Republican Clay Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris will advance to a runoff in Georgia’s special election to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after neither candidate secured a majority of votes in Tuesday’s crowded contest.
The special election in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District featured a field of 17 candidates from multiple parties competing on a single ballot. Under Georgia law, if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers advance to a runoff election, slated for April 7.
Fuller, a former district attorney backed by President Donald Trump, finished among the top-vote getters, setting up a runoff against Harris, a retired Army brigadier general and Democratic nominee who previously challenged Greene in the 2024 election.
The race was called after no candidate cleared the majority threshold required to avoid a second round.
Trump threw his support behind Fuller for a future Georgia primary election even before Greene had announced her resignation. Trump carried the district by a wide margin in the 2024 presidential election, making the GOP the heavy favorite to retain the seat.
Still, the contest drew national attention as an early test of Trump’s influence within the Republican Party. Fuller ran as an “America First” conservative and leaned heavily on the president’s endorsement during the campaign.
Harris entered the race with a $4 million backing, according to FEC filings, a staggering amount compared to his competitors. His advancing to a runoff against Fuller turns heads as his chances of flipping a solid Republican seat have another chance.
Colton Moore, also a Republican candidate and Georgia state senator, was also considered a viable GOP candidate after raising $300,000 without the president’s support.
Republicans hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House, and the outcome of the special election will determine who serves the remainder of Greene’s term.
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The special election was triggered by Greene’s resignation from Congress earlier this year, following a public political rift with Trump, leaving the northwest Georgia seat vacant. Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) scheduled the special election to fill the remainder of Greene’s term, which runs through January 2027.
The April runoff between Fuller and Harris will decide which party inches forward in the House, though the winner will likely have to run again in the regularly scheduled 2026 election later this year.
