Karen Handel Sworn Into Office

By Craig Johnson

ROSWELL, GA -- After a tough, drawn out battle for Georgia's 6th Congressional District, Republican Karen Handel has taken the oath of office to become one of the newest elected officials in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Handel was sworn into office early Monday evening to represent the 6th District, which includes north Fulton and parts of East Cobb and DeKalb counties. Monday's swearing-in ceremony is historic, as Handel is the first female Republican from Georgia to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Handel defeated Democrat and first-time candidate Jon Ossoff in the runoff election last week in a campaign that was closely watched by Washington's elite, including President Donald Trump, who promoted Handel's bid on Twitter and visited Georgia to raise funds for her campaign.

Handel succeeds Tom Price, who held the seat for several years before he was nominated by Trump to serve as the country's health secretary. Her victory ensures the seat will remain in GOP hands until at least the 2018 midterm elections.

The 6th District campaign became the most expensive House race in U.S. history, topping $50 million in overall spending and putting Georgia on the minds of voters across the country.

Handel said she will go right to work on the issues that matter to her constituents.

"I remain humbled by this extraordinary privilege to serve the citizens of Georgia’s Sixth District, and I look forward to getting right to work for them this week," she said in a statement.

Handel joins a Congress in a morass over the nation's health care. The Senate's controversial health care bill is up for a vote in the coming days, with a handful of GOP lawmakers coming out against the legislation.

Image via Handel campaign