Hi John. David here with an update on one of the most important races for our movement:
Akbar Ali is on the cusp of becoming the youngest legislator in Georgia history — not by luck, but because he showed up. He knocked on doors, listened, and fought for his community. And he got here because supporters like you believed in him and fueled his campaign.
But Leaders We Deserve isn’t here for “almost.” We’re here to make history.
No candidate reached 50% in the race for Georgia’s 106th House District, so Akbar is headed to a December 2nd runoff. We only have a few weeks to finish this fight, and we’ve come way too far to fall short now.
Akbar’s momentum is real. He finished just 500 votes behind his runoff opponent — an extraordinary result for a first-time, 21-year-old candidate.
He earned it the hard way: months of door-knocking, building support conversation by conversation, making sure every community in one of the most diverse districts in the country was heard — even traveling with two interpreters to ensure no one was left out.
From those conversations, he built a platform rooted in what people here actually need: expanding Medicaid, protecting SNAP, improving public schools, and addressing everyday issues like predatory HOA fines — things you only understand when you’re truly rooted in the community you’re asking to represent.
And here’s the truth: Akbar made it to this runoff because of you. Your support turned a long shot into a frontrunner. Because of you, we were able to invest in field organizing and knock doors in Atlanta just days before Election Day. I talked to voters who didn’t even know an election was happening — but after we talked, they were committed to voting for Akbar.
That’s how we win. One conversation at a time, one race at a time, building a new generation of leadership from the ground up.
Now we need to finish what we started. Runoffs are decided by turnout, and turnout is about organizing. Your support right now will determine what happens on December 2nd.
Thank you for being a part of this movement.
— David Hogg
