by Jill Nolin, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission]

November 6, 2024

This story was updated at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. 

House Republicans are poised to maintain solid majorities under the Gold Dome, with three state House races still too close to call as of late Wednesday.

Georgia Democrats appeared to be on track Wednesday to slightly grow their numbers in the state House by two seats, though a pair of races where Democrats may narrowly avert defeat had not officially been called by the Associated Press on Wednesday, and recounts could be possible.

But if the current trajectory holds, Republicans will have a 100-80 majority in the House. Democrats were unable to flip any seats in the state Senate, leaving the GOP’s 33-23 edge there intact. 

Democrats were also unable to flip a string of House seats in the northern Atlanta suburbs that were seen as the most competitive this year, and some incumbents found themselves fighting for another term after last year’s court-ordered redistricting do-over left them in a precarious spot.

As of Wednesday, state Rep. Farooq Mughal, a Dacula Democrat, was trailing Buford Republican Sandy Donatucci by less than 100 votes, presenting a likely flip for Republicans.

State Rep. Mack Jackson, a Sandersville Democrat, had 50.08% of the vote with just 47 votes separating him from his GOP challenger Tracy Wheeler as of 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in a middle Georgia race that was surprisingly close.

And Macon Democrat Tangie Herring was about 250 votes ahead of Republican Noah Redding Harbuck in a newly created majority Black district.

“Republican House members have focused on the issues that matter to Georgia voters, cutting taxes for families facing rising costs, keeping communities safe and investing in our children’s education,” Speaker Jon Burns said in a statement Wednesday morning. “While final counts are still being tallied in Democrat held seats, we are honored by this clear vote of confidence from Georgians.”

Georgia Republicans invested millions into efforts to protect incumbents while also putting Democrats on the defensive in some areas. Gov. Brian Kemp used his well-funded Georgians First Leadership Committee to pour more than $2 million into the effort and personally campaigned with a slate of candidates.

It wasn’t enough, though, to secure Milledgeville Republican state Rep. Ken Vance another term. He lost to former Milledgeville Mayor Floyd Griffin, representing a flip for Democrats. Harbuck, who is trailing Herring, was also backed by Kemp.

State Rep. Jasmine Clark, a Lilburn Democrat, also defeated Kemp-backed Republican candidate Elvia Davila.

Democrats also flipped back an Atlanta seat held by state Rep. Mesha Mainor, who switched parties last year. Bryce Berry routed Mainor on Tuesday.

The legislative races were overshadowed by the national fight for Georgia’s 16 electoral college votes, with former Republican President Donald Trump dashing Democrats’ hopes of electing Vice President Kamala Harris to the White House. 

“Georgians are still rejecting (Trump’s) extreme agenda across the state: we not only defended every Democratic seat in the State Senate, but also flipped two crucial seats in the House, with others still too close to call,” U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, who chairs the Democratic Party of Georgia said late Wednesday. 

“Overall, we increased Democratic turnout in Georgia by over 60,000 votes. The momentum remains with Democrats fighting for reproductive freedom, Medicaid expansion, gun safety, and an economy that puts working families first. Georgia is still a battleground, and we are ready for the next fight,” she added. 

The pick-ups in the House represent a bright spot for Democrats even as they grieve the outcome of the presidential race, says Shelia Edwards, executive director for the House Democratic caucus.

“These victories have far-reaching consequences for future sessions,” Edwards said.

Edwards said she is hopeful that the tightened margin in the House will force Republicans to engage with Democrats on issues like abortion access and gun safety legislation when lawmakers return for the new session that starts in January.

Some advocacy groups celebrated what they saw as signs of progress toward protecting access to reproductive rights.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia cheered the wins of two candidates – Clark and Herring – who support repealing Georgia’s six-week ban on most abortions. The organization spent money to raise awareness about the candidates’ positions on the issue in three House races, including the races featuring Clark and Herring. All but two of the candidates won their election Tuesday. 

“Our communities have sent a clear message: Georgians demand leaders who will fight for reproductive justice and challenge harmful policies that hurt women,” said Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia. “Every minute this ban remains in effect, Georgians suffer, but with pro-civil liberties allies in the General Assembly, we have renewed strength in this fight.”

But Democratic candidates came up short in other hotly contested races in the Atlanta suburbs that were seen as a referendum on Georgia’s 2019 abortion law. 

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Shelia Edwards’ first name. 

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