DeKalb County is one of the most reliable Democratic counties in the state – yet Kamala Harris got a lower percentage of Democratic votes here this week than Joe Biden got four years ago.
Democrats are not happy with that trajectory.
The euphoria Tuesday night among Georgia Republicans came with an equal and opposite reaction from Georgia Democrats. Kamala Harris lost the state handily, and in Gwinnett County, Democrat Jasmine Clarke came achingly close to losing her seat in the state legislature.
"I feel bittersweet," Clark told 11Alive Friday. The Emory University professor faced a spirited, well-funded -- and sometimes very negative -- campaign from Republican Elvia Davila.
Clarke raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight it, "but when it came to the state (Democratic) party, it felt very hands off," she described. "That was really tough for me, but we still got the victory."
The state Democratic party is led by Congresswoman Nikema Williams – who won reelection easily.
The state party helped lead successful efforts to elect Joe Biden and Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock four years ago. Warnock won again two years ago.
But this year, Republicans celebrated. GOP strategist Brian Robinson said Democrats didn’t lose because the party is broken – but because its message is.
"The Democrats' embrace of fringe issues and identity politics has proven to be a weight around their necks," Robinson said. "Americans were responding to an economic message that applies to all of us that came from the Republicans. The Democrats want to talk to us group by group by group with a different little message for every one of us."
Clark, the representative, contends Democrats failed to motivate voters who should have supported their candidates.
"As Democrats in this state, what do we need to do to get in front of the people that we need that sat out this election? Because really, that's what happened, people sat out," Clark explained. "I think there are definitely infrastructure issues that will need to be addressed. I think there are definitely organizational issues that will need to be addressed."
Ossoff will be on the ballot in 2026. There will also be an open seat for governor; Brian Kemp is serving his second term and can't run for a third.
"We need to be ready for 2026 starting yesterday," Clark said.
But Robinson said Democrats worked hard enough turning out voters. He says they lacked an effective message.
"It wasn't that we didn't get enough mail in our mailboxes or didn't see enough TV ads. We all got the message right," Robinson said. "In this cycle, in 2024, that played to the benefit of Donald Trump."