Georgia Republican Jason Dickerson won a special election to a state Senate seat on Tuesday, staving off a competitive Democratic challenge.
Dickerson defeated Debra Shigley by just over 7,000 votes, with a total of roughly 31,000 ballots cast. His victory secures the state Senate seat in District 21, which covers north Fulton and Cherokee counties, for the GOP after it was left unexpectedly vacant by former Sen. Brandon Beach earlier this year.
“Conservatives in District 21 sent a strong message: woke liberal ideology has no place here. I’m looking forward to taking office and fulfilling their mandate to champion the America First values that make us the greatest state to live, work, and raise a family,” Dickerson said in a statement.
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Dickerson bested Shigley after she pulled off a better-than-expected performance in the initial election in August. No candidate in a seven-person field won a majority to take the seat outright last month, triggering the runoff election this week.
The GOP sought to downplay the results, arguing Democrats generally perform well in low-turnout races such as the August special election and when their party doesn’t control the presidency.
However, national Democrats hailed Shigley’s performance as evidence that the party is making gains in the deep-red district. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin even traveled to Georgia to campaign with Shigley in Alpharetta on Saturday.
On Tuesday, Dickerson ended up capturing under 62% of the vote, down from his GOP predecessor’s 70% ballot share in the 2024 election.
Beach vacated the seat earlier this year after being appointed U.S. treasurer by President Donald Trump.
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In a statement Tuesday, Shigley said she had no regrets.
“I am incredibly proud of the campaign our team ran and thankful for every single person who volunteered their time fighting for a better Georgia,” the Democratic state Senate contender said.
