Early voting started on Monday for the Aug. 26 special election to replace state Senator Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta), who became President Donald Trump’s US Treasurer on May 28.
The vacancy has drawn a crowded field of six Republican candidates and a lone Democrat in this off-year special election. Beach had held the District 21 Senate seat since 2013, easily winning reelection in 2024 with 70.3% of the vote against Democratic contender Lillia Lionel. Beach outperformed Trump’s vote share in the 2024 election. The district covers much of Cherokee County and parts of North Fulton County, including most of Alpharetta.
Because it is an open special election, voters in the district will choose between all seven candidates. If none secures more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held between the top two vote-getters on Sept. 23.
Who’s running?
Debra Shigley is the only Democrat running for the heavily Republican-favored seat. She’s running on a platform that is pro-public schools and expanding access to healthcare.
A former employment attorney and co-founder of Colour Beauty, a hair-care startup for women of color, the mother of five has been endorsed by Democratic Congress members Sen. Jon Ossoff and Rep. Lucy McBath, along with advocacy groups including the Human Rights Campaign, Georgia Equality, and Reproductive Freedom for All. She previously ran for Georgia House District 47 in 2024, losing to state Rep. Jan Jones (R-Milton).
Republican voters, by comparison, will have six candidates to choose from:
- Lance Calvert: The self-avowed conservative runs his own company, Retail Contracting Service, for stores and restaurants. Calvert is running on a platform of eliminating the state income tax, limiting property tax increases to the rate of inflation (which is already guaranteed by a state constitutional amendment that voters approved in 2024), deporting “criminal illegal aliens,” opposing abortion access, and promoting Second Amendment gun rights.
- Jason Dickerson: A co-founder of Quest Trucking, Dickerson also supports eliminating the state income tax, promoting Second Amendment gun rights, and deporting undocumented immigrants.
- Stephanie Donegan: An entrepreneur who founded LaRue 1680, a tea company, and the board chair of H.O.O.V.E.S. a nonprofit that rescues horses and offers equine therapy to veterans, Donegan’s platform includes “election integrity,” and support for small businesses and agriculture by improving access to capital and cutting red tape.
- Brice Futch: A Cherokee County firefighter, Futch wants to replace the state income tax with a consumption tax and expand Georgia’s new school voucher program that pays up to $6,500 per year per student for private and homeschooling. How he wants to expand school vouchers is unclear. About 8,600 students will be eligible for the upcoming school year, because they attend one of the designated public schools with low test scores. There is no cap on family income.
- Steve West: The former member of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners is CEO of a metal fabrication company, Flex-Fab. West’s platform includes “destroying woke-ism,” opposing illegal immigration, and ending state tax credits for film production. He also supports eliminating the state income tax.
- Brian Will: The author of “The Dropout Multi-Millionaire” and “NO: The Psychology of Sales and Negotiations,” Will owns commercial and residential real estate properties and two Central City Tavern restaurants in North Fulton. He resigned from the Alpharetta City Council to run. Will proposes creating a Georgia version of the Department of Government Efficiency (G-DOGE). He favors reducing — but not eliminating — the state income tax, with savings passed to taxpayers through rebates. He also supports expanding school vouchers, but says fully funding them for all Georgia students would be too expensive. Currently, Georgia has allocated $141 million to fund up to 21,000 students.
When and where to vote:
Early voting started Aug. 4 and runs through Aug. 22. Fulton early voters can cast ballots from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. Fulton polls are also open the next two Saturdays, Aug. 9 and Aug. 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In Cherokee County, polls are open for early voting from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Aug. 16, excluding Sundays. From Aug. 18–22, poll hours extend from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Election Day is Aug. 26. Polls will be open in both counties from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.To check your eligibility to vote in District 21, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.
