 2022, Carter voted against the MORE Act, which would have decriminalized cannabis at the federal level, allowing states to set their own policies.[15][16][17]

Health care

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Carter supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He has said that there is no circumstance that would induce him to vote in favor of keeping the ACA, including if most of his constituents were in favor of it.[18]

On July 26, 2017, Carter was asked during a live television interview if he supported Trump's criticism of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski for her opposition to the procedural vote to begin the Senate's healthcare debate. Carter said he did, adding, "Somebody needs to go over there to that Senate and snatch a knot in their ass."[19] The incident prompted widespread media coverage.[20][21][22]

In 2024, Carter introduced a bipartison bill that would promote innovation for animal-free drug testing, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act 3.0.[23][24]

Tax reform

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Carter voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017,[25] saying he believed it would make businesses in his district more competitive in a global market. He also said it would help his constituents earn and/or save more money.[26] Carter is a sponsor of "H.R.25 The FairTax Act of 2023" which would abolish the current US tax structure and replace it with a yearly adjustable variable "national sales tax" (value-added tax) starting at 23% in 2025 to be administered by the states and remitted to the Treasury of the United States.[27]

Immigration

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Carter co-sponsored a bill that would let illegal immigrants serve in the U.S. military in exchange for legal residency.[28]

Carter supported Trump's 2017 executive order to temporarily curtail immigration from seven countries until better screening methods are devised. He said, "While I believe there needs to be thoughtful clarifications on the executive actions similar to Secretary Kelly’s announcement about lawful permanent residents, the number one priority of the federal government is to provide for the common defense."[29]

Carter wants to prohibit all federal funding from sanctuary cities in Georgia (sanctuary cities prohibit city officials from asking about a person's immigration status when they report an unrelated crime).[30] He also said he would like to test the huge backlog of rape kits in Georgia, except in sanctuary cities.[31]

Abortion

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Carter opposes abortion. He cosponsored the Sanctity of Human Life Act (H.R. 586), which would make all abortions illegal.[32]

H.R. 586 provides a constitutional right to life to embryos at the moment of fertilization.[33] A similar bill in the Senate, S. 231, claims to not target women who use birth control, women who suffer from miscarriages, or families that want to conceive using vitro fertilization,[34] but the House bill contains no such exceptions.[citation needed] When asked by a constituent during a town hall in Savannah whether he had concerns about restricting access to birth control when rape is so common on college campuses, Carter replied, "I'm not going to vote for any bill that endorses abortion."[35] H.R. 586, which would ban abortion, contains no exceptions for the life or health of the mother or cases of rape or incest.

Education

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When asked during a February 2017 town hall in Savannah whether religious doctrine should be taught in public school science classes, Carter responded, "I have always thought we should teach the Bible in school."[36]

LGBT rights

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Carter has claimed that same-sex marriage should be illegal.[37]

During an August 2017 town hall in Brunswick, Carter said he supported a ban on transgender people serving in the military, saying, "I don't want 'em serving in the military. I'm sorry."[38][39]

Gun rights

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Carter is a strong supporter of gun rights, and has an "A" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund for his stances on gun issues.[40]

In February 2018, during a town hall in Hinesville, when asked about mass shootings in America, Carter told attendees to not look to Congress for answers about gun violence, saying Congress is not responsible for gun violence in America.[41]

Texas v. Pennsylvania

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In December 2020, Carter was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated[42] Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.[43][44][45] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of "election subversion."[46][47]

Israel

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Carter voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[48][49]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Committee assignments

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For the 118th Congress:[50]

Caucus memberships

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Electoral history

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Georgia 159th State House District Republican Primary, 2004[56]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter 3,254 53.97
Republican Purcell 2,775 46.03
Total votes 6,029 100.0
Georgia 159th State House District General Election, 2004[57]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter 16,602 100.0
Total votes 16,602 100.0
Georgia 159th State House District General Election, 2006[58]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter (incumbent) 11,851 100.0
Total votes 11,851 100.0
Georgia 159th State House District General Election, 2008[59]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter (incumbent) 24,026 100.0
Total votes 24,026 100.0
Georgia 1st State Senate District Special Election, 2009[60]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter 10,904 82.14
Republican Hair 2,371 17.86
Total votes 13,275 100.0
Georgia 1st State Senate District General Election, 2010[61]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter (incumbent) 34,890 70.32
Democratic Carry Smith 14,723 29.68
Total votes 49,613 100.0
Georgia 1st State Senate District General Election, 2012[62]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter (incumbent) 53,821 100.0
Total votes 53,821 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district Republican Primary, 2014[63]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican E. L. 'Buddy' Carter 18,971 36.22
Republican Robert E. 'Bob' Johnson 11,890 22.70
Republican John A. McCallum 10,715 20.46
Republican J. L. 'Jeff' Chapman 6,918 13.21
Republican Darwin Carter 2,819 5.38
Republican Earl T. Martin 1,063 2.03
Total votes 52,376 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district Republican Run-off Primary, 2014[64]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican E. L. 'Buddy' Carter 22,871 53.81
Republican Robert E. 'Bob' Johnson 19,632 46.19
Total votes 42,503 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district General Election, 2014[65]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican E. L. 'Buddy' Carter 95,337 60.91
Democratic Brian Corwin Reese 61,175 39.09
Total votes 156,512 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district General Election, 2016[66][67]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Earl "Buddy" Carter (incumbent) 210,243 99.59
Write-in Nathan Russo 869 0.41
Total votes 211,112 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district General Election, 2018[68]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Earl L. 'Buddy' Carter (incumbent) 144,741 57.74
Democratic Lisa M. Ring 105,942 42.26
Total votes 250,683 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district General Election, 2020[69]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Earl L. 'Buddy' Carter (incumbent) 189,457 58.35
Democratic Joyce Marie Griggs 135,238 41.65
Total votes 324,695 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district General Election, 2022[70]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Earl L. 'Buddy' Carter (incumbent) 156,128 59.1
Democratic Wade Herring 107,837 40.9
Total votes 263,965 100.0

References

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  1. ^ a b c Senator Buddy Carter. Senate.ga.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  2. ^ District 1 Senator Buddy Carter (R). Senate.ga.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  3. ^ "YHC Alum, U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter to receive YHC Medallion Award".
  4. ^ "BUDDY CARTER: Our forefathers kept the faith, so should we".
  5. ^ "Squarespace - Claim This Domain". zpolitics.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  6. ^ "Our Campaigns - GA District 01 - R Primary Race - May 20, 2014". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  7. ^ "Our Campaigns - GA District 01 - R Runoff Race - Jul 22, 2014". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  8. ^ "Our Campaigns - GA - District 01 Race - Nov 04, 2014". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  9. ^ "Our Campaigns - GA District 01 - R Primary Race - May 24, 2016". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  10. ^ "Our Campaigns - GA District 01 Race - Nov 08, 2016". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  11. ^ Landers, Mary (May 10, 2023). "Buddy Carter is selling property near defunct spaceport site".
  12. ^ "Democrats anger over Capitol riots looms over new fights". The Washington Post. May 15, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Laura. "Georgia Scorecard - NORML.org - Working to Reform Marijuana Laws". norml.org. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  14. ^ "Buddy Carter looks to drug test recipients of unemployment benefits | Political Insider blog". Archived from the original on December 18, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  15. ^ "User Clip: Buddy Carter | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  16. ^ "Finding a Cure for the Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic". Congressman Buddy Carter. May 12, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  17. ^ Chou, Zachariah. "Buddy Carter called marijuana a gateway drug. Is he right? Here's what the research says". Savannah Morning News.
  18. ^ Christian, Ansley (February 22, 2017). "Rep. Buddy Carter addresses residents at town hall". WJCL. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  19. ^ GOP lawmaker on Murkowski: 'Snatch a knot in their ass' Julia Manchester. The Hill. July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  20. ^ A Georgia Congressman Thinks the Senate Needs Someone to "Snatch a Knot in Their A--." Um, What? Ben Zimmer. Slate. July 27, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  21. ^ 'Snatch a Knot in Their Ass': GOP Congressman Defends President Trump's Criticism of Sen. Lisa Murkowski Aric Jenkins. Time. July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  22. ^ How Congressman Buddy Carter got the whole country looking up the phrase ‘snatch a knot’ Tim Rostan. MarketWatch. July 27, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  23. ^ "US Congress House Bill 7248". LegiScan. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  24. ^ "Modernize Testing". Center for a Humane Economy. November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  25. ^ Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  26. ^ "Rep. Buddy Carter reacts to tax reform bill initially passing the House". WTOC. December 20, 2017. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  27. ^ Carter, Buddy (September 1, 2023). "Summary: H.R.25 — 118th Congress (2023-2024)". Congress.gov. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  28. ^ Spencer, Jeremy (June 7, 2017). "Congressman Buddy Carter co-sponsors military immigration bill for illegals | All On Georgia Bulloch County". All On Georgia Bulloch County. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  29. ^ Blake, Aaron (January 29, 2017). "Coffman, Gardner join Republicans against President Trump's travel ban; here's where the rest stand". Denver Post. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  30. ^ "Rep. Carter takes aim at 'sanctuary cities'". The Brunswick News. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  31. ^ Hallerman, Tamar; Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta. "Ga. Congressman: Use fed money to clear rape kit backlog 'unless they're a sanctuary city'". ajc.
  32. ^ "Protecting Life : U.S. Representative Buddy Carter". buddycarter.house.gov. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  33. ^ "H.R. 586 - Sanctity of Human Life Act". Congress.gov. February 6, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  34. ^ "S.231 - Life at Conception Act of 2017". Congress.gov. January 24, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  35. ^ Morekis, Jim. "Buddy Carter town hall heavy on drama and volume, but scant on specifics". Connect Savannah. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  36. ^ "Big crowd challenges, supports Buddy Carter at Savannah town hall". savannahnow.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  37. ^ "Buddy Carter on Civil Rights". www.ontheissues.org. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  38. ^ Galloway, Jim. "Buddy Carter on transgender troops: 'I don't want 'em serving' | Political Insider blog". Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  39. ^ "'I don't want 'em:' Georgia congressman praises transgender troop ban at town hall". thegavoice.com/. Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  40. ^ "NRA-PVF | Grades | Georgia". nrapvf.org. NRA-PVF. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  41. ^ "Congressman Carter on 2nd Amendment and semi-automatic weapons | WSAV Savannah". March 6, 2018. Archived from the original on May 13, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  42. ^ Blood, Michael R.; Riccardi, Nicholas (December 5, 2020). "Biden officially secures enough electors to become president". AP News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  43. ^ Liptak, Adam (December 11, 2020). "Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  44. ^ "Order in Pending Case" (PDF). Supreme Court of the United States. December 11, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  45. ^ Diaz, Daniella. "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". CNN. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  46. ^ Smith, David (December 12, 2020). "Supreme court rejects Trump-backed Texas lawsuit aiming to overturn election results". The Guardian. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  47. ^ "Pelosi Statement on Supreme Court Rejecting GOP Election Sabotage Lawsuit" (Press release). Speaker Nancy Pelosi. December 11, 2020. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  48. ^ Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). "House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  49. ^ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023). "Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 30, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  50. ^ "Earl L. "Buddy" Carter". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  51. ^ "Members". Congressional Blockchain Caucus. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  52. ^ "Members". House Baltic Caucus. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  53. ^ "Membership". Republican Study Committee. December 6, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  54. ^ "Our Members". U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  55. ^ "Members". U.S. - Japan Caucus. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  56. ^ "Georgia Election Results Official Results of the July 20, 2004 Primary Election". Georgia Secretary of State. December 13, 2005. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  57. ^ "Georgia Election Results Official Results of the November 2, 2004 General Election". Georgia Secretary of State. May 8, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2005.
  58. ^ "Georgia Election Results Official Results of the Tuesday, November 07, 2006 General Election". Georgia Secretary of State. November 16, 2006. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  59. ^ "Georgia Election Results Official Results of the Tuesday, November 04, 2008 General Election". Georgia Secretary of State. February 18, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  60. ^ "Georgia Election Results Official Results of the Tuesday, November 03, 2009 Special Election". Georgia Secretary of State. November 10, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  61. ^ "Georgia Election Results Official Results of the Tuesday, November 02, 2010 General Election". Georgia Secretary of State. November 15, 2010. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  62. ^ "General Election November 6, 2012". Georgia Secretary of State. November 21, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  63. ^ "General Primary/General Nonpartisan/Special Election May 20, 2014". Georgia Secretary of State. May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  64. ^ "General Primary Runoff and General Nonpartisan Election Runoff July 22, 2014". Georgia Secretary of State. July 28, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  65. ^ "General Election November 4, 2014". Georgia Secretary of State. November 10, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  66. ^ "General Election November 8, 2016". Georgia Secretary of State. December 1, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  67. ^ "2016 VOTES CAST FOR CERTIFIED WRITE-IN CANDIDATES". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  68. ^ "November 6, 2018 General Election". Georgia Secretary of State. November 17, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  69. ^ "November 3, 2020 General Election". Georgia Secretary of State. November 3, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  70. ^ "Georgia First Congressional District Election Results". The New York Times. November 21, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
[edit]
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's 1st congressional district
2015–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
158th 		Succeeded by
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