Georgia voters to decide Marjorie Taylor Greene’s successor
Voters in northwest Georgia return to the polls Tuesday for a high-stakes runoff to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Greene’s resignation triggered the special election, which now features two candidates after no one secured 50% in March.
Democrat Shawn Harris and Republican Clay Fuller advanced to the runoff.
Harris led the first round with approximately 37% of the vote, while Fuller finished second with 35%. The winner will serve out the rest of Greene’s term through January 2027, with both men likely to face each other again in November 2026 for a full term.
Democrats are hoping for another win ahead of the midterms later this year, while many Republicans are hopeful Fuller will pull out a victory.
Previewing the race
Republicans aim to retain the seat in a heavily conservative district. Greene has supported Fuller, stating she doesn’t anticipate voters switching the seat.
Fuller also has an endorsement from President Donald Trump, and remains wedded to the president’s agenda.
However, Harris, a retired Army brigadier general, hopes the economy, war with Iran and Trump’s dipping approval numbers make way for an upset in Georgia.
“If you got the right candidate, you got the right message, and then you got the right environment, then, yes, in a place like northwest Georgia… a Democrat like me can win this,” Harris told USA TODAY.
Tuesday’s election is the first major race between parties since the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran. It’s a war that has faced fierce criticism from both sides of the aisle.
Fuller has pushed that Trump’s efforts have “made our country safer.” Meanwhile, Harris has focused on affordability, telling USA Today, “Our district is 100% agriculture and that cost diesel fuel and that cost for fertilizer is killing our farmers.”
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
