Georgia’s Special Election to Replace Marjorie Taylor Greene Heads to Runoff
Georgia’s special election to select the successor to Marjorie Taylor Greene will advance to a runoff after no candidate secured the required majority of votes to win outright, CBS News projects.
Polls in the Georgia 14th Congressional District special election closed at 7 p.m., with results from the Associated Press showing that former District Attorney Clay Fuller and retired Army Brig. Gen. Shawn Harris received the most votes. The Republican and Democrat will face each other in the runoff scheduled for April 7.
Clay Fuller finished fourth in the 2020 Republican primary that Greene won before he was appointed as the district attorney of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit in 2023. He subsequently won a full term in 2024 but left the position to run for the congressional seat. Fuller has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, who gave him his “complete and total endorsement” in this race.
Shawn Harris, a Cedartown farmer and Army veteran, previously lost to Greene in 2024. Among all candidates in Tuesday’s race, Harris raised the most money, bringing in about $4.3 million and holding approximately $290,000 in campaign funds as of February 18. Fuller had the second-largest war chest, with about $787,000 raised and around $238,000 remaining in the bank.
The congressional seat has been vacant since January, following Greene’s resignation after a months-long public dispute with President Trump over foreign policy issues and the release of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Just a week prior to announcing her resignation, Trump stated he would support a primary challenge against Greene.
Initially, 22 candidates filed to run for the seat, but that number dropped to 17 by the time of the election. The ballot featured 12 Republicans, three Democrats, one Libertarian, and one independent. Greene chose not to endorse any candidate in the race.
Whoever ultimately wins will serve out the remainder of Greene’s term, which is a relatively short period. With the runoff and upcoming primaries drawing near, the stakes in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District are high. Republicans aim to solidify their hold on this solidly conservative district, while Democrats see an opening to capitalize on GOP divisions and a crowded field.
As both parties prepare for a critical showdown in November, the outcome in this district could have significant consequences for control of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Republicans currently maintain a slim majority.
The Associated Press and CBS News contributed to this report.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/clay-fuller-shawn-harris-heading-to-runoff-in-georgia-election-to-replace-marjorie-taylor-greene/