Thomas defeats longtime Democrat in Georgia House runoff

ATLANTA (AP) — Challenger Mandisha Thomas has defeated longtime House member Sharon Beasley-Teague in a Democratic runoff in House District 65, which includes southern Fulton County and a sliver of Douglas County.

Beasley-Teague has been in the House since 1993. She led Thomas in the June primary, but didn’t win a majority in a three-way race. Thomas faces no other opposition in the November general election, making it likely that she will win the seat.

Incumbent Michelle Henson is trailing challenger Zulma Lopez in House District 86, but DeKalb County officials are still counting absentee ballots.

Two other incumbents in the 180-member House lost in primaries in June. Pastor and bank manager Sharon Henderson beat five-term Conyers Democrat Pam Dickerson in House District 113 in the eastern Atlanta suburbs. Three-term Republican Jeff Jones of Brunswick lost to former House member Buddy DeLoach in House District 167 on the Georgia coast.

No incumbents in the 56-member state Senate lost primaries.