People in northwest Georgia elected a new Congressman Tuesday.

Tom Graves is a Republican with ties to the tea party.

Pledging to fight for what he calls market-based healthcare reform, toughen border security and expand drilling for oil, Tom Graves beat fellow Republican Lee Hawkins.

They were forced into a runoff last month, after each failed to get 50 percent of votes in a special election to replace Nathan Deal who stepped down to run for Governor.

Both candidates waged aggressive anti-Washington campaigns in one of the most conservative districts in the country.

Christian conservatives, Fair Tax champions and anti-tax groups rallied to choose between them, but it was Graves, a 40-year-old former state Representative, who took the endorsement of the Atlanta Tea Party.

He will be back on the campaign trail almost immediately, as he will need to qualify for re-election in a July primary.

Tags: election, Nathan Deal, tea party, conservative, runoff, vote, Tom Graves, Lee Hawkins, 9th District