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JUST IN: GOP Candidate Cruises In Special Election Against DNC-Backed Opponent

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2 months ago

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Businessman and political outsider Jason Dickerson comfortably won a race for an open Georgia State Senate seat in a race that drew national attention from the Democratic National Committee.

Dickerson defeated attorney and businesswoman Debra Shigley to represent Georgia state Senate District 21, which includes parts of Fulton and Cherokee counties. The seat was previously represented for more than a decade by State Senator Brandon Beach, who resigned earlier this year after he was nominated to serve as U.S. treasurer by President Donald Trump.

During the August general election, Shigley came in first after securing 40 percent of the vote, while Dickerson beat out five Republican competitors in a crowded field. Since no candidate was able to secure more than 50 percent of the vote, the race headed to a runoff, which was held Tuesday.

Shigley’s impressive performance in the general election drew national attention from Democrats, as Beach had previously won the district with more than 70 percent of the vote. The party had hoped to build on a number of over-performances in special legislative elections this year and potentially flip a deep red seat.

Even the Democratic National Committee got directly involved in the race, as Chair Ken Martin personally canvassed for Shigley in Alpharetta over the weekend. “State Democrats like Deb Shigley are advocating for their communities, and they’re earning a big boost in voter support, even in long-held GOP seats, because of it,” Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) President Heather Williams said a statement.

“The DLCC will continue supporting Democrats running strong campaigns in tough territory across the country,” she added.

Attention from national Democrats proved inconsequential, however, as Dickerson comfortably by a little more than 7,000 votes, or 61.4 percent of the vote to Shigley’s 38.53  percent.

While a slight decline from Beach’s most recent election, when he received a little more than 70 percent of the vote, Beach had represented the district since 2012 and was well known to voters. Conservative groups are hailing Dickerson’s performance as a solid indicator given the DNC’s support for Shigley’s campaign.

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