Four Democrats to debate for 7th District nomination before primary

About 37,000 Forsyth County voters who were reassigned under the new district map got a first chance Friday night to compare the four Democrats seeking Georgia’s 7th Congressional District nomination. Case Norton, Jayson Toweh, Larry Long and Tony Kozycki took part in the debate hosted by the 7th Congressional District Democrats as the party tries to settle on a challenger to incumbent Republican Rich McCormick.

The timing matters in Forsyth County because the county is now fully inside Georgia’s 7th Congressional District, effective Jan. 1, 2025. County officials said roughly 37,000 registered voters were moved to different precincts after district-line changes approved in December 2023, a shift that changed where many residents now cast ballots and which congressional race will shape their vote in November.

The district now includes all of Dawson, Forsyth and Lumpkin counties, along with parts of Cherokee, Fulton and Hall counties. McCormick, who defeated Democrat Bob Christian in the 2024 general election, took office in the 7th District on Jan. 3, 2025, giving Republicans the edge for now as Democrats look for a nominee who can make the race competitive in the fall.

The Democratic primary is set for May 19, 2026, with a runoff on June 16 if no candidate wins outright. The general election follows on Nov. 3, 2026. That calendar gives voters only a short stretch after the debate and before early voting to weigh how each Democrat would approach the issues that hit home most directly, including transportation, housing affordability, immigration, abortion and federal spending.

For Forsyth voters, the race is about more than party label. The county’s new place in the 7th District means the next member of Congress will represent communities that have been pulled together under a map drawn after federal court rulings, with local precinct changes already affecting how thousands of residents navigate elections. The debate was one of the clearest chances before the primary for Democrats to make their case to voters who will decide whether McCormick faces a familiar challenger or a new one in November.