Democrats notch gains in another state-level special election
Democrats posted gains in a race for the Georgia state House of Representatives on Tuesday, building on a string of victories and margin improvements in recent elections across the country.
A Democrat appears to have narrowly flipped control of the state’s 121st District, won by President Donald Trump last year. NBC News did not predict the outcome, and a spokesperson for Georgia’s secretary of state said the deadline for counties to certify results to their office was Monday.
The election did not meet the threshold required to request a recount, Georgia Secretary of State spokesman Michon Lindstrom said in an email.
Democrat Eric Gisler told NBC News in an email that he thinks “we won the race,” adding, “I look forward to representing GA’s House District 121 next month in Atlanta!”
Gisler said he has not yet heard from Republican candidate Mack “Dutch” Guest regarding the unofficial results. Guest did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The unofficial results appear to mark another victory for Democrats, who also scored multiple victories in several high-profile races last month, as well as in lower-profile races across the country. In 2024, the state House district went to Trump by about 13 points, according to political data group The Downballot.
Democrats presented the apparent victory as another example of the party’s outperformance relative to 2024 margins and as a sign of “momentum.”
“Tonight’s results prove once again that Democrats have momentum across the country as we organize and compete everywhere, including in districts that Trump won by double digits,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement celebrating Gisler’s victory.
The House district includes parts of Clarke County, which went blue in the 2024 presidential election, and Oconee County, which went red.
Gisler received about 82 percent of the vote in the Clarke County portion of the district, according to unofficial results from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. In part of the district in neighboring Oconee County, Guest won about 64 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results.
Voter turnout is historically much lower during special elections. Vice President Kamala Harris received more than 56 percent of the vote in both counties last year, although the state House district does not include all counties.
The special election was announced after House Representative Marcus Wiedower announced in October that he would resign to focus on a business opportunity. Wiedower, a Republican, was first elected in 2018.
A Democrat also won the race to become Miami’s next mayor on Tuesday, according to NBC News projects. Eileen Higgins will be the city’s first Democratic mayor in nearly three decades.
Democrats also improved their margins in a handful of legislative special elections this year. Last month, Democrats won gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, added seats in the Virginia House of Delegates and preserved their margins on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
