CORRECTION THE NAME TO DEBRA - Democratic state Senate candidate Debra Shigley poses for a photo in Canton, Ga. Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlotte Kramon)
Campaign signs for Georgia's Senate District 21 race are displayed, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Milton, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlotte Kramon)
Campaign signs for Georgia's Senate District 21 race are displayed, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Milton, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlotte Kramon)
This photo provided by Jason Dickerson shows Georgia Republican state senate candidate Jason Dickerson poses for a portrait in Milton, Ga., 2021. (J. King Images via AP)
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (AP) — A GOP business owner won a Georgia state Senate race Tuesday over a Democrat who drew national attention for a better-than-expected showing in a special election last month.
Republican Jason Dickerson bested Democrat Debra Shigley in the runoff after no candidate in a seven-person field won a majority to take the seat outright in August.
Dickerson, who had a big lead in unofficial results, declared victory Tuesday night, and Shigley conceded.
“Conservatives in District 21 sent a strong message: woke liberal ideology has no place here,†Dickerson said in a statement. “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.â€
Dickerson, who self-funded his campaign and promised to lower taxes and support stricter immigration policies. will replace former Republican state , who was drafted by President Donald Trump to be U.S. treasurer. won the seat north of Atlanta with more than 70% of the vote in 2024.
Shigley’s finish in the August election drew attention from Democrats nationally, who said it was a sign of Democratic enthusiasm and frustration with Trump’s policies. On Saturday, Democratic ºÃÉ«tv Committee Chair traveled to Georgia to campaign with Shigley in Alpharetta, a bustling suburb 26 miles (42 kilometers) north of Atlanta.
said grassroots organizing built momentum that could help them flip seats in 2026 races for governor, U.S. senator and other offices.
Shigley, the only Democrat in the special election, won 40% of the vote in the heavily Republican district. Georgia Republican political strategist Brian Robinson said Democrats generally perform well in low-turnout races like that one.
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Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
The ºÃÉ«tv Press. All rights reserved.
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