U.S. House, Georgia - 4th District
Atlanta suburbs -- most of DeKalb County
Race Information
- Incumbent: Rep. Hank Johnson, D
- First Elected: 2006 (1st term)
- Last Elected: 2006 (75.32%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Safe Democrat
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
The Democratic, suburban DeKalb County-based 4th grabs most of DeKalb, half of Rockdale and part of Gwinnett counties. One of Georgia’s two black-majority districts, African-Americans make up 53 percent of residents here.
Like the rest of the Atlanta area, southern DeKalb and northern Rockdale are growing rapidly. Decatur (shared with the 5th) is fighting to retain its small-town feel but is filling up with condos and commuters. Residential development is transforming previously unpopulated land from Lithonia east through Conyers, in Rockdale County.
Most residents commute to Atlanta or work in service-oriented firms in the 4th. Emory University and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bothon the eastern edge of the 5th, employ many 4th District residents.
South DeKalb is home to some wealthy black communities. To the north, towns like Doraville (split with the 6th) are increasingly home to large foreign-born populations, and as many as half of Clarkston’s residents are refugees. The 4th’s part of Gwinnett has many Hispanic residents.
The 4th, redistricted prior to the 2006 election, is Democratic at all levels, and would have given John Kerry 72 percent of its 2004 presidential vote. DeKalb is heavily Democratic, but some voters in the portions of Rockdale and Gwinnett, and in DeKalb’s more white, affluent areas, favor the GOP.
Major Industry
Service, health care, government
Cities
Redan (unincorporated), 33,841; Candler-McAfee (unincorporated), 28,294
Notable
Stone Mountain Park has a huge granite rock face onto which a sculpture of Robert E. Lee and other Confederate leaders is carved.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 629,690
- Under 18: 25%
- Over 65: 8%
- Married: 45.0%
- Non-Hispanic White: 32%
- Black: 53%
- Hispanic: 9%
- Asian: 4%
- Foreign Born: 16.2%
- Language other than English: 18.5%
- Median Household Income: 49,307
- Owner Occupied Housing: 58%
- Income above $200k: 2.8
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 67.4%
- Blue Collar: 19.7%
- Services: 12.9%
- Bachelor's Degree: 36%
- Graduate Education: 13.2%
- Civilian Veterans: 50,578
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Hank Johnson (D) | 224,494 | 99.9% |
| Loren Collins (Write-In) | 158 | 0.1% | ||
| Faye Coffield (Write-In) | 35 | 0% | ||
| Jacob Perasso (Write-In) | 6 | |||
| 2006 | general | Hank Johnson (D) | 106,352 | 75.3% |
| Catherine Davis (R) | 34,778 | 24.6% | ||
| 2004 | general | Cynthia McKinney (D) | 157,461 | 63.8% |
| Catherine Davis (R) | 89,509 | 36.2% | ||
| 2002 | general | Denise Majette (D) | 118,045 | 77% |
| Cynthia Van Auken (R) | 35,202 | 23% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 71% | George W. Bush: 28% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 71% | George W. Bush: 29% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVETAN, LIANE (D) | February 5, 2007 | $55.00 | |||||
| DAVIS, CATHERINE (R) | March 31, 2008 | $2,556.00 | $9,237.00 | $2,212.00 | $27,151.00 | ||
| MAJETTE, DENISE L (D) | December 31, 2007 | $8,800.00 | $8,800.00 | $8,094.00 | |||
| STOKES, CONNIE JEAN (D) | September 30, 2007 | $72,776.00 | |||||
| JOHNSON, HENRY C "HANK" JR (D) | October 15, 2008 | $353,034.00 | $346,582.00 | $6,500.00 | $122,084.00 | $18,292.00 | $11,691.00 |
| MCKINNEY, CYNTHIA A (D) | September 30, 2008 | $37,735.00 | $80,927.00 | $37,735.00 | $12,000.00 | ||
| COYNE, JOHN F III (D) | September 30, 2008 | $573.00 | $578.00 | $6.00 | $16,807.00 | ||
