Burgess Flips Georgia House Seat From GOP

Democrat Stephanie Burgess unseats incumbent Republican Ron Stephens in a Bryan and Chatham counties state House race that had been held by Republicans for 18 years.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a single pine silhouetted against a pale sky, in deep red, cream, and navy, evoking a shifting political balance. — Democrat Stephanie Burgess defeated incumbent Republican Ron Stephens on Tuesday, flipping a Bryan and Chatham counties state House seat held by Republicans for 18 years. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Democrat Stephanie Burgess defeated incumbent Republican Ron Stephens in a Georgia House race on Tuesday, according to unofficial results showing her with about 52% of the vote to Stephens' 48%. The win flips a Bryan and Chatham counties seat that Republicans had held for 18 years.

Why it matters

The result marks a Democratic gain in a state House district where voters cited rising costs, especially gasoline, as a motivating factor for seeking change. It also reflects an anti-establishment mood among some voters.

Unofficial returns show Burgess with roughly 52% of the vote to Stephens' 48%, with turnout at 54.8% versus 51.9% in the 2022 midterm general election. Early vote totals showed 47% of early voters leaned Democrat, but certified results have not been reported.

The players

Stephanie Burgess

Stephanie Burgess is a Democratic trial lawyer and Savannah State University graduate who won the Georgia House seat.

Ron Stephens

Ron Stephens is a Republican pharmacist from Richmond Hill who served nearly three decades in the Georgia House before losing this race.

The details

Voters in Bryan and Chatham counties cast ballots Tuesday in the state House race. Burgess, a trial lawyer and Savannah State University graduate, challenged Stephens, a 72-year-old pharmacist from Richmond Hill who had served in the state House for nearly three decades.

Tuesday: Election Day vote in the Georgia House race, with unofficial results reported afterward.

Political Context

The flip ends an 18-year Republican hold on a Bryan and Chatham counties seat, which the Democratic challenger won by unofficial margin of about four percentage points. Opposition-party concerns raised in the race centered on the cost of living, especially gasoline prices.

Georgia residents in Bryan and Chatham counties now have a different state House representative for this district, pending certification of the unofficial results. Voters in the area should watch for official results from election officials.

The takeaway

Turnout and party control in down-ballot state House races can shift on local concerns like everyday costs, which is why results in districts like this one are worth following closely.