Politics in the Georgia suburbs is changing. Fast. If you've been watching the North Fulton and Cherokee County areas lately, you've likely seen the name Debra Shigley plastered on yard signs and social media feeds. She’s kind of become the face of a specific type of suburban Democratic surge, even if the final vote tallies don’t always result in a "W" on the scoreboard.
Debra Shigley election results from the most recent special election for State Senate District 21 tell a story that's about much more than just one person losing a race. It’s about margins. It’s about a Harvard-educated attorney and mother of five jumping into the deep end of a "ruby red" district and making the Republican establishment sweat enough to drop a million dollars on a defense fund.
Honestly, the numbers are a bit of a rollercoaster.
The September 2025 Special Election Breakdown
Let’s look at the most recent data first. On September 23, 2025, Shigley faced off against Republican Jason Dickerson in a special runoff for Georgia State Senate District 21. This seat was wide open because the former Senator, Brandon Beach, was tapped by Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Treasurer.
The runoff results were as follows:
- Jason Dickerson (R): 61.5% (19,065 votes)
- Debra Shigley (D): 38.5% (11,955 votes)
Dickerson won. That’s the headline. But if you look under the hood, something interesting happened in the geography of the vote. Shigley actually carried the Fulton County portion of the district with 54.7% of the vote. She lost because Dickerson absolutely crushed it in Cherokee County, taking 71.6% there. Cherokee is a massive GOP stronghold, and the sheer volume of votes there was enough to drown out her lead in Milton and Alpharetta.
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The runoff itself was actually a bit of a controversy. It was scheduled on Rosh Hashanah. Shigley, who is Jewish, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta weren't exactly thrilled about that timing. It met the letter of the law—four weeks after the primary—but it certainly didn't make things easier for her campaign's final push.
Why the GOP Got Worried
Why did this race get national attention? Why did DNC Chair Ken Martin fly in to knock on doors in Alpharetta with her?
Basically, it’s because of what happened in the August primary. In a seven-candidate "jungle" primary where everyone ran on the same ballot, Shigley came out on top. She snagged about 40% of the vote, leaving six Republicans to fight over the rest. It was a wake-up call for the Georgia GOP.
Senior officials were reportedly "alarmed" by her surge. This is a district that Trump won by 34 points. For a Democrat to be the top vote-getter in August, even in a crowded field, suggested that the 2024 momentum hadn't just evaporated.
Comparing 2024 vs 2025 Results
Shigley isn't a one-hit-wonder in Georgia politics. She first ran in 2024 for State House District 47 against a titan: Jan Jones. Jones isn't just any Republican; she’s the Speaker Pro Tem and has held that seat for over twenty years.
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November 2024 (State House District 47):
- Jan Jones (R): 61.6%
- Debra Shigley (D): 38.4%
September 2025 (State Senate District 21):
- Jason Dickerson (R): 61.5%
- Debra Shigley (D): 38.5%
Notice something? The percentages are almost identical.
Even though the districts are different and the opponents are different, Shigley seems to have hit a "suburban ceiling" of about 38-40%. For Democrats, this is either a sign of consistency or a sign that they still haven't figured out how to win over the hardcore conservative blocks in Cherokee County.
The Shigley Platform: What Was She Selling?
You don't get 40% of the vote in a deep red district by just being "not a Republican." Shigley leaned heavily into her biography. She’s an attorney, a former news anchor, and she co-founded a hair care startup for women of color called Colour.
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But her real "hook" was the "Mom of Five" angle. She talked about the anxiety of school lockdowns. She shared a story about receiving a text from her son during a hard lockdown—a moment any parent dreads. She used that to pivot to "common-sense gun reform," which is a tough sell in some parts of Georgia, but she framed it through the lens of safety rather than just partisan politics.
She also focused on:
- Affordability: Arguing that raising a family in the suburbs is becoming a luxury.
- Reproductive Rights: Being vocal about the rollback of Roe v. Wade, which she claimed "shook her to her core."
- Public Schools: Opposing school vouchers and pushing for more direct funding to public institutions.
Misconceptions About the Debra Shigley Election Results
A lot of people look at these results and say, "She lost twice, she’s done." That’s a pretty simplistic way to look at Georgia’s political shift.
The real story is the "overperformance." In the 2025 race, Shigley outperformed the previous Democratic performance in that specific district by double digits. When the DNC talks about "organizing everywhere," they are looking at candidates like Shigley who can force the GOP to spend money in places they used to ignore. Dickerson’s campaign and outside groups had to spend over a million dollars to hold a seat that used to be a safe "slam dunk."
What Most People Get Wrong
People think these special elections are just about the candidates. Sorta. But they're also labs for 2026. The 2026 midterms in Georgia will feature huge races for Governor and U.S. Senate. The "small army" of volunteers Shigley built—some 35,000 doors knocked—is now a trained infrastructure for whoever runs as a Democrat in 2026.
Actionable Insights for Georgia Voters
If you're following the Debra Shigley election results because you live in the area or care about the state's direction, here's what you should actually take away from this:
- Redistricting Matters: Shigley's win in the Fulton portion of the Senate district shows that North Fulton is essentially purple now. The "redness" of the district is being propped up by the Cherokee County lines.
- Special Elections are Turnout Games: Only 21% of registered voters showed up for the September runoff. In a low-turnout environment, a few thousand votes either way changes the entire narrative.
- Watch the 2026 Primaries: Shigley has built a massive amount of name recognition. Don't be surprised if she appears on a ballot again, or if her "playbook" of focusing on family affordability becomes the standard for Georgia Democrats in 2026.
If you want to stay engaged, the best thing to do is check your registration status on the Georgia My Voter Page (MVP) regularly. Special elections like the one Shigley just ran in often catch people off guard, and by the time you see the yard signs, the registration deadline has usually passed. Keep an eye on the 2026 cycle—the ground is shifting, even if the final winners look familiar for now.