Democrats achieved one of their best election nights of the Trump era on Tuesday, with record overperformances in a Georgia special congressional election and a decisive victory in Wisconsin's Supreme Court race.
Georgia Special Election
In Georgia's 14th Congressional District special election, Democratic candidate Shawn Harris significantly overperformed despite the district's strong Republican lean. Republican Clay Fuller won the seat, as expected, but by a margin of less than 12 points, compared to President Trump's 37-point win in 2024. This represents a 25-point overperformance for Harris, the largest for Democrats in a special election since 2017, according to CNN data.
- Key improvements: Harris's vote share increased from nearly 40% in the first round on March 10 to about 44% on Tuesday, even as national Republicans invested in the race.
- This marks half of Democrats' top 10 overperformances occurring since the 2024 election.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Race
In Wisconsin, Democratic-aligned candidate Chris Taylor secured a commanding victory in the state Supreme Court election, defeating Republican-aligned Maria Lazar by about 20 points with over 80% of votes counted. The win shifts the court's majority from 4-3 liberal to 5-2.
- Taylor flipped historically Republican counties, including Jefferson County, which Trump won by 16 points in 2024, and potentially Ozaukee County in the Milwaukee suburbs.
- A margin in the mid-to-high teens would be the largest for a Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate since 2015 or 2009.
- While Republicans may downplay the effort, such a lopsided win in a key swing state signals strong Democratic momentum.