Kingston wins Georgia House seat left open by Carter

Republican Jim Kingston, the son of former Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), is projected to win Georgia’s 1st Congressional District, defeating Democrat Amanda Hollowell, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Kingston will succeed Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), who gave up his seat to launch a costly yet unsuccessful bid for Senate , where he finished third in the Republican runoff. Kingston’s father represented the same coastal Georgia district for more than two decades, from 1993 to 2015.

The Republican is projected to eke out a win over the Democrat — 50.7 percent to 49.31 — in the solid red district, per DDHQ.

The district, which includes Savannah and much of Georgia’s southern coast, has remained firmly in Republican hands for decades. President Trump, who endorsed Kingston ahead of the primary, carried the district by nearly 16 percentage points in 2025, while Carter won reelection that year by 24 points.

The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report had rated the district as “solid Republican,” making Kingston the favorite heading into the general election.

He won a crowded six-way Republican primary in May with just a little more than 52 percent of the vote, clearing the majority needed to avoid a runoff. His opponents included Pat Farrell, Kandiss Taylor and Brian Montgomery.

Trump described Kingston as a successful businessperson while praising his family’s support of the MAGA movement.

Kingston, 35, is a Savannah native and political newcomer who spent his professional career in the insurance industry, most recently serving as senior vice president at Marsh McLennan. He attended the University of Georgia from 2009 to 2013 but left before completing his degree to begin working full-time.

Kingston faced criticism from some of his Republican primary opponents over his lack of political experience and ties to his father, who became a lobbyist in Washington after leaving Congress.

The Republican campaigned on strengthening border security, cutting federal spending and regulations, protecting Georgia’s agricultural industry and expanding domestic energy production. He also called for lowering taxes and supporting immigration enforcement agencies.

Hollowell, a political strategist and community organizer, secured the Democratic nomination after defeating Joyce Marie Griggs in a June runoff. The Democrat serves as chief of campaigns at Color of Change, a national racial justice organization, and previously worked on voting rights and economic justice initiatives, including with former first lady Michelle Obama’s organization When We All Vote.