The 32,673 people who voted in this week's state Senate runoff may have just broken a turnout record for special legislative runoffs in Georgia.
No other similar legislative runoff has had more voters, according to state records going back to 1996.
The closest came in 2011, during a runoff between former Macon City Council President Miriam Paris and former state Rep. David Lucas.
The vote total then was 23,214 -- Paris won the runoff, but lost the seat to Lucas the next year.
On Tuesday, unofficial tallies gave Republican Kay Kirkpatrick the win over Democrat Christine Triebsch in a runoff to represent parts of Cobb and Fulton counties in state Senate District 32.
Much of the district is also in the 6th Congressional District, where a nationally watched race between Republican Karen Handel and Democrat Jon Ossoff will culminate in a June 20 federal runoff.
Jordan Fuchs, Kirkpatrick’s campaign manager who is with Landmark Communications, said the vote tally shocked even the campaign and bodes well for turnout next month.
“The turnout for this election was higher than anyone expected it to be,” Fuchs said. “It puts it into perspective how many voters are paying attention and are engaged on the state Senate and congressional campaigns.”
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