Democrats notched gains in a Georgia state House race on Tuesday, building on a series of wins and margin improvements in recent elections across the country.
A Democrat appears to have narrowly flipped control of the state’s 121st House District, which President Donald Trump won last year. NBC News has not projected the outcome, and a spokesperson for Georgia’s secretary of state said that the deadline for counties to certify the results to their office is Monday.
The election did not meet the threshold to request a recount, Georgia Secretary of State spokesperson Michon Lindstrom said in an email.
Democrat Eric Gisler told NBC News in an email that he believes “we have won the race,” adding, “I’m looking forward to representing GA’s House District 121 next month in Atlanta!”
Gisler said he has not yet heard from Republican candidate Mack “Dutch” Guest regarding the unofficial results. Guest did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The unofficial results appear to mark another win for Democrats, who also notched wins in several high-profile races last month, along with lower-profile races across the country. In 2024, the state House district went to Trump by about 13 points, according to the political data group The Downballot.
Democrats touted the apparent win as another example of the party outperforming 2024 margins and as a sign of “momentum.”
“Tonight’s results prove once again that Democrats have the momentum across the country as we organize and compete everywhere, including in districts that Trump won by double-digits,” Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin said in a statement celebrating Gisler’s win.
The House district includes parts of Clarke County, which went blue in the 2024 presidential election, and Oconee County, which went red.
Gisler secured about 82% of the vote in the portion of the district in Clarke County, according to unofficial results from Georgia’s Secretary of State’s office. In part of the district in next door Oconee County, Guest won about 64% of the vote, according to unofficial results.
Voter turnout is historically far lower in special elections. Vice President Kamala Harris secured more than 56% of the vote across the two counties last year, though the state House district does not include the full counties.
The special election was announced after state House Rep. Marcus Wiedower announced in October that he would resign to focus on a business opportunity. Wiedower, a Republican, was first elected in 2018.
A Democrat on Tuesday also won the race to be Miami’s next mayor, NBC News projects. Eileen Higgins will be the city’s first Democratic mayor in nearly three decades.
Democrats also improved their margins across a handful of special House elections this year. Last month, Democrats won races for New Jersey and Virginia governor, added seats to the Virginia House of Delegates and preserved margins on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
