(Georgia Recorder) — Democrats appeared to gain a northeast Georgia House seat during an off-year special election Tuesday in the latest sign of their growing momentum in the state.
Democrat Eric Gisler, a tech executive and small business owner, was in the lead in the House District 121 with 50.85% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s office. Republican candidate Mack “Dutch” Guest IV was nearly 200 votes behind, with 49.15% of the vote.
The district, which covers parts of Clarke and Oconee counties, has been under Republican control since 2019. Former state Rep. Marcus Wiedower, a Watkinsville Republican, abruptly resigned from his seat earlier this year to focus on his work as vice president of external affairs at the real estate firm Hillpointe.
Gisler, who made affordability a key focus of this year’s campaign, previously challenged Wiedower in 2024, but received under 40% of the vote. This year, he credited his campaign’s success to his focus on issues like health care access and the rising cost of living, which he said likely appealed to some Republican voters.
“We had the right message in this time,” he said, adding that his opponent “ran on tired MAGA talking points.”
Guest, an Oconee County resident who helps run a Watkinsville-based transportation business, centered his campaign around protecting conservative values, as well as improving transportation, strengthening education and keeping communities safe. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
Ken Martin, who chairs the Democratic National Committee, celebrated Gisler’s apparent victory.
“Fresh off the resounding victories in the Georgia Public Service Commissioner races and now this historic flip, the DNC will continue to invest, organize, and compete in every corner of Georgia,” he said in a statement.
