Biography:

Johnny Isakson was born in Atlanta, and resides in Marietta, Ga. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia in 1966. He was a real estate executive and served as the president of Northside Realty from 1979 to 1999.

He won a special election in 1999 to fill the U.S. House seat vacated by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Isakson is retiring from Congress in 2004 to run for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring incumbent Sen. Zell Miller.

He and his wife Dianne have three grown children.

Past Campaigns:

Johnny Isakson served in the Georgia House from 1977 to 1990. In 1990, he was the Republican gubernatorial nominee, but lost to Zell Miller, 53 percent to 45 percent. From 1993-1995, he served in the Georgia Senate.

In 1996, he launched a failed campaign for the U.S. Senate, losing the Republican primary runoff to businessman Guy Millner in an election that turned largely on abortion. Millner opposed abortion except in cases of rape or incest or to save the mother's life. Isakson was pro-choice.

Millner lost the general election to Democrat Max Cleland for the right to take Sam Nunn's former seat.

Isakson was appointed to the state school board in December of 1996 and served until December 1998.

In 2000, he won his first full two-year term to the House in his race against Democrat Brett DeHart with 75 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in 2002.

Isakson is making a bid for the Senate in 2004 and will not seek re-election to the House. In July 2004, he fended off challenges from black businessman Herman Cain and fellow Congressman Mac Collins to win his primary without a runoff.

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