ATHENS, Ga. — Democrat Eric Gisler scored an upset victory in Georgia’s 121st House District, a heavily Republican area carried by Donald Trump in the last election, and used his win to deliver a sharp rebuke to GOP leaders.
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Gisler, who grew up in Atlanta and later graduated from the University of Georgia in Athens, told supporters that voters in the conservative district sent a clear message about wanting “responsible leadership instead of political theater.” The district, long considered safely Republican, backed Trump by double digits, making Gisler’s win one of the most significant political jolts in the state this cycle.
Speaking at his election-night event, Gisler said the result reflected frustration with what he called “constant division and finger-pointing” in the statehouse. He urged Republicans to “stop inflaming problems and start solving them,” adding that his campaign focused on local issues rather than partisan battles.
Gisler will be sworn in later this month, giving Democrats a morale-boosting victory in a region where they rarely compete — and underscoring shifting voter attitudes in pockets of Trump-carried Georgia.