Voters across Central Georgia on Tuesday set the stage for a runoff election in the race for Georgia's Senate District 18. 

According to results from the Georgia secretary of state, Democrat LeMario Nicholas Brown led the field with 7,946 votes, or 36.93%. Republican Steven McNeel finished second with 4,581 votes, or 21.29%. Because Georgia law requires a runoff when no candidate wins a majority, the top two vote-getters will now face each other in a runoff election. 

The special election was held to fill the seat left vacant after Republican John Kennedy resigned to run for lieutenant governor. Kennedy had represented District 18 since 2014.

Senate District 18 covers a wide swath of Central Georgia, including northern Bibb County, all of Crawford, Monroe, Peach, and Upson counties, and northern Houston County.

Brown, a farmer and small business owner, said his campaign is focused on consistent leadership and community engagement.

"I'm running because our communities deserve leadership that shows up, listens, and delivers," Brown said. "This campaign is about people over politics, progress over promises, and building a future we can all be proud of."

McNeel, a farmer, husband and father, described himself as a conservative Republican committed to traditional values. In a Facebook post, he said voters could count on him to fight for low taxes, safe neighborhoods, Second Amendment rights, farms, and conservative values rooted in faith, family, and hard work.

The Democratic Party of Georgia highlighted Brown's performance in the race, noting that he finished as the top vote-getter in a district long held by Republicans.

In a statement, Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey said Brown's showing forced a runoff in what he called a "deep-red district," adding that Republicans spent more than half a million dollars on the race. Bailey said Brown's campaign reflects growing Democratic momentum across the state.

"Democrats threw everything they had at this race — pouring in money from California and New York and even calling in national figures like Senator Mark Kelly— but in the end, they still couldn't close the deal," said Georgia Republican party chairman Josh McKoon in a statement. "Republicans stepped up, overcame the noise and now we're heading into runoff ready for the final round." 

The runoff election will be held on Feb. 17. Voters in Senate District 18 will return to the polls to decide who will represent them under the Gold Dome.