In this well-heeled, highly educated district north of Atlanta, the NY tycoon only beat Ms Clinton by less than two points in the presidential election, and many believed there were plenty of Republicans who disliked the brash New Yorker enough to be won over.
That did not stop Trump from weighing in on Twitter, urging voters to support Handel before the election and celebrating her victory afterward.
"If you're using Donald Trump as your basis for your campaign, I don't know if it's working", she said.
Handel thanked Trump on Tuesday at her victory rally, where a boisterous crowd chanted the president's name.
Tuesday night's outcome in a Georgia special House race was a triumph for the GOP, and the most recent, and devastating, illustration of the Democrats' problems, from a weak bench and recruiting problems to divisions about what the party stands for.
Astoundingly, there was more than $50 million spent in this election by the candidates and special interest groups - $20 million more than the previous congressional record. "And I will work just as hard to earn your confidence in the weeks and months ahead".
Trump predicted Handel's win as early as April 17, when he said that a runoff will lead to a win.
For Republicans, Handel's win had to offer some reassurance in Washington.
What trading the No.1 Overall pick means for the Celtics' future
With Thomas, though, the Celtics didn't necessarily need a point guard - which is the piece Philadelphia apparently wanted most. With a move like this, they could potentially have two first round picks and a second round pick, as well.
"Defeating Republicans in districts that they have traditionally held requires doing something drastically different than establishment Democrats have done before - specifically, running on a bold progressive vision and investing heavily in direct voter contact", said Jim Dean, chair of Democracy for America.
"Ralph Norman ran a fantastic race to win in the Great State of South Carolina's 5th District".
Ossoff told his supporters: "The fight goes on".
Prominent Democrats said the party needed to rethink its approach.
While the White House had played down the national importance of the Georgia race, Trump had gone all in on Handel, and the Republican Party no doubt sees the victory as a shot in the arm as it prepares to fight to preserve its control of Congress in next year's mid-term elections.
Ossoff tried to flip the Atlanta suburbs that Republican Tom Price left to become Trump's health secretary. Jon Ossoff's best chance to win was to increase his support in Democrat-friendly Dekalb County, but a flood in that area helped suppress voter turnout in the southern part of the Sixth District, dooming Ossoff's chances and keeping the seat in Republican hands.
But while Republicans were facing a sobering reminder of their president's poor approval ratings, Handel steadied the ship in a district that only narrowly backed Trump in last November's vote.
The staunch pro-lifer's tenure as a senior vice president at Susan G. Komen for the Cure also culminated in controversy: Handel resigned from her post in 2012 after the foundation backtracked on a decision to yank funding from Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions as one of its many services.
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