Voting underway in runoff to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene
ROME — Voters in northwest Georgia head to the polls today to decide whether Republican Clay Fuller or Democrat Shawn Harris will represent them in Congress.
Whoever wins this special election runoff to complete the term of former Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will have an immediate leg up in the race for a full two-year term.
Fuller is on the Republican primary ballot for that contest in May. He is also considered the front-runner in the runoff given that Georgia’s 14th Congressional District has more Republican than Democratic voters.
Rockmart resident Parker Crawford drove Tuesday morning to the precinct at Victory Baptist Church to vote for Harris. However, he believes the odds are in Fuller’s favor.
“It’s a pretty Republican area, so I feel like there are a lot of people that don’t really vote for the candidate — they just vote for the party,” Crawford said. “So, I feel like Clay Fuller probably edged out (Harris).”
Still, Fuller’s team was taking no chances. His supporters gathered at an event hall in Rome on Monday night to participate in a phone-a-thon to remind GOP voters about Election Day.
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Among those participating in the phone bank was Jim Tully, a party activist who was among the roughly 20 Republicans who ran in the March special election. After Fuller made the runoff, Tully endorsed him and has been actively campaigning on his behalf ever since.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s exactly what the district needs,” Tully said Monday night. “Georgia needs Clay. The country needs somebody like Clay.”
On the Democratic side, Harris is hoping to ride a wave of discontent toward President Donald Trump into a surprise victory. Trump has endorsed Fuller, but continues to face backlash from voters as fuel prices soar and the conflict in Iran drags on.
Harris cast a ballot for himself Tuesday morning and was scheduled to participate in a “march to the polls” event with supporters at lunchtime. He said that the election is consequential because the winner will be immediately sworn in and have an opportunity to either support or push back on Trump’s agenda.
“Tonight, our country could very well be going into a major war at 8 o’clock,” Harris said, referencing the president’s pledge to step up attacks on Iran if a ceasefire deal isn’t reached today. “So, at 7 we may find out that either Clay or I win this election. And at the same time, we have a major war going on in the Middle East.”
Because the district is so Republican-leaning, Fuller has a leg up. However, Democrats — and even some Republicans — say that if he doesn’t finish with a commanding lead, it could indicate voters dissatisfied with Trump are willing to take it out on his allies, a troubling sign for Republicans in a midterm year.
When Harris ran against Greene in 2024, she defeated him by 28 percentage points. Trump bested Vice President Kamala Harris by 36 points on that same ballot. Fuller, who doesn’t have the power of incumbency and has never run districtwide, is not expected to win by as large of a margin in what will likely be a low-turnout affair.
About the Author
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
