House District 138
GEOGRAPHIC AREA
- County: Chattahoochee, Marion, Schley and Sumpter counties
- Metro Area/Region: Americus and Columbus areas
- Cities/Towns/Areas: Americus, Andersonville, Buena Vista, Ellaville and Plains
DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
- Population: 53,668
- Median Household Income: $36,700
- Education:
- Completed High School 55%
- Completed College/Beyond 23.9%
- Race:
- White 49.8%
- Black 39.5%
- Hispanic 7%
- Asian 1.6%
POLITICAL AREA
- Congressional District(s): GA-2
- GA Senate District: SD-12, SD-13 and SD-15
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
| 2016 | Clinton 44.79% | Trump 53.44% | Margin=R+8.7% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Obama 49.61% | Romney 49.57% | Margin=0% |
DISTRICT ELECTION RESULTS
| Year | Candidate | Percentage | Vote Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Bill McGowan (D) |
50.82% | 7,661 |
| Mike Cheokas (R) |
49.18% | 7,917 | |
| 2014 | Mike Cheokas (R) |
52.3% | 5,771 |
| Kevin Brown (D) |
47.4 | 5,253 | |
| 2012 | Mike Cheokas (R) |
50.7% | 7,893 |
| Kevin Brown (D) |
49.3% | 7,893 |
CANDIDATES
- Democratic Candidate: Bardin Hooks (D)
- Campaign Website: hooksforhouse.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/hooksforhouse
- Twitter: twitter.com/@HooksforHouse
- Republican Candidate: Mike Cheokas (R)
- Campaign Website: N/A
- Facebook: facebook.com/mikecheokas
- Twitter: N/A
FOLLOW THE MONEY
Progressive Bill McGowan raised $22,084 to defeat the incumbent Mike Cheokas. Cheokas was a seven-term incumbent, who raised $219,027 during the 2016 campaign.
NOTES AND SUMMARY
This district has long been considered a swing district. The Georgia House representative for this district from 2004 to 2016 was Mike Cheokas (R), who switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party. Cheokas had a Democratic opponent in 2012 and 2014, but won narrow victories of 51 percent and 52 percent respectively. In 2016, Cheokas was opposed by Bill McGowan (D), and lost with 49 percent of the vote to McGowan's 51 percent. Shortly thereafter, Cheokas was appointed to the Georgia School Board by Gov. Nathan Deal.
McGowan is a former mayor of Americus, a grandfather, Vietnam veteran, Baptist, and Kiwanis/Shriner/
Mason/American Legion/VFW member. He ran on a platform of supporting education and economic development in the area. A key factor in McGowan's victory was his opposition to Gov. Deal's failed Opportunity School Districts Amendment that would have allowed temporary state takeover of failing schools. Cheokas' supported the amendment. This was unpopular with voters across the state. McGowan characterized it as a "hostile takeover" of local schools.
McGowan has announced he will not run in 2018. He has endorsed progressive candidate Bardin Hooks. Hooks is an attorney in Americus with deep roots in the area (his family has lived in Americus for seven generations). Before entering private practice Hooks served as assistant attorney general in Georgia.
Conservative and former representative of this district Cheokas (R) is also running. Since losing to McGowan in 2016, he has been serving on Georgia’s School Board.
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)
Mike Cheokas (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
Bardin Hooks (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