ATHENS, Ga., April 30 (UPI) -- Two redrawn congressional districts in Georgia may help Republicans maintain control of the U.S. House this year, The Washington Times reported.
Georgia's 8th and 12th districts are currently held by Democratic incumbents but were redrawn last year to the benefit of Republicans.
Two former Republican congressmen are running in the districts, which now reach deeper into more conservative territory, the newspaper said.
Republican Mac Collins is running in the 8th District, currently represented by Jim Marshall. Max Burns is running to unseat Democrat John Barrow in the 13th.
"Republicans scored two of our top recruitment candidates in Collins and Burns," said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Jonathan Collegio.
Part of the new 8th District includes areas held by Collins when he previously served in Congress. President George W. Bush carried the newly redrawn district, 61 percent to 39 percent, in 2004.
Burns served one term in the 12th before losing to Barrow in 2004 by four percentage points. Republicans hope Barrow will be hurt by the loss of white liberal voters, resulting from the removal of Athens, a university town, from the district.
