ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — Voters in two south Georgia congressional districts will elect U.S. House members in the Nov. 3 midterm election. House members represent their district in Washington - voting on federal laws and the federal budget. They serve two-year terms.

STATEWIDE ELECTION RESULTS

District 8 covers part of middle and south Georgia - including Coffee, Tift, and Colquitt counties. District 2 covers southwest Georgia - including Lee and Dougherty counties.

District 8

Austin Scott (R)

Scott, the incumbent since 2011, was born in Augusta. He earned a B.B.A. in risk management and insurance from the University of Georgia in 1993 and owned an insurance brokerage for nearly 20 years, according to Ballotpedia and CNN.

He served in the Georgia House from 1997 to 2010, and now sits on the Agriculture, Armed Services, Intelligence, and Rules committees, according to his official House biography.

He says he is running for reelection as a committed conservative to represent Georgia values and free-market principles, according to his official House website.

Where he stands, according to his official House webpage:

• Agriculture and rural development: Back farmers, Farm Bill programs, rural broadband and electrification, and Georgia commodities including peanuts, pecans, and poultry
• Fiscal policy: Lower spending, reduced debt, and free-market growth
• Defense and veterans: Support a strong national defense and veterans’ services through Armed Services work
• Social issues: Support pro-life policies, defend Second Amendment rights, and take conservative stances on education, energy, immigration, and health care

Kelly Esti (D)

Esti grew up in rural Mississippi and graduated high school as salutatorian in 1999. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1999 to 2002 as a nuclear-trained sailor.

He earned a bachelor’s from Ottawa University, an MBA in finance from Webster University, and a Ph.D. in public policy from Walden University, according to Ballotpedia and his LinkedIn profile. He has worked as a Delta Air Lines operations analyst, and as CFO and co-owner of a small business.

He says he wants to bring policy experience back to rural areas that are often left behind, and to be more visible and accessible than the incumbent, according to WALB.

Where he stands, according to his campaign website and Ballotpedia survey:

• Community presence: Commit to regular town halls and civic-engagement centers to teach civics and voting
• Affordability and equity: Lower everyday health care costs, and have wealthy individuals and large corporations pay their fair share for infrastructure, rural fiber internet, and education
• Healthcare: Expand access, affordability, and reliability, citing rural shortages and his family’s experience with Medicaid and Social Security
• Veterans and military families: Ensure access to VA care, benefits, housing, and family support, especially near Robins AFB
• Transit and infrastructure: Back Georgia intrastate transit from Valdosta to Chattanooga, and help local governments modernize power grids and water systems

District 2

Sanford Bishop (D)

Bishop, the incumbent since 1993, was born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1947. He earned his bachelor’s from Morehouse College and his law degree from Emory, then worked as a lawyer.

He served in the Georgia House and Senate before Congress, and now sits on the House Appropriations Committee, according to Ballotpedia and his House page. He lives in Albany.

He is seeking reelection to continue serving southwest Georgia communities, military families, and rural needs, according to his campaign website and WALB coverage.

Where he stands, according to his campaign website and WALB coverage:

• Military families and defense: Fund military housing, education and childcare for families, spouse employment, and Guard and Reserve readiness
• Rural health and budget: Warn that Medicare and budget cuts would hurt rural hospitals and force patients to travel farther for care
• Economy and agriculture: Support jobs, rural broadband, farm programs, and resources for southwest Georgia through Appropriations work
• Energy and environment: Promote conservation, energy efficiency, alternative energy, expanded domestic supply, and consumer protection from high costs

Matt Day (R)

Day was born and raised in a blue-collar Christian family in southeast Georgia, where his parents ran a small glass business and a cattle farm.

He attended South Georgia College and East Central Tech, then took over the family farm and business at 20 after his father died and his mother was diagnosed with cancer, according to his campaign website. He founded Glaziers on Demand in 2013, and expanded to construction trades and manufacturing staffing.

He says he wants to make life affordable again for Georgians hurt by a divided Washington, and to hold Congress accountable with common sense and service, according to his campaign website and WALB.

Where he stands, according to his campaign website, LinkedIn profile, and WALB coverage:

• Affordability and accountability: Hold leaders accountable, and oppose corporate welfare that shifts costs to individuals
• Taxes and budget: Eliminate income and property taxes for citizens, cut business taxes and regulation, balance the federal budget, and add revenue to fund Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
• Justice and public safety: Target cartels and drugs, protect gun rights, support law enforcement, and reform prisons for re-entry
• Agriculture and local issues: Support beef producers over imports, protect timber and ports, oppose UNESCO oversight of the Okefenokee, and back independent pharmacies

NATIONAL ELECTION RESULTS

Information for this story comes from Austin Scott’s Ballotpedia profile, CNN’s background on Scott, his official House biography and issues page, Kelly Esti’s Ballotpedia survey, his campaign website, his LinkedIn profile, and WALB’s 8th District primary report, Sanford Bishop’s Ballotpedia profile, his House About page, his campaign website, WALB’s military-families report and budget town-hall report, Matt Day’s campaign website, his LinkedIn profile, and WALB’s affordability report. Early voting information and sample ballots can be found at Georgia’s My Voter Page.

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