"ALPHARETTA, Ga. Why is the head of the Democratic National Committee in a suburban Atlanta coffee shop on a random Saturday in September? "We've got a really important state Senate special election here in Senate District 21, which we are investing in," DNC Chairman Ken Martin said last week. "And we believe we have a real shot at winning." In the special election runoff Tuesday, Sep. 23, Democrats did not flip the deep-red seat."
"But Martin and others in the party view it as a win because the Democratic candidate, Debra Shigley, improved the party's margin by double digits from November. For their part, Republicans aren't concerned. Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon said in a statement that Republicans "cut through the noise" with a coordinated investment in digital and social media messages to get out the vote."
"Still, in an interview with NPR before this week's elections, Martin said the Democratic Party is energized and voters are expressing enthusiasm after the party's defeat in November that saw them lose the White House and control of the Senate. That enthusiasm has carried over to the ballot box: in about 40 special elections since President Trump was elected last November, Democrats have overperformed their prior margins by an average of about 15%."
Ken Martin, DNC chairman, campaigned in suburban Atlanta for a Georgia state Senate special election in Senate District 21. Democrats failed to flip the deep-red seat in the Sept. 23 runoff but reported a double-digit improvement in margin from November for candidate Debra Shigley. Republicans expressed confidence, crediting coordinated digital and social media efforts to mobilize voters. Democrats point to sustained enthusiasm after November losses, noting roughly 40 special elections where Democratic margins overperformed previous results by an average near 15 percent. Polling cited shows Republican declines among independents, young voters and Hispanic Americans.
Read at www.npr.org
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