Democrats’ Georgia special elections showing boosts party, unnerves Republicans
Out of four special elections completed this fall, one seat flipped from Republican to Democrat.
Signs for candidates line up outside the Alpharetta Branch Library in Alpharetta, Ga., on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)
Special elections in Georgia can be unpredictable — as was seen earlier this month when a Democrat flipped an Athens-area House seat.
With a message focused on health care and housing, Democrat Eric Gisler defeated Republican Mack “Dutch” Guest to take over a district in parts of Clarke and Oconee counties, previously represented by Republican Marcus Wiedower.
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- In September, north metro Atlanta voters selected Jason Dickerson, an investment manager and trucking company founder who lives in Canton, in a special election. He replaced former state Sen. Brandon Beach, who resigned earlier this year when he was tapped to serve as U.S. treasurer. Both are Republicans.
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- In a Gwinnett-based House seat, 21-year-old Democrat Akbar Ali won in a runoff election earlier this month to replace Democratic state Rep. Shelly Hutchinson, who resigned this summer to care for a family member. She ran unopposed in 2024 and won with about 59% of the vote in 2022. Ali defeated fellow Democrat Marqus Cole to represent the district covering Lawrenceville and Snellville.
- In a district that spans from parts of West Cobb County, through Atlanta and into South Fulton, a recently vacated state Senate seat stayed in Democrats’ control. Former Cobb County School Board member Jaha Howard, D-Smyrna, won his special election runoff this week and will complete the term of Jason Esteves, who stepped down earlier this year to focus on his run for governor.
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Maya T. Prabhu covers the Georgia Senate and statewide issues as a government reporter for The AJC. Born in Queens, New York, and raised in northern Virginia, Maya attended Spelman College and then the University of Maryland for a master’s degree. She writes about social issues, the criminal justice system and legislative politics.
Michelle Baruchman covers the Georgia House of Representatives and statewide issues. She is a politics news and enterprise reporter covering statewide political stories.
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