Debra Shigley

Debra Shigley (Democratic Party) is running in a special election to the Georgia State Senate to represent District 21. She is on the ballot in the special general runoff election on September 23, 2025. She advanced from the special general election on August 26, 2025.

Shigley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Debra Shigley was born in Washington, District of Columbia. She earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 2002 and a law degree from Georgia State University in 2007. Her career experience includes working as a journalist, attorney, author, and business co-founder^[1]^[2]

Elections

2025

General runoff election

Special general runoff election for Georgia State Senate District 21

Debra Shigley and Jason Dickerson are running in the special general runoff election for Georgia State Senate District 21 on September 23, 2025.

		Candidate
		Debra Shigley (D)
		Jason Dickerson (R)

	There are no incumbents in this race. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

Special general election for Georgia State Senate District 21

The following candidates ran in the special general election for Georgia State Senate District 21 on August 26, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Debra Shigley (D)	39.5	8,444
✔		Jason Dickerson (R)	17.4	3,709
		Steve West (R)	17.0	3,642
	Submit photo	Brian Will (R)	10.3	2,192
	Submit photo	Brice Futch (R)	8.2	1,749
		Lance Calvert (R)	6.7	1,424
		Stephanie Donegan (R)	1.0	207

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 21,367
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

General election

General election for Georgia House of Representatives District 47

Incumbent Jan Jones defeated Debra Shigley in the general election for Georgia House of Representatives District 47 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jan Jones (R)	61.6	19,537
	Debra Shigley (D)	38.4	12,189

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 31,726
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 47

Debra Shigley defeated Anthia Carter in the Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 47 on May 21, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Debra Shigley	66.2	1,382
	Anthia Carter	33.8	706

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,088
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 47

Incumbent Jan Jones defeated P. Eckhardt in the Republican primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 47 on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jan Jones	80.8	2,230
	Submit photo	P. Eckhardt	19.2	529

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,759
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Shigley in this election.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

Debra Shigley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Shigley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm an attorney, small business owner, former news anchor, and dedicated community advocate — and most importantly, a mom of five. The daughter of two teachers, I understand the value of education and hard work. As the sole Democrat in this race, I’m running to make Georgia more affordable for families, invest in strong public schools, and ensure access to quality healthcare and safe communities.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Affordability shouldn’t be a luxury; it should be a basic expectation. Across our state, families are feeling the strain of rising costs. I understand the pressure that creates, and I’m committed to tackling these challenges head-on. That means supporting practical solutions that lower everyday expenses.
I would work to ensure that public dollars are invested in strengthening our public schools, not diverted away from them. As the daughter of public school teachers and a proud public school parent, I’ve seen firsthand the value of strong, well-resourced schools. I’ve served on the Fulton County School Governance Council and stayed active in the PTA because I believe every child deserves access to a high-quality education, regardless of their ZIP code. I would advocate for increased funding for public education, support for our educators, and policies that
I will work to make quality health care more accessible and less expensive for our families.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m passionate about public policies that directly address the rising cost of living and make life more affordable for working families.
Whether it’s housing, healthcare, childcare, or education, too many people are being priced out of the basics. I care deeply about policies that reduce those burdens.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Audacity of Hope

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

One of the most important characteristics is listening to the community. Elected officials don’t have all the answers, and they shouldn’t pretend to. The best leaders are grounded in their communities, listen to diverse voices, and build coalitions to get things done.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities of an individual elected to state Senate are to represent their constituents, pass policies that improve people’s lives, and ensure government resources are used effectively and fairly.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The legacy I want to leave is one where my kids - and every child in our community - can succeed and thrive. A legacy where opportunity isn’t limited by zip code or circumstance.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was as a PA at a news station in boston.

What is your favorite book? Why?

One of my favorite books is To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf because I love her writing style.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I recently was watching the Billy Joel documentary so She's Gone Away is stuck in my head.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The governor and legislature should work together when possible, but the legislature must stay independent and stand up for its constituents.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Georgia’s biggest challenges in the next decade will be affordability and infrastructure. The cost of housing, healthcare, and childcare is rising faster than wages. Our infrastructure - from roads to broadband - needs major investment.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

It can be helpful, but it’s not essential. What matters most is having real-world experience, integrity, and a willingness to listen and learn from their constituents.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Gretchen Whitmer

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

One story that really stuck with me was from a mom of whose two children rely on the NOW Comp waiver, a program that provides critical funding to improve their quality of life.

What’s most heartbreaking is the uncertainty she feels now, knowing the program could be cut despite already being underfunded. Families like hers depend on this support to live with dignity and stability, and the thought of losing it creates real fear.

This story drives home the importance of protecting and expanding programs that directly support vulnerable families.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Senator Jon Ossoff, Her Bold Move, Representative Lucy McBath, Third Act, Equality Georgia, GAE

What committees interest you?

Senate Committee on Education and Youth; Senate Judiciary Committee

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe financial transparency and government accountability are non-negotiable. Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent and whether it's actually making a difference in their communities.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2024

Debra Shigley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Shigley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

After graduating from Harvard, I worked full time by day as a reporter and attended Georgia State College of Law by night. The training I received to become an employment lawyer has prepared me to be an outspoken advocate for our district. Then, in 2015, I co-founded Colour: a service kind of like Uber for hair, and a startup geared toward delivering hair care services to women of color. I am also an active community member. In 2023, I was proud to work with my neighbors—on both sides of the aisle—to protect a voting precinct in Milton to make it easier for my neighbors to participate in our democracy. I currently serve as an elected member of the Fulton County Student Governance Council, and I am a proud PTA mom for my kids’ Fulton County public schools. At my synagogue, The Temple, I’ve served on the Security committee, working alongside law enforcement to make sure members of the synagogue visit their house of worship without fear of violence—a sad reality we face today. I serve on various committees with Planned Parenthood Southeast as well. Finally, I also approach this position as a mother. My husband and I are currently raising our five children, ages 5 through 13, on a farm in Milton, Georgia.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I am running because I want to make it more affordable to raise a family in our district. I know from experience—raising five kids is not cheap. Families in our district feel the strain and, as our district’s voice in the Capitol, I am ready to change that. Under the Gold Dome, I will do everything in my power to make it easier, not harder, to raise a family in our district from advocating for our amazing public school education system to keeping more money in our families’ pockets.
In my district, I have seen stunning consensus about the need to make our community safer for our kids. Like many Georgians in our district, I am a gun owner who wholeheartedly supports common sense gun reform. Last year, I got a text from my son that no parent wants to receive: his school was under a hard lockdown. My heart immediately fell to my stomach. How is this the world we live in? My son and his classmates were safe that day, but what if this wasn’t a false alarm? Guns are the leading cause of death for US children and teens. I am running because I want to make our communities safer by keeping guns out of our childrens’ schools and our houses of worship.
Like many women in Georgia, the day Roe v. Wade was overturned, I was shaken to my core. Protecting reproductive freedom is not just about a woman’s ability to make her own health care decisions. It is about privacy, dignity, and freedom. As a law student, I learned about the steady progression of individual rights secured in America. What alarms me—and what motivated me to run for office—is the rollback of rights and liberties. As your next State Representative, I will work to restore a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions with her family and her doctor, not politicians.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

It doesn’t matter where you sit on the political spectrum–we all share the experience of going to the grocery store and watching essential costs go up and up. I hope to do everything in my power to make it more affordable to raise a family in this district by driving down costs, expanding educational opportunities, and keeping more money in our families’ pockets.

I will work to restore and expand women’s reproductive rights in a post-Roe era. At the end of the day, a woman’s ability to make her own healthcare decisions rests on the principles of privacy, dignity, and freedom, which I believe we should all be able to exercise. I also support making our community safer for our kids via common-sense gun reform.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Fundamentally, an elected official needs to have a commitment to public service and to their district. Recently, my team has been knocking doors all around the district, proving our commitment to our constituents. Listening and communication skills are also extremely important. My experience in media has given me the skills to ask questions from neighbors on all sides of the political spectrum, to listen and learn, to speak truth to power, and to gain a pulse of what folks are really talking and caring about to inform policy decisions. These are the same skills I will use as a Representative under the Gold Dome. An elected official also needs a commitment to equality. For far too long, some members in our district have not been given equal representation in the Georgia legislature. As an elected official, I will work to champion all voices of my constituents, truly representing our district.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Two core responsibilities for a state legislator are constituent services and constituent communication. Under the Gold Dome, I will advocate for the needs of my neighbors and constituents, addressing district-specific concerns and ensuring equitable representation for the entire district. Accessibility is crucial–I will be readily available to constituents, keeping them informed about my governmental actions and providing avenues for them to communicate any concerns.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was babysitting for my neighbor's toddler son-- technically I was a mother's helper, when I was in middle school. I remember taking the job very seriously. I had done a "babysitter training" camp and before each shift prepared a babysitter's bag with craft projects, toys, etc. I worked with the family for a couple of years until they moved to a new city.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely! As I mentioned, I happen to have five kids; believe me, I can work with anyone to get things done! I think about the lessons I teach my children, the lessons my children teach me, and the world I want for our futures. Nothing should ever hold them back. Unfortunately, many of the politicians in office are working to make it harder, not easier, for our families to thrive. Viscerally, I know that that is wrong, and I won’t stand for it. Working in media as a news anchor and law as an employment attorney, I have been adjacent, but never worked directly in politics. Only after working with my neighbors to wrestle back a polling precinct for voters in Milton did I realize how our elected officials really affect our community. The past few years showed me the power and importance of collaboration in the community and in politics. It forced me to ask the question: what are the issues that are affecting the community—outside of the divided, partisan world we live in? And I found that a lot of my neighbors, regardless of political affiliation, were and are asking the same questions. In this position, working together with other legislators despite differences is crucial to making progress and improving Georgia. I consider myself a consensus builder: I will aim to work across the aisle while remaining a zealous advocate for Democratic values.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Moms Demand Action, Vote Mama PAC, Georgia Win List, Georgia Association of Educators, Georgia Equality, Everytown for Gun Safety, and The First Ask.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Debra Shigley campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Georgia House of Representatives District 47	Lost general	$248,707	$238,355
Grand total			$248,707	$238,355
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

External links

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Candidate

Georgia State Senate District 21

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 18, 2024
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 27, 2025

[show]

Current members of the Georgia State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Jason Anavitarte

Minority Leader:Harold Jones

Senators

District 1

Ben Watson (R)

District 2

Derek Mallow (D)

District 3

Mike Hodges (R)

District 4

Billy Hickman (R)

District 5

Sheikh Rahman (D)

District 6

Matt Brass (R)

District 7

Nabilah Islam Parkes (D)

District 8

Russ Goodman (R)

District 9

Nikki Merritt (D)

District 10

Emanuel Jones (D)

District 11

Sam Watson (R)

District 12

Freddie Sims (D)

District 13

Carden Summers (R)

District 14

Josh McLaurin (D)

District 15

Ed Harbison (D)

District 16

Marty Harbin (R)

District 17

Gail Davenport (D)

District 18

John Kennedy (R)

District 19

Blake Tillery (R)

District 20

Larry Walker (R)

District 21

Vacant

District 22

Harold Jones (D)

District 23

Max Burns (R)

District 24

Lee Anderson (R)

District 25

Ricky Williams (R)

District 26

David Lucas (D)

District 27

Greg Dolezal (R)

District 28

Donzella James (D)

District 29

Randy Robertson (R)

District 30

Tim Bearden (R)

District 31

Jason Anavitarte (R)

District 32

Kay Kirkpatrick (R)

District 33

Michael Rhett (D)

District 34

Kenya Wicks (D)

District 35

Vacant

District 36

Nan Orrock (D)

District 37

Ed Setzler (R)

District 38

Rashaun Kemp (D)

District 39

Sonya Halpern (D)

District 40

Sally Harrell (D)

District 41

Kim Jackson (D)

District 42

Brian Strickland (R)

District 43

Tonya Anderson (D)

District 44

Elena Parent (D)

District 45

Clint Dixon (R)

District 46

Bill Cowsert (R)

District 47

Frank Ginn (R)

District 48

Shawn Still (R)

District 49

Drew Echols (R)

District 50

Bo Hatchett (R)

District 51

Steve Gooch (R)

District 52

Chuck Hufstetler (R)

District 53

Colton Moore (R)

District 54

Chuck Payne (R)

District 55

Randal Mangham (D)

District 56

John Albers (R)

Republican Party (32)

Democratic Party (22)

Vacancies (2)

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 18, 2024

[2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 27, 2025

[1]

[2]

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Debra Shigley

Contents

Biography

Elections

2025

General runoff election

Special general runoff election for Georgia State Senate District 21

General election

Special general election for Georgia State Senate District 21

Endorsements

2024

General election

General election for Georgia House of Representatives District 47

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 47

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 47

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

2024

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

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