Voters will cast their final ballots in the runoff for a Georgia state Senate seat on Tuesday, after the Democratic nominee won an overwhelming number of the votes in late August.
The contest for Senate District 21, which is located north of Atlanta, is between Democrat Debra Shigley and Republican Jason Dickerson, after six GOP candidates vying for the seat did not gain enough ballots to win outright, a vote-splitting scenario that led to the strong Democratic performance.
Candidates are vying to replace Alpharetta Republican Sen. Brandon Beach, who stepped down to serve as U.S. Treasurer in the Trump administration.
Shigley was the lone Democrat in the Special Election, earning 40% of the total vote to Dickerson’s 17.4%. But Shigley, a small business owner and former attorney, is still the underdog in the deeply conservative district.
While Democrats are hoping to flip a seat in the GOP supermajority chamber, only 18% of voters in SD 21 are registered Democrats compared to nearly 43% who are registered Republicans, according to the most recent L2 voter data.
In 2024, President Donald Trump carried the district by 34 percentage points, but Shigley’s performance in the Special Election, a big over-performance, could signal that independent voters in the district are beginning to turn from Republicans.
“Together, we can make raising a family right here in our district more affordable, enact common sense solutions to lower your costs, invest in our schools, and ensure everyone in our district feels safe and healthy,” Shigley’s campaign website reads. “Together, we can build a better future for our families.
Shigley ran last year in Georgia House District 47, losing to Republican Jan Jones by a staggering 24 percentage points.
Meanwhile, Dickerson is a political newcomer who is running on a conservative agenda and describes himself as “not a typical politician.”
Dickerson has a successful business career, including co-founding Quest Trucking, a long-haul transportation company that employed more than 400 people, according to Dickerson’s campaign website.
“I know how to work hard and get things done. I’m ready to fight to protect our conservative way of life,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson’s priorities include eliminating the state income tax, supporting pro-life policies, securing elections, defending the Second Amendment, deporting undocumented immigrants, and prioritizing students.
According to the most recent data available in the Georgia Campaign Finance System, Dickerson was the top fundraiser in the race, with more than $750,117 in funds raised. He maintains about $80,527.65 heading into Tuesday’s runoff.
Shigley, meanwhile, raised $251,885 and has $7,084 left in the bank.
