Clay Fuller wins runoff election, close margin spooks Republicans
RINGGOLD — Republican Clay Fuller is headed to Congress after winning Tuesday’s runoff to serve the remainder of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s term. He also will immediately relaunch his campaign and ask voters to elect him to a full two-year term in November.
Fuller’s victory is not a surprise given the heavy Republican lean in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. Yet the race was a closely watched contest, with President Donald Trump’s sagging approval numbers and concerns — even from conservatives — about rising gas prices and the war in Iran on voters’ minds.
Initial returns show a narrower race than when Greene was on the ballot in 2024 against Democrat Shawn Harris. Harris lost to Greene by 28 percentage points then. Fuller was beating Harris by just 12 points with 99% of the vote counted.
Fuller likely will be sworn in next week when members of the U.S. House return to Washington from a two-week recess, improving Republicans’ still-narrow majority. He will inherit Greene’s old staff, although he can also make hires of his own. Fuller will also be assigned to committees.
He told supporters gathered Tuesday night at the historic train depot in downtown Ringgold that he owes his victory to Trump.
“You can see with the results on March 10, and you can see the results of what we’re seeing here today, that President Trump is the most critical factor in our election,” Fuller said. “He made sure that he was the ultimate trump card.”
Democrats saw room to also celebrate, noting that their candidate improved his performance in a deeply conservative district. Democratic Party of Georgia Chairman Charlie Bailey said in a news release that Harris “notched a jaw-dropping ... overperformance in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s backyard.”
“Shawn ran on a clear message that’s resonating with voters across the state and across party lines: Georgians don’t have to put up with failed Republican leadership that raises their costs, jacks up their health insurance, and sells them out to billionaires and big corporations at every turn,” the statement said.
Rockmart resident Parker Crawford drove Tuesday morning to the precinct at Victory Baptist Church to vote for Harris. However, he said the odds were always 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 took 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.
Race to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene
Another election: Republican Clay Fuller under pressure in a race to replace MTG
Missing endorsements: No rush to rally behind Fuller in MTG’s old seat
Runoff battle: Can Iran war politics move voters in Georgia’s Trumpiest district?
District data: What the numbers say about the race to replace Greene
The Democrat: Shawn Harris walks ‘the tightest tightrope’ to flip deep-red Georgia seat
The Republican: Trump endorses Clayton Fuller in crowded field to fill MTG’s House seat
Funding: Big money pours into Georgia’s special election to replace Greene
GOP strategy: Haunted by Greene’s rise, Georgia Republicans intervene early in House races
Opinion: The MTG era in Georgia is over — for now
Defining moments: Marjorie Taylor Greene’s 5-year congressional career ends
Surprise resignation: Marjorie Taylor Greene’s exit opens new political unknown in Georgia
Final straw: Trump split with Marjorie Taylor Greene fueled by his inconsistencies
Harris attempted to ride a wave of discontent toward Trump into a surprise victory.
He cast a ballot for himself Tuesday morning and participated in a “march to the polls” event with supporters in Rome. He said 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.
Because the district is so Republican-leaning, Fuller always had a leg up. However, Democrats — and even some Republicans — said that if he didn’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.
Fuller, who doesn’t have the power of incumbency, was not expected to win by as large a margin as Greene or Trump did in 2024 in what was a low-turnout runoff.
But the race was even closer than some of his allies predicted. Fuller received 56% of the vote compared to Harris’ 44% in preliminary results.
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.
