Republican dashes Democrat hopes, secures contested Georgia Senate special election

After Georgia Democrats expressed confidence in their chances to win a state Senate special election leading up to the vote on Tuesday, the Republican candidate came out on top.

Deep-red District 21 elected Republican Jason Dickerson over Democrat Debra Shigley in the special election.

'Conservatives in District 21 sent a strong message: Woke liberal ideology has no place here.'

Dickerson won by a margin of just over 7,000 votes, collecting just under 62% of the total.

In the August special election for the seat, Shigley put up better numbers than expected in the seven-candidate race. However, no candidate won a majority, triggering the September 23 special election.

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Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

Shigley's initial success drew national attention to the deep-red state Senate race, with DNC Chairman Ken Martin even traveling to Georgia to campaign with the Democrat candidate on Saturday, the Washington Examiner reported.

“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,” Shigley said in a statement.

"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.

Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon celebrated the retention of the long-held Republican seat. “We knew from the start this election would come down to turnout,” he said. “By meeting voters directly on their phones and online, we cut through the noise and drove Republicans to the polls. Our digital ground game made the difference.”

President Trump tapped the incumbent state Senator Brandon Beach to assume the office of U.S. treasurer earlier this year. Beach vacated the seat, which he had held since 2013, on May 5.

Dickerson's win on Tuesday solidifies the Republican majority of 33 to 23 in the Georgia Senate, though the margin has been shrinking since 2018.

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