DNC chair stumping in special state Senate runoff election

Democrats are pushing hard to flip a Republican seat in the state Senate in next week’s special election runoff, bringing in the head of the Democratic National Committee to stump for candidate Debra Shigley.

DNC Chairman Ken Martin will campaign with Shigley on Saturday in Senate District 21, a Republican-leaning district in north Fulton and Cherokee counties that both parties are eyeing as a test case for the 2026 midterms.

Martin said he’s making the trip to Georgia because the stakes of this race “couldn’t be higher.”

“I’m going to Georgia to campaign for Debra Shigley, a small-business owner and mother of five who knows how expensive it is to raise a family,” he said.

Martin was a little-known figure from Minnesota before his election to head the DNC seven months ago, and his tenure so far has been marked by internal strife and complaints that the party is not doing enough to counter President Donald Trump’s agenda. In recent weeks, he has worked to dispel that image, crisscrossing the country to stir up the base and win local elections.

The Senate District 21 runoff is a case in point.

“When you organize everywhere, you can compete anywhere, and the DNC is all hands on deck to support Debra Shigley,” he said.

Shigley came in first last month in a seven-candidate special election, with about 40% of the vote. Six Republicans split the rest of the vote, with trucking company executive Jason Dickerson coming in second. Voters will choose between the two remaining candidates Tuesday in what will likely be a light-turnout election.

It’s an uphill climb for Shigley. Republican Brandon Beach won reelection in the district less than a year ago with 70% of the vote. Beach vacated the seat earlier this year to serve as U.S. treasurer.