By Rachel Kapochunas, CQ Staff

Democratic state Sen. Regina Thomas has created a new wrinkle in Democratic Rep. John Barrow ’s re-election campaign in Georgia’s 12th District by waging a primary challenge against the incumbent and threatening to siphon off his African-American support.

“I think she’s a serious problem for John Barrow ,” Charles S. Bullock III, political scientist at the University of Georgia told CQ Politics Thursday.

Thomas, who has more than ten years experience in the state legislature, announced this week she will file to run in Barrow’s district. Bullock said Thomas, who is black, is well known in her senate district and holds the potential to rally African-American voters around her candidacy.

In a WGAU radio interview Tuesday, Thomas said it is time for someone from the “southeast coast” to represent the district. Barrow hails from the northern Athens-Clarke County area but moved to Savannah, on the southeast coast, after a mid-decade redistricting plan excised the Athens area from the district. Thomas represents an area surrounding Savannah in the state Senate.

Thomas shrugged off the suggestion she could “weaken” Barrow by waging a competitive challenge.

“I really haven’t thought about that because I’m in it to win it,” Thomas said. She later added “this is a situation when it’s time for a change and it’s time for equal representation.”

Bullock expressed surprise that a strong African-American Democrat hadn’t challenged Barrow sooner. Barrow remains one of the few southern white Democrats in Congress. Blacks make up 45 percent of the population in the 12th district.

Bullock said the example set by former Rep. Denise L. Majette, who ran for Senate in 2004, provides a potential model for Thomas. Majette was vastly outspent by millionaire businessman Cliff Oxford in the Democratic primary, but won her party’s nomination by consolidating support from local black politicians and ministers, according to Bullock. Majette lost to Republican Johnny Isakson in the general election.

“If Regina Thomas does the same thing... she could defeat John even though John will raise a ton of money,” Bullock said. “I don’t think she’ll come close to matching him in terms of fundraising, but I don’t think she’ll need to.”

Barrow had been preparing for a tough re-election bid, but from the opposing party. He reported raising $1.4 million through March 31 and spent little, leaving him with nearly all money remaining.

The National Democratic party targeted Barrow to receive additional aid after he weathered one of the closest election contests of any Democrat in 2006. A 2005 Republican-led redistricting made his district more difficult territory by adding in new constituents and removing his hometown base of Athens.

Republicans also recruited a strong challenger in 2006, former Republican Rep. Max Burns. Burns cast Barrow as a liberal and an elitist, but Barrow stepped up efforts to connect to the new district, raise money, and promote his conservative record. Barrow won by 864 votes and Burns is not vying for a rematch.

Several Republicans have been campaigning for the seat, including John Stone, former congressional staffer for Burns and late Republican Rep. Charlie Norwood, as well as Ray McKinney, a mechanical engineer. Stone reported raising $60,000 since forming his campaign committee at the end of January and McKinney reported $35,000 raised, which included $17,000 of McKinney’s own money. Former Savannah radio personality Ben Crystal also recently indicated his interest in the GOP nomination.