Debra Shigley, the lone Democrat in the seven-way race, received about 40 percent of the vote, with Republicans Jason Dickerson and Steve West finishing neck-and-neck with 17.4 percent and 17.1 percent, respectively.
The turnout rate was low, with a 14 percent average across Cherokee and Fulton counties, adding up to about 21,000 votes cast.
Since Dickerson finished in second place for the predominantly Republican 21st district by a hair, he will advance to the September 23 runoff and face Shigley once again, the Georgia Recorder reported.
Shigley performed far better than Lillia Michelle Lionel, the Democrat who challenged Beach last year, garnering nearly 10 points more than Lionel did then.
“My team and I are more than ready to continue this historic momentum,” Shigley said in a statement obtained by the outlet. “I am very proud of the campaign we have run so far, and it is clear that our vision — for an affordable, healthy, educated Georgia where working families can thrive — is resonating with our neighbors.”
The attorney and small business owner has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), and several progressive groups including Reproductive Freedom for All and Georgia Senate Democrats.
State Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte (R) congratulated Dickerson, president of private investment firm Purple Chip Capital Management, for advancing to the upcoming runoff.
“Congratulations to Jason Dickerson on advancing to the Special Election Runoff for State Senate District 21! He ran an impressive campaign, competing against five fellow Republicans in this deep-red district,” Anavitarte wrote on the Georgia Senate Republicans X page.
“Our caucus is united in support of Jason Dickerson as he now stands in direct contrast to an out-of-touch Democrat opponent. We are confident he will prevail on September 23 and help keep our conservative Senate majority strong,” he added.
While Republican voters were split between Dickerson and West on Tuesday while Democrats fell behind their candidate, Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon said that Republican support will consolidate behind Dickerson in the runoff.
“It’s really dangerous to read a lot into a special election,” he told the Georgia Recorder. “This is an election taking place in the dead of summer. People are returning from summer vacation. People don’t know there’s an election. They’re not used to voting at this time of year.”
Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey appeared optimistic that Shigley could carry Democrats to flip the red seat.
“Debra was the top vote-getter in a deep-red district against a field of six Republicans — a testament not only to Debra’s strong leadership and bold vision for Senate District 21, but to the undeniable Democratic momentum building across our state,” he said in a statement. “Now it’s time to carry this momentum forward into the runoff.”
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
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