Democrat heads to runoff in Republican-heavy Macon area Georgia Senate seat
A Democrat has secured a spot in next month’s special election runoff for a heavily Republican state Senate seat in Middle Georgia.
Former Fort Valley Councilman LeMario Brown, a Democrat, received the most votes in the six-way special election Tuesday for a Macon-based state Senate seat, according to unofficial results on the secretary of state’s website. Brown was the only Democrat in the race.
The election was needed to replace John F. Kennedy, a Republican who resigned from the Senate to focus on his campaign for lieutenant governor.
It appeared as if Steven McNeel, a Republican, received the second-highest amount of votes in Tuesday’s special election for Senate District 18 and will face Brown in a runoff election next month.
The race was incredibly close between McNeel, an attorney and timber farmer, and former Forsyth Mayor Eric Wilson, also a Republican, according to the unofficial results. If the numbers hold when certified and made official, Wilson will have finished a little more than 1 percentage point behind McNeel.
Georgia law allows a candidate to call for a recount when they finish 0.5 percentage points or less behind another candidate.
Democrats have made it a point to challenge every race for the past year’s several special elections, overperforming in districts routinely held by Republicans.
In most cases where a runoff was required, the Democrat narrowed the point spread with the Republican candidate, but ultimately lost. A Democrat flipped an Athens-area House seat last year.
“Our vision of a more affordable Georgia, where small businesses thrive, and health care access is available to all could be in reach if we all show up to the polls,” Brown said in a statement.
“The finish line is close and we will not stop fighting until Senate District 18 has a strong leader under the Gold Dome.”
Democrats poured money and resources into the race and brought in national figures to campaign on Brown’s behalf, including an appearance from U.S. Sen. Mark Kelley, D-Ariz., on Saturday.
Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon said Republicans “stepped up” after initial early voting figures had them underperforming expectations.
“Democrats threw everything they had at this race — pouring in money from California and New York and even calling in national figures like Senator Mark Kelly — but in the end, they still couldn’t close the deal,” McKoon said.
About the Author
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.
