The election night watch party for Stacey Abrams got off to a small but mighty start.

At around 8 p.m., about half the seats in the room at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta were filled, and supporters were still going through security. And yet, every time Abrams’ name lit up on CNN, the crowd roared.

Dave Daggero, 46, from Virginia Highlands, held his daughter’s hand as he watched the early returns come in.

“It’s quite a time to be involved and engaged,” he said. “Politics sometimes annoys me but I choose Democrats because they choose people.”

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com