Lucy McBath. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) defeated fellow incumbent Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-Ga.) in Bourdeaux's own Georgia's 7th district Tuesday, the AP reported.
Why it matters: The primary was seen as a proxy battle between the moderate and progressive wings of the Democratic Party, though the voting records of the two are similar.
- McBath developed a high profile as a gun control advocate following the death of her son to gun violence. She switched to Bourdeaux's district after Republicans shifted her 6th District far to the right.
- This was one of six congressional incumbent 2022 matchups, and given the district's leftward lean, the Democratic nominee is likely to become the final victor.
The big picture: McBath, who flipped Georgia's 6th District in 2018, received millions in support from outside groups, including a last-minute $1 million push from Mike Bloomberg's Everytown for Gun Safety.
- But Bourdeaux, a former public policy professor, represents the existing 7th District — about two-thirds of which remains in the new lines, and has been campaigning there since 2017.
The bottom line: This intraparty battle heralds the shrinking of Georgia's Democratic congressional delegation after Republican-led redistricting. The new 6th District is widely expected to get a Republican member of Congress.