Georgia Democrats flip conservative seat in yet another upset

That's 25 pickups for Democrats nationwide this year—and zero for Republicans

Georgia Democrats scored a major upset in a special election on Tuesday night, flipping a conservative legislative district in the Athens area—the 25th such gain for the party nationwide this year, against zero for the GOP.

Democrat Eric Gisler, who works in the insurance technology industry, defeated Republican Mack “Dutch” Guest IV, the owner of a trucking company, to win the 121st House District in the Athens area by a 51-49 margin.

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The district had been in Republican hands ever since its previous occupant, Marcus Wiedower, unseated a Democratic incumbent in 2018. In recent years, it had shifted rightward, supporting Donald Trump by a 56-43 spread in 2024, according to calculations by The Downballot, and handing Wiedower a dominant 61-39 win over Gisler.

But in late October, Wiedower unexpectedly announced that he would resign to pursue opportunities in the private sector, and soon after, voters gave Democrats reason to be optimistic about their chances.

In a pair of special elections last month for Georgia’s Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities, both Democratic candidates racked up identical 63-37 margins in the 121st District en route to landslide wins statewide.

Gisler didn’t need a performance anywhere near as gaudy to pull off a victory, though he did need some good fortune, since Guest outraised him considerably, according to the site Oconee County Observations.

Like Democrats across the country, Gisler focused heavily on affordability, with an emphasis on the cost of healthcare and housing. Guest, by contrast, emphasized cutting the state’s income tax, a popular topic among Georgia Republicans.

While Republicans will still retain a majority in the state House, Gisler’s success will narrow their edge to 98-81, with one other GOP-held seat vacant. The win will also buoy Democrats as they look to defend Sen. Jon Ossoff and flip the open governorship and other key posts in next year’s midterms.

Overall, in more than 60 special elections nationwide, Democrats are outperforming the 2024 presidential results by an average of more than 13 points, according to The Downballot’s tracker.