U.S. House District 14: Democrats hope they can break through in a rematch

Republican Clay Fuller defeated Democrat Shawn Harris in a special election for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District back in April. But the rematch in November isn’t a sure thing.

President Donald Trump won the congressional district by 37 percentage points in 2024. But Fuller defeated Harris by just 12 percentage points in the April 7 special election. The New York Times reported the 25-point swing is the biggest shift in a congressional race since Trump returned to the White House.

Now, Fuller will face Harris again in November for a full two-year term in the northwest Georgia district that includes a slice of metro Atlanta all the way to the Tennessee border. But this time, turnout will likely be much higher in a general election that also includes high-profile races for governor and the U.S. Senate.

Republican Clay Fuller won a special election runoff for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District earlier this year. (Mike Stewart/AP)

Fuller, the former district attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, remains the favorite in the race. The district has only elected Republicans in its 12-year history. The seat opened up because U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, following a public feud with Trump, chose to resign rather than run for reelection against a Trump-backed opponent.

But Democrats believe they have a chance to pull of a shocking upset. Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a potential 2028 candidate for president, campaigned with Harris ahead of the special election earlier this year. Harris was unopposed in the Democratic primary last month for the full two-year term.

Fuller’s campaign in the special election got a boost from a Trump endorsement, which helped him break away from a crowded Republican field. He also benefited from the backing of U.S. Rep. Brian Jack, the freshman lawmaker working to boost the clout of Georgia’s Republican congressional delegation.