Voters in Georgia are heading to the polls Tuesday to select the successor to Republican firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene in a high-profile U.S. House special election, widely seen as a test of former President Donald Trump’s influence in the state’s most conservative district.
Trump has endorsed Clay Fuller, a former district attorney for four northwest Georgia counties, while Colton Moore, a hard-right former state senator who brands himself “Trump’s #1 Defender,” is vying for the support of the president’s activist base.
With 17 candidates in the race, no candidate is expected to secure a majority, setting the stage for an April 7 runoff between the top two finishers. Democrat Shawn Harris is among those who could make the runoff by appealing to disillusioned Trump voters.
The election has drawn national attention as an early gauge of Trump’s sway in a district that has been a stronghold of his Make America Great Again movement. A strong showing by Fuller would underscore Trump’s continuing influence, while a weaker performance might signal a loosening of his hold on the MAGA base.
“This is an interesting case to see how powerful Trump’s hold over the party is in that particular district,” said Kerwin Swint, a political science professor at Kennesaw State University who lives in the area.
Swint predicts Harris may finish first without a majority due to a split among the dozen Republican candidates, leaving either Fuller or Moore to face him in the runoff. He noted that, given the district’s conservative leanings, Harris would likely lose in a head-to-head contest with a Republican.
Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, stretching from Atlanta’s exurbs to the Tennessee border, first gained national attention when Greene won in 2020 and became a leading MAGA figure.
After Greene stepped aside in January following a public rift with Trump, voters are considering the future direction of the Republican Party and the president’s role in selecting her successor.
Last month, Trump visited Rome, Georgia, at the district’s heart, introducing Fuller as his endorsed candidate. Yet, the race remains competitive, with some Trump supporters indicating they prefer to make their own choice rather than follow the former president’s endorsement.
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