U.S. House, Georgia 4th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Georgia's 4th Congressional District?
Hank Johnson has the strongest record in Georgia's 4th Congressional District. Hank Johnson scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Hank Johnson's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jim Duffie (0 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Jim Duffie
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 0 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- NR
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Hank Johnson
On the ballot as Henry "Hank" Johnson, Jr.
65 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 85
- Performance
- 50
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Jim Duffie
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Hank Johnson
- Mark against2009-06-01
The FEC assessed his campaign committee a $2,700 administrative fine for a late 2008 post-general report; paid in full in 2009.
Source: FEC Administrative Fine 2034
- On the record2021-07-22
Arrested July 22, 2021 at a voting rights protest outside a Senate office building for crowding, obstructing or incommoding; paid a $50 fine. The Ethics Committee took no further action.
- Credit2022-08-09
Sponsored the Cybersecurity Opportunity Act (H.R. 5593); its provisions were enacted in the CHIPS Act of 2022, signed Aug. 9, 2022.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed May 15, 2026, and FEC reports are on file through June 30, 2026. No current FEC administrative fine or Ethics Committee finding found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10078365, FEC candidate page
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. Held five public events in 2025, including an in-person town hall in Lawrenceville on May 28, 2025 and telephone town halls in March and October. No 2026 debate with Jim Duffie found.
Sources: Office site, May 28 town hall page, Office site, Hank Live Events
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. A former DeKalb County commissioner and in Congress since 2007. The Ethics Committee reviewed his July 2021 protest arrest and took no further action. No censure or reprimand found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Hank Johnson, House Committee on Ethics, Report 117-112
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. Has held sworn office since 2001 and in Congress since 2007. Raised no objection in January 2017 and voted Nay on both January 2021 objections; no misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. In the U.S. House since January 2007, seeking an 11th term; earlier a DeKalb County commissioner.
Source: Ballotpedia, Hank Johnson
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. Ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet. Primary sponsor of 9 enacted bills.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. Publishes a newsletter (The Hank Herald), posts town hall recordings and publishes issue pages. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, Office site, Issues, Ballotpedia, Hank Johnson
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. Practiced law in Decatur for more than 25 years and served on the DeKalb County Commission. FEC by-state totals show about 69 percent of itemized individual contributions from Georgia.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Hank Johnson, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. The only FEC administrative fine found dates from 2009, beyond the 10-year window (E1).
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. Legislative Effectiveness Score 0.149 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.556, below expectations. Raised to 2 under E14: his Cybersecurity Opportunity Act was enacted in the CHIPS Act of 2022.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 5593 (117th Congress)
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. Missed 472 of 12,745 roll call votes, 3.7 percent, from January 2007 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. Runs a district office in Decatur, offers help with federal agencies and posts recordings of his town halls.
Source: Office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.09401 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 349th of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Jim Duffie. No public record found.
Hank Johnson. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Georgia's 4th Congressional District?
Hank Johnson has the strongest record in Georgia's 4th Congressional District. Hank Johnson scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Hank Johnson's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jim Duffie (0 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Georgia's 4th Congressional District in 2026?
Jim Duffie (Republican), Hank Johnson (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Jim Duffie a good candidate for Congress?
Jim Duffie has public evidence on 0 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Hank Johnson a good candidate for Congress?
Hank Johnson scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Georgia race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Georgia 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.