ATLANTA – Cobb County lawyer Jake Evans announced his candidacy Tuesday for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District seat.
Evans, a Republican, recently stepped down as chairman of the state ethics commission to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath of Roswell next year
In his announcement, Evans described McBath as a single-issue candidate for her championing of gun control legislation. McBath was elected to Congress in 2018 after losing her son to gun violence in 2012.
“The Northern Arc of metro Atlanta is a thriving, dynamic region that cares about education, public safety, national defense and fair trade,” Evans said. “But we’re stuck with a member of Congress who only cares about one issue – taking away the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans and leaving them defenseless against out-of-control crime. We need change, and I’m here to offer bold, conservative leadership.”
The 6th District, which includes East Cobb, North Fulton and North DeKalb counties, was once a conservative bastion that sent former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to Congress in 1978. The district was later represented by Republican Johnny Isakson before he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004.
More recently, the district’s increasingly diverse population led to the election of Democrat McBath, who defeated Republican incumbent Karen Handel in 2018 and won a rematch between the two last year.
Evans is the third Republican to enter the 6th District race. Former state Rep. Meagan Hanson and Eric Welsh, a retired U.S. Army colonel and former Coca-Cola executive, are vying for the GOP nomination to oppose McBath.