A special election to determine the member of the United States House of Representatives for Georgia's 6th congressional district was held on April 18, 2017, with a runoff held two months later on June 20. Republican Karen Handel narrowly defeated Democrat Jon Ossoff in the runoff vote, 51.8% to 48.2%. Handel succeeded Tom Price, who resigned from the seat following his confirmation as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump Administration. The runoff election was necessary when no individual candidate earned the majority of votes in the election on April 18. Ossoff received 48.1% of the vote in the first round, followed by Handel with 19.8%.
Georgia's state law requires the Governor of Georgia to call for a special election to be held at least 30 days after a vacancy. Following Price's resignation, Governor Nathan Deal called for the special election to be held on April 18, with a filing window for prospective candidates from February 13 to 15, 2017. All candidates ran on one ballot, with a runoff election scheduled for the first- and second-place finishers, if no candidate received 50% of the vote. Neither Ossoff nor Handel received a majority, and despite the Democratic Ossoff's finishing nearly 30 points ahead in the first round, Republican Handel nonetheless prevailed in the runoff election, though she would ultimately lose reelection in 2018 to Democrat Lucy McBath. Ossoff would later go on to be elected a United States Senator, defeating incumbent David Perdue in the 2021 runoff election, becoming the first Jewish senator from Georgia, the first millennial elected to the Senate, and the youngest Democratic Senator elected since Joe Biden in 1972.
The election attracted exceptional national interest, with both major parties perceiving it as an opportunity to shape the political narrative prior to the 2018 midterm elections. The district has a history of favoring GOP House candidates by large margins, but Trump won it by just 1% in 2016, making Democrats hopeful to win a normally strong GOP district. A total of $50 million was spent as of the close of early-voting period on June 17, making it the most expensive House election in history. Of that, more than $40 million was spent on television and radio advertising alone, smashing past House election records. A very high number of voters—140,000—cast ballots during the runoff-election early-voting period.
Candidates
Republican Party
Declared
David Abroms, businessman
Mohammad Ali Bhuiyan, economist
Keith Grawert, former USAF pilot
Bob Gray, businessman and Johns Creek City councilman
Karen Handel, former Secretary of State of Georgia, candidate for Governor in 2010, and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014 Judson Hill, former State Senator Bruce LeVell, businessman Amy Kremer, tea party activist William Llop, certified public accountant and candidate for GA-11 in 2012 and 2016 Dan Moody, former state senator Kurt Wilson, businessman
Withdrew
Donnie Bolena, candidate for Mayor of Sandy Springs in 2009
S.M. Abu Zahed, aviation engineer
Declined
John Albers, state senator
Brandon Beach, state senator
John Isakson Jr., real estate developer and son of U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson
Cade Joiner, small business owner
Jan Jones, State Representative
Chuck Martin, state representative
Rusty Paul, Mayor of Sandy Springs, former state senator and former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party Betty Price, state representative and wife of Tom Price Kelly Stewart, former Johns Creek City councilwoman
Democratic Party
Declared
Ragin Edwards, sales senior manager
Richard Keatley, college professor and former officer in the Navy
Jon Ossoff, filmmaker, media executive, investigative journalist, former congressional aide Rebecca Quigg, physician Ron Slotin, former state senator and candidate for GA-04 in 1996
Withdrew
Sally Harrell, former state representative (endorsed Jon Ossoff) Josh McLaurin, attorney (endorsed Jon Ossoff)
Declined
Taylor Bennett, former state representative
Scott Holcomb, state representative
Rob Teilhet, former state representative and candidate for attorney general in 2010