Democrat takes surprise lead once occupied by Marjorie Taylor Greene

A Democrat is topping the vote in the ruby red Georgia seat once occupied by Marjorie Taylor Greene. Democrat Shawn Harris has advanced to a runoff in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, where he’ll face Clayton Fuller, President Donald Trump’s pick to replace his nemesis, according to the Associated Press. With nearly 90 percent of votes tabulated, Harris is tracking ahead of Fuller. Harris, a retired Brigadier General in the United States Army, ran on a platform of paying teachers better, passing a farm bill, and protecting veterans. He also touted a ‘tough but compassionate immigration policy,’ during his campaign.

Fuller, a former state legislator, secured Trump’s endorsement – a coveted stamp of approval in a district where the former president won by more than 40 points in 2024. Trump’s backing is widely seen as the decisive factor heading into the runoff. That makes Fuller the heavy favorite to ultimately claim the seat. Trump congratulated Fuller on advancing to the runoff in a post to Truth Social on Tuesday night. ‘Congratulations to Clay Fuller, of Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, on getting such a high percentage of the vote with 12 Republicans running. We want to make the next vote “TOO BIG TO RIG.” Clay will be a GREAT Congressman — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!’

The winner of the seat will likely be sworn in in April to serve the remainder of Greene’s term. That person will then also have to run for the next term in this year’s midterm elections . Jacob Rubashkin, Deputy Editor at Inside Elections, noted in a Tuesday night post on X that ‘Republicans will ultimately hold the seat.’ To give a sense of how Republican this district is: In the 2025 Public Service Commissioner races that Democrats won statewide by 26 percent, GA-14 was still R+13 percent,’ Rubashkin added. Pete Buttigeig, a former Democratic presidential candidate who ended up serving as Transportation Secretary, endorsed Harris, helping him attract some national support. Speculation from political forecasters ahead of Tuesday’s election that the top vote-getter would be a Democrat, given the vast GOP field fighting to replace Green.

The final field of 17 candidates included three Democrats, 12 Republicans, one Libertarian, and one independent. The top finisher prediction came true, sending a Democrat and a Republican to the runoff. Harris also led the field in fundraising, pulling in $4.3 million, and has claimed his team had ‘figured out how to get Republicans to also vote for’ him. The next best fundraisers were Republican contenders Brian Stover, who raised $940,000, and Fuller, at $786,000. At Trump’s rally in Rome, Georgia, last month, Fuller joined the president on stage, pledging to be a ‘MAGA warrior’ in Congress after securing Trump’s ‘total and complete’ endorsement. Days earlier, however, Trump had muddied the waters with an apparent slip. ‘They say whoever I endorse is going to win. But we have a lot of good candidates that want to take her place,’ he said the following week.

The White House declined to clarify the remark, pointing instead to Trump’s original endorsement of Fuller. Greene had stayed neutral in the race. Fuller has also drawn support from two conservative outside groups — Club for Growth, which endorsed him, and Conservatives for American Excellence, which has ‘spent hundreds of thousands of dollars’ backing his candidacy, according to NBC News. Tuesday’s contest is the first of up to five elections before Georgia’s 14th district — a rock-solid R+19 Republican stronghold — sends a representative to Washington for a full two-year term. Next comes the runoff special election on April 7 to fill the remainder of Greene’s seat through January. Should the winner seek a full term, they will appear on the ballot again in the May 19 statewide primary, with a potential runoff on June 16. The runoff winner faces the November 3 general election — and, if needed, a December 1 runoff to settle the full congressional term.