Party activist Carmen Rice overcomes financial disadvantage to win Republican House 139 race

COLUMBUS, Ga. ( WRBL ) — Former Muscogee County Republican Party Chairman Carmen Rice overcame long odds and significant financial disadvantage to beat Columbus businessman Sean Knox in Tuesday’s Republican primary.

The Georgia Secretary of State reports Rice won 57 to 43 percent. She had 2,202 votes to 1,678 for Knox.

“That’s the whole Rice campaign right there,” said Carmen Rice supporter Mary Heisey. “Big money doesn’t always have to win. Hard work can win every time. So, people need to get out and vote and run.”

That’s what Heisey had to say as the campaign got word tonight that Rice had defeated Knox in the House race that included parts of Muscogee and Harris Counties. She will face independent and Democratic opposition in November. District 139 is heavily Republican.

Rice won a special election two weeks ago to claim the job for the rest of the year. Knox outspent Rice by more than $100,000 dollars, but all of that money did not translate into a victory in a deeply conservative district.

Here’s what a victorious Rice had to say a few hours ago when WRBL told her she had won.

“So, I credit that to I really got out and whether it was in groups, small groups and community groups or it was that door to door is talking to the people in the county, getting out that face to face time with them,” said Rice. “And I think that pulled the vote in. That was my favorite part of the campaign, was getting to know people hear about their concerns because if I’m going there to work for them, I need to hear their concerns firsthand.”

Rice was the top vote-getter in Harris and Muscogee counties.

The seat has not seen a lot of turnover for almost six decades. It has been held by two people Tom Buck and Richard Smith. Both were influential and powerful state legislators.

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