Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene made waves last year when she announced she would not run for reelection and resigned from the House in January. The decision came as she found herself increasingly at odds with President Donald Trump. Georgia held a special election on Tuesday, and the choice for who will replace Greene has come down to two candidates: Democrat Shawn Harris and Trump-backed Republican Clayton Fuller.
The New York Times reports that since neither candidate received the majority of votes, the state will hold a runoff election on April 7 to determine who will ultimately replace Greene in the House. Harris received the majority of votes in the special election, though Fuller is favored in the runoff, as the Republican vote was split among 12 candidates. Fuller’s Trump endorsement will likely be a boon in the runoff as Trump won the district by 37 percentage points during the 2024 election, according to NBC News.
Harris, a Cedartown farmer and Army veteran, previously lost against Greene in 2024. A look at his website reveals a fairly moderate Democrat focused on finding solutions to the cost-of-living crisis and improving access to health care in Georgia’s rural communities. He touted his relatively centrist appeal in a December interview with The Guardian.
“I don’t care who it is, but when we do our analysis – because Marjorie Taylor Greene was so far out there – we don’t see the Republican Party, Donald Trump, or the local Republican Party getting somebody that’s closer to the center,” Harris told the Guardian. “Because if you get somebody that’s closer to the center, then guess what? You got Shawn Harris.”
Conversely, Fuller’s website largely touts his commitment to working in lockstep with the Trump administration. Honestly, in a district Trump overwhelmingly won, that might be all Fuller needs to campaign on to win. An 85-year-old Georgia voter, Yvonne Otts, more or less confirmed that when the Guardian asked who she voted for.
“I supported a Republican candidate – the president should have people around him who support him,” Otts said.
Harris celebrated his position in the Georgia runoff on Tuesday night. “Our goal was to come out tonight, win in this election, being at the top,” Harris told 11Alive. “And that’s exactly where we are. And now, we’re going against Fuller. President Trump came here two weeks ago, and guess what, his candidate came in second place.”
Fuller told 11Alive that he’s confident Trump’s endorsement will ultimately be the deciding factor in the runoff. “We know that the endorsement from President Trump made a difference in this race, and we’re going to go and win it,” Fuller told 11Alive.
A Harris win in the reliably Red district would have significant ramifications for the GOP. Republicans already hold a narrow majority in the House, and a Harris win would mean that House Speaker Mike Johnson would need unanimous Republican support to pass any legislation. Democrats have been steadily flipping seats in both state and federal elections over the last year, and a Harris win would be yet another sign that even districts considered reliably Red could be up for grabs in the midterms.
No matter who wins, they will serve a short time as Greene’s term was set to end this year.
SEE ALSO:
Marjorie Taylor Greene Says She’s Resigning From Congress In January
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Whines About Trump Turning MAGA Against Her, Prompting ‘Vicious Attacks’
About The Author
