(The Center Square) – Democrat Debra Shigley won 39.51% of votes cast in a special Georgia Senate District 21 race to take the lead over six Republican candidates, according to unofficial results from the Georgia Secretary of State.
Shigley will likely face political newcomer Jason Dickerson in a Sept. 23 run-off. Dickerson took 17.3% of the vote and was slightly ahead of Steve West with 17.05%, according to the results. The small gap allows West to call for a recount if he chooses to do so.
The district covers a large portion of Cherokee County and part of Fulton County.
“With your help, we beat the odds and outperformed way past what anyone expected,” Shigley said on her Facebook page. “Now the work continues, with Election Day on September 23.”
Turnout for the special election was low, with just 15.38% of eligible Cherokee County voters casting a ballot and 13.16% of those in Fulton County voting, according to the Secretary of State’s website.
Republican Brandon Beach represented the district since 2013 before resigning earlier this year. President Donald Trump nominated him as treasurer of the United States. Beach took office in May.
