House District 80
GEOGRAPHIC AREA
- County: DeKalb and Fulton Counties
- Metro Area/Region: Atlanta Area
- Cities/Towns/Areas: Brookhaven, Chamblee, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs
DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
- Population: 53,135
- Median Household Income: $79,300
- Education:
- Completed High School 24.2%
- Completed College/Beyond 67%
- Race:
- White 60.8%
- Black 10.2%
- Hispanic 19.4%
- Asian 7.6%
POLITICAL AREA
- Congressional District(s): GA-5, GA-6, GA-11
- GA Senate District: SD-6, SD-32, SD-40, SD-42
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
| 2016 | Clinton 54.21% | Trump 40.41% | Margin=D+13.8% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Obama 42.54% | Romney 55.68% | Margin=R+13.1% |
DISTRICT ELECTION RESULTS
| Year | Candidate | Percentage | Vote Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Meagan Hanson (R) |
50.8% | 12,386 |
| Taylor Bennett (D) |
49.42% | 12,100 | |
| 2014 | Michael J. Jacobs (R) |
100% | 11,280 |
| None |
N/A | N/A | |
| 2012 | Michael J. Jacobs (R) |
100% | 16,041 |
| None |
N/A | N/A |
CANDIDATES
- Incumbent: Megan Hanson (R)
- Campaign Website: hansonforhouse.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/RepMeaganHanson
- Twitter: twitter.com/@Meagan_M_Hanson
- Democratic Candidate: Matthew Wilson (D)
- Campaign Website: matthewforgeorgia.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/MatthewForGA
- Twitter: twitter.com/@mwilsonGA
FOLLOW THE MONEY
Republican Meagan Hanson raised a total of $181,452 for her race in 2016. She narrowly defeated incumbent Democrat Taylor J. Bennett, who had raised $179,182.
NOTES AND SUMMARY
In 2015, Republican incumbent Mike Jacobs vacated the seat after being appointed to a judgeship. Democrat Taylor Bennett was the top vote getter in a primary race against three Republican opponents but did not get 50 percent. He defeated J. Max Davis in the runoff, 54.5 percent to 45.5 percent. In the 2015 special election, Bennett won with a total of only 2715 votes, showing how important turnout is in this district.
In 2016, Megan Hanson (R) won the district by just 286 of over 24,000 cast votes. Hanson is the former chair of the State Public Affairs Committee for the Junior Leagues of Georgia. Active in the Republican Party for over 15 years, she worked for Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions handling military and foreign policy issues.
Matt Wilson (D) is a trial lawyer who lives in Brookhaven. He has the backing of Taylor Bennett, who lost by a slim margin to Hanson in 2016. Wilson, who is openly gay, is the legislative director for the State Bar Association and has been involved in prior gubernatorial campaigns .
This is a district which has long been considered a swing district. It has a shifting demographic, which concerns Republicans. It’s been called “the single-most 50/50 district” in Georgia.
Hillary Clinton won it by 13.8 percent in 2016.
All statements, answers, and information found within the 159 Georgia Together voter guide were collected via an electronic survey. Due to the sheer volume of information collected and the number of candidates that submitted survey data, all of the information presented in the guide is verbatim per the input from the survey participants (including any spelling or grammatical errors).
Megan Hanson (R)
TOP 3 PRIORITIES IF ELECTED
No response yet
DO YOU SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PREVENT BUSINESS OWNERS AND EMPLOYERS FROM DENYING SERVICES TO LGBTQ PEOPLE AND OTHERS BASED ON THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT ENDING CASH BAIL FOR LOW-LEVEL OFFENSES?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A NON-PARTISAN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION?
No response yet.
WOULD YOU SUPPORT AN ENGLISH-ONLY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IF IT WERE ON THE BALLOT?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT THE RIGHT OF WORKERS TO FORM A UNION AND BARGAIN COLLECTIVELY?
No response yet.
DID YOU/DO YOU SUPPORT GUNS ON CAMPUS?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT ELECTRICITY RATE INCREASES TO COMPLETE TWO NUCLEAR REACTORS AT PLANT VOGTLE?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT CHANGING GEORGIA'S VOTING SYSTEM TO A VOTER-MARKED (PEN OR PENCIL) PAPER BALLOT WITH OPTICAL SCANNERS?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF EARLY VOTING?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT PUBLIC VOUCHERS BEING USED FOR PRIVATE AND/OR CHARTER SCHOOLS?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT MEDICAID EXPANSION OR ANOTHER GEORGIA-SPECIFIC PLAN TO EXTEND HEALTH INSURANCE TO LOW-INCOME GEORGIANS?
No response yet.
WILL YOU SUPPORT POLICIES AND LEGISLATION THAT INCREASE ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE, INCLUDING ABORTION, AND OPPOSE POLICIES AND LEGISLATION THAT LIMIT OR REDUCE ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE, INCLUDING ABORTION?
No response yet.
WOULD YOU SUPPORT EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN SOCIAL SECURITY FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE RETIREES AND PUT THE PROGRAM ON A MORE STABLE FISCAL PATH?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT A LIVABLE WAGE OF A MINIMUM OF $15 PER HOUR?
No response yet.
Matthew Wilson (D)
TOP 3 PRIORITIES IF ELECTED
No response yet
DO YOU SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PREVENT BUSINESS OWNERS AND EMPLOYERS FROM DENYING SERVICES TO LGBTQ PEOPLE AND OTHERS BASED ON THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT ENDING CASH BAIL FOR LOW-LEVEL OFFENSES?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A NON-PARTISAN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION?
No response yet.
WOULD YOU SUPPORT AN ENGLISH-ONLY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IF IT WERE ON THE BALLOT?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT THE RIGHT OF WORKERS TO FORM A UNION AND BARGAIN COLLECTIVELY?
No response yet.
DID YOU/DO YOU SUPPORT GUNS ON CAMPUS?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT ELECTRICITY RATE INCREASES TO COMPLETE TWO NUCLEAR REACTORS AT PLANT VOGTLE?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT CHANGING GEORGIA'S VOTING SYSTEM TO A VOTER-MARKED (PEN OR PENCIL) PAPER BALLOT WITH OPTICAL SCANNERS?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF EARLY VOTING?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT PUBLIC VOUCHERS BEING USED FOR PRIVATE AND/OR CHARTER SCHOOLS?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT MEDICAID EXPANSION OR ANOTHER GEORGIA-SPECIFIC PLAN TO EXTEND HEALTH INSURANCE TO LOW-INCOME GEORGIANS?
No response yet.
WILL YOU SUPPORT POLICIES AND LEGISLATION THAT INCREASE ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE, INCLUDING ABORTION, AND OPPOSE POLICIES AND LEGISLATION THAT LIMIT OR REDUCE ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE, INCLUDING ABORTION?
No response yet.
WOULD YOU SUPPORT EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN SOCIAL SECURITY FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE RETIREES AND PUT THE PROGRAM ON A MORE STABLE FISCAL PATH?
No response yet.
DO YOU SUPPORT A LIVABLE WAGE OF A MINIMUM OF $15 PER HOUR?
No response yet.