Debra Shigley and Jason T. Dickerson will face off in another special election on Tuesday, Sept. 23. This will be the second election the two State Senate candidates have been involved in a month. A Democrat, Shigley, has received support from the Democratic National Committee in the past, but on Saturday, Sept. 20, she got that helping hand on the ground.
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martic was in Alpharetta and stumped alongside Shigley and others in District 21 on Saturday. The district includes parts of Fulton County (Alpharetta) and Cherokee County (Canton), and though Shigley is popular among voters in both parts of the district (she won 62% of the Fulton County votes, for example), she has to gear up for another election. Winning this special election may not seem like a big deal on the national level, but Martin thinks otherwise. Wins are wins, he says.
“It’s important for us to realize that we make sure we get Democrats elected on all levels,” Martin told The Atlanta Voice. “That’s where the rubber hits the road.”
Martin took part in door-knocking in Alpharetta and met Shigley supporters and local voters. He told The Atlanta Voice that he came away impressed with the level of support and interest. The DNC Chair used the phrase “off the charts” to describe the energy around the Democratic candidate.
“There was a lot of excitement and energy,” Martin said. “It seems like people in this district understand what’s at stake.”
On August 26, Debra Shigley won nearly 40 percent of the vote during a special election for the District 21 State Senate seat. But that wasn’t enough to get the job done. Two of her opponents, Jason T. Dickerson, a Republican, and Steve West, also a Republican, brought home 17.36% and 17.04% of the votes, respectively.
There are more than a half-dozen mayoral elections taking place in majority Black cities around the country in November. Along with Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, and Greensboro, North Carolina are holding elections. There are also mayoral elections taking place in Seattle, Jersey City, New Jersey, Charlotte, and in Martin’s hometown, Minneapolis.
Over the past 18 months, Democrats have won or overperformed in more than 40 elections. The phrase “overperform” can be misleading, but it is seen as a sign of momentum, according to Martin.
“We really believe that when you organize everywhere, you can win anywhere,” Martin said. “We believe we have a shot at winning the election on Tuesday. We have to compete on all levels.”
