Republican Jason Dickerson easily defeated Democrat Debra Shigley in a state Senate race last month, winning 61% of the vote in the conservative-leaning district covering portions of Fulton and Cherokee counties.

But the win doubled as a warning for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms. Shigley improved 9 percentage points in the suburban Atlanta district over how Democrats did there in November, an impressive gain that has worried some within the GOP.

“Republicans having to play defense in a ‘safe’ district is a sure sign that they’ll continue struggling to defend their toxic agenda all the way through 2026,” Charlie Bailey, chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, said in a statement.

Five Democrats came close to winning seats in the state House of Representatives last year. Demo

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