The special election to fill the Senate District 21 seat vacated by former Sen. Brandon Beach has been set for Aug. 26, and so far the race has attracted seven Republicans and one Democrat. Qualifying is set for June 2-4 in the “Jungle General” – meaning there will be no primary. Candidates from both parties will be listed on the ballot. If no candidate reaches the required 50 percent plus one majority vote threshold, the two candidates with the most votes advance to a runoff.
Gov. Brian Kemp set the date for the election after Beach resigned to accept President Donald Trump’s appointment as U.S. Treasurer. Beach began that position May 5.
Debra Shigley is the current lone Democrat in the race and has the endorsement of Georgia WIN in the race. WIN is committed to electing progressive Democratic women to statewide and legislative offices. Shigley recently ran for the House District 47 seat in 2024, going up against Republican House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones. She raised more than $285,000 and her team knocked on 27,000 doors before falling by a 61.6 to 38.4 percent margin.
Shigley has an under-graduate degree in English and American Literature from Harvard and a law degree from Georgia State. She and her husband have five children enrolled in public schools. Campaign information says she is also “fully supported by the Senate Democratic Caucus.”
Senate District 21 is a heavy Republican district that includes parts of northern and eastern Cherokee County, along with northern Fulton County.
The announced Republican candidates for the SD 21 Special election include:
Lance Calvert of Canton – the owner and president of Retail Fix It, a construction company offering remodels and buildouts for multi-location retailers and restaurants. He is a native of Marietta.
Jason Dickerson of Cherokee County – the founder of Quest Trucking, a long haul transportation company which employs nearly 400 people. Dickerson says he was raised on a farm in the small community of Union Hill where he learned the lessons of hard work and a strong faith in God. He calls himself a “political outsider.”
Stephanie Donegan describes herself as a s a businesswoman, small business advocate, mentor, and conservative leader. Her website says she brings over 18 years of real-world business experience to her campaign. Throughout her career, she has worked with hundreds of small businesses across the United States – “from e-commerce brands to medical professionals – helping them grow, create jobs, and overcome challenges.”
Brice Futch is a Cherokee County firefighter. According to his campaign he has united grassroots leaders and “secured strong resources through his national conservative fundraising network.” The campaign promises to focus on “eliminating the state income tax, expanding school choice, protecting children from radical agendas, defending life, and securing the southern border.
Grant McCarry – a former Army Ranger honored in Georgia’s Military Hall of Fame. He had five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and is a 2006 graduate of the University of Alabama. He wrote a memoir: A Night in the Pech Valley: A memoir of a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the Global War on Terrorism.
Commissioner Steve West – A District One Cherokee County Commissioner since 2014, West launched his campaign with a reported two dozen Cherokee County based endorsements, including Sheriff Frank Reynolds and three fellow county commissioners. A businessman, he vows to “destroy woke-ism.”
Brian Will is a member of the Alpharetta City Council since 2021, an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and an Air Force and Army veteran. He says on his website that President Trump and Elon Musk have exposed rampant waste and inefficiency in our federal bureaucracy – “it’s time for Georgia to do the same at the state level.” He says he will lead the charge to create a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and use his cost-cutting experience as a CEO to find the most effective ways to eliminate waste and save taxpayer dollars.
