MACON, Ga. — All eyes are on Georgia's Congressional District 2 race which has been called the state's most highly contested U.S. House races this year.
The district stretches from Macon to Columbus and all the way down to the south Georgia line.
Representative Sanford Bishop has held the seat for nearly three decades. Now, he's vying against Thomasville Republican Chris West.
The district has already shown surprises this election season. Back in the primary, voters nominated attorney and developer Chris West over West Point graduate Jeremy Hunt.
Now, the political newcomer will face off against 30-year congressional veteran Sanford Bishop.
It's being called the state's tightest U.S. House race.
Analysts say Republicans now have a bigger chance of gaining the seat in Congress, and it's thanks to state Republican leaders redistricting in 2021.
"Because southwest Georgia has not grown as rapidly as the rest of the state you had to expand the district. So you had to bring 100,000 people or so into the district. For those 100,000 or so new voters, that's an open seat," said Charles Bullock, University of Georgia political science professor.
"There's more metro population brought into the district from north Columbus. They're more likely to report Republican," said Chris Grant, a Mercer University political science professor.
Bullock and Grant both say this is Bishop's biggest challenger since 2010 when he narrowly won against State Representative Mike Keown.
"Republicans see this as an opportunity between the new voters being brought into the district, and the fact that Congressman Bishop has gotten older as an opportunity to be able to at least put some pressure on Congressman Bishop to retiring if not defeating him in this election," Grant said.
Both political analysts say West has an uphill climb in the race beginning with the fact he's a new face.
"In Congress, seniority is really important, and Sanford Bishop has a lot of it," Bullock said. "Whoever would replace him wouldn't have any of that, so I think thoughtful voters will look at that and say, 'Sanford has done a good job with the farmers and a good job with the veterans.'"
Also, a disadvantage for West is funding. According to the Federal Election Commission, West has a little over $396,861 compared to Bishop's over $1.9 million.
The general election is November 8.