NRCC poll finds McBath ahead of Handel in Georgia

A new internal poll from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) shows incumbent Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) with a narrow lead over former Rep. Karen Handel (R-Ga.) in the race for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District. 

Forty-eight percent of respondents said they backed McBath, while 46 percent voiced their support for Handel, according to a polling memo from the committee. 

The same survey also showed McBath with a 41 percent favorable rating and a 28 percent unfavorable rating. Eleven percent said they had no opinion, while 20 percent said they had never heard of the congresswoman. The memo did not note Handel’s favorability ratings. 

The district is one of 30 that went for President Trump in the 2016 general election but flipped for Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections. McBath defeated Handel, who held the seat previously, in 2018, winning 50.5 percent to 49.5 percent. 

However, Trump’s margin of victory in the district was slimmer in 2016 than past GOP presidential candidates. Trump won by 1.5 points, while 2012 GOP nominee Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) won by 23.3 points. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) won by 18.9 points in 2008. 

Polling in the race has been scarce, but the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as “lean Democratic,” while RealClearPolitics rates the contest a “toss up.” 

The NRCC poll was conducted July 26-28 among 400 registered voters in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.