Republican poll finds Karen Handel losing support in her rematch with Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath

Georgia Republican Karen Handel (left) and Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath

The NRCC has publicized a poll from North Star Opinion Research that not only shows freshman Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath leading Republican Karen Handel in Georgia’s 6th District, it also finds Handel losing support since April. The new survey has McBath up 48-46, while it was Handel who was ahead 49-47 in North Star’s older poll. We haven’t seen any other numbers here.

The NRCC, in what seems to have already become a tradition for Republicans, also did not include presidential numbers in either of these two polls. If Team Red did ask respondents about that contest, though, we doubt they’d like the result.

This ancestrally red seat in Atlanta’s affluent northern suburbs went from 61-37 Romney to 48-47 Trump, and, despite the taint of Republican voter suppression that marred her election, Democrat Stacey Abrams carried it 51.0-47.5 during the 2018 contest for governor; McBath also unseated Handel 50.5-49.5 in a 2018 upset. Well-educated suburban areas like this have only become more hostile to Team Red since then, so this is unlikely to be friendly turf for Trump this fall.

And while McBath was the underdog during her last race, she now has a massive financial edge over the former congresswoman. McBath outraised Handel $1.45 million to $522,000 during the second quarter of 2020, and the incumbent ended June with a $3.8 million to $1.2 million cash-on-hand lead.

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