In Republican-leaning Hall County, voters explain why they backed Democrats

Most major races from Tuesday's election have been called, but votes are still being counted in some key Georgia contests. Some Hall County voters say they think the pressure of President Donald Trump's policies has led people there to shift their support from Republicans to Democrats.

Jim Robison, president of Indivisible Hall, a nonpartisan voter advocacy group, said he is an independent. He has voted for Republicans before but backed Democrats in this year's midterms.

"I was shocked," Robison said. "Second of all, I was relieved. Third of all, overcoming two years of dread took a long time. And it was — it was a great day."

Hall County has historically leaned Republican, but Tuesday's results showed a shift toward Democrats. As of Thursday night, results were still unofficial, and the race for Georgia House District 29 was too close to call.

Democrat Scott Soracco had 50.4% of the vote, while Republican incumbent state Rep. Matt Dubnik had 49.5%. Indivisible Hall leaders said they believe rising costs helped push some voters toward Democrats.

"The most obvious thing is, is the gas pump and gas prices and diesel prices," Robison said. "There are pickup trucks everywhere. I think we have more than our share in Hall County, and they — a lot of them use diesel. That's a factor."

Robison also pointed to grocery prices and immigration enforcement.

"The effect of the tariffs on the prices in the grocery store have made a huge difference," he said. "The application of the immigration laws or the abuse of immigration has hurt so many people who need jobs and so many people who need workers."

It's unclear when the District 29 race will be called. Nathan Matson of the Hall County Democrats said he is confident Soracco will win, pointing to the candidate's outreach to voters.

"He was there every time, and he would talk to voters every time, and he would relate to the voter. Person to person," Matson said. "[A]nd that is the kind of ground game politicking that I myself personally enjoy, like that is meeting the need of your constituency at its core."

Soracco declined to comment. Dubnik and the Hall County Republican Party did not respond to requests for comment from CBS News Atlanta.