Veteran Congressman Faces Stiff Challenge in Close Georgia Race

A file image of House Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Subcommittee ranking member Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) (R) greeting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottleib before a subcommittee hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on May 25, 2017. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The dean of Georgia’s Congressional delegation now faces the most formidable electoral challenge of his 30-year House tenure in a race said to be the closest in the Deep South.

Redistricting has put into play Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District, which Sanford Bishop has represented since 1992. The southwest Georgia district, extending from Columbus south to the Florida line and east to Macon, is one of farms and small towns, plus big military bases like Fort Benning and Warner Robins Air Force Base. It’s home to Plains, the birthplace of former President Jimmy Carter.