Republican Clay Fuller wins Georgia special election. Results
ROME, GA — Georgia Republican Clay Fuller has defeated Democrat Shawn Harris in a special U.S. House runoff election to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Associated Press and NBC have projected.
With 92% of all the votes counted in the 14th Congressional District race, the heavily-favored Fuller, a former prosecutor, captured 57% to 43% for Harris, a retired brigadier Army general, in the closely watched contest that has captivated the nation.
While voter turnout seemed to be larger than the March 10 primary, the traditionally deep-red district backed Fuller, who was buoyed by an endorsement from President Donald Trump, who went twice on his Truth Social platform to encourage voters to support his candidate.
Harris lost to Greene by about 29 points in 2024, and the district – covering a mostly rural northwest corner of the state that stretches from Atlanta's suburbs to the Appalachian mountains bordering Tennessee – has never been represented by a Democrat.
But Harris and his allies saw the environment as ripe for an upset, given Trump's low approval numbers, coupled with shaky confidence in the economy and an unpopular war with Iran. That explained why national figures, including former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a rumored 2028 presidential contender, came to the district to support Harris' underdog campaign.
Undeterred, Harris told his backers in defeat that they can still capture the elusive congressional seat in the midterm election come November.
"The thing I want to tell you is this, as far as I'm concerned, you heard me say earlier when I was talking to all our supporters, we had a win tonight," Harris said.
Speaker Mike Johnson welcomes Clay Fuller to House
Terry Collins
House SpeakerMike Johnson also took to social media to congratulate Republican Rep.-elect Clay Fuller in his double-digit win over Democratic challenger Shawn Harris in Georgia's special 14th Congressional District runoff election.
"I look forward to working together to continue delivering results and saving America!" Johnson, R-Louisiana, said in a post on X.
House majority leader praises Fuller on win
Terry Collins
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise took to social media to congratulate fellow Republican Clay Fuller on his decisive victory over Democrat Shawn Harris in the special runoff election to replace retired Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
"Clay will be a proud, America First patriot in Congress who will tirelessly fight for hardworking Americans in Georgia's 14th Congressional District and across the nation," Scalise said in a post on X. "Now, let's get to work!"
Buttigieg praises Harris' underdog bid
Phillip M. Bailey
Though a long shot, the Harris campaign drew the attention of prominent Democrats on the national level who are looking to take advantage of the party's apparent rebound.
Among them is former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who came to the deep red Georgia district to stump for Harris in March.
The former Biden administration cabinet member said while the Democratic nominee came up short, the 60-year-old cattle farmer generated excitement in Georgia's 14th Congressional District in ways that few thought were possible until recently.
"Across the country, in very different corners of America, I see forms of this same energy mounting," Buttigieg, a rumored 2028 presidential contender, said in an April 7 post on X. "If we keep working hard, unbelievable results will be possible in November."
Harris: 'We may not have won — but we did'
Irene Wright
Democrat Shawn Harris was optimistic Tuesday as he watched the race to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in the U.S. House called for his opponent, Republican Clay Fuller.
The energy was high in the Marriott event room overlooking the Oostanaula River in downtown Rome, and Harris spent the evening speaking with supporters and shaking hands with everyone who came into the room.
"The reality of it is we came up a little short, but we did not lose because nobody ever thought that a Democrat would actually have a performance like this," Harris said. "Who would have ever thought with somebody being endorsed by Donald Trump in a ruby red district that the race would be this close? The thing I want to tell you is this, as far as I'm concerned, you heard me say earlier when I was talking to all our supporters, we had a win tonight."
Harris will be running unopposed in the May primary for the same seat, and he said the campaign for the November midterms will start tomorrow.
"We may not have won − but we did. If we made the Republican Party at the national level spend that much money on the ruby red 14th district, we are going to take the whole thing in November," he said. "Tomorrow we will come out with our head held high."
Fuller wins but Dems watching margins
Phillip M. Bailey
Republican Clay Fuller is the projected winner over Democrat Shawn Harris in the special election for Georgia's 14th Congressional District, according to NBC News and the Associated Press.
The race was called less than an hour and a half after the polls closed at 7 p.m. local time in a district once represented by Marjorie Taylor Greene, a face of the MAGA movement who fell out with President Donald Trump before resigning from Congress in January.
Harris' chances were always a long shot against Fuller, a Trump-endorsed military veteran and former prosecutor who stood firmly in the president's corner on the Iran war and other issues.
But Democrats nationally aren't likely to let the final tally be the headline, given it is a district Greene won by 29 percentage points and that Trump won by about 37 percentage points in 2024.
Early figures with about 45% of the total votes reporting show Fuller beating Harris by roughly 8 percentage points.
As the totals continue to be counted, expect progressive pundits and other Democratic allies to spotlight how much Harris, a 60-year-old cattle farmer and former military commander, cut into that margin. That will likely be added to the larger "blue wave" narrative despite Fuller's win, which withstood the Democratic tide sweeping the nation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Fuller underperforming in key GOP area
Phillip M. Bailey
Early results coming in show Fuller ahead in most of the 10 counties making up Georgia's 14th Congressional District, but doing worse than Greene in her previous bid.
In deeply red Chattooga County, for instance, Greene bested Harris two years ago by 52 percentage points.
But with about 95% of the votes counted in that county, Fuller is winning by about 40 percentage points, which is far worse than Trump did when he won that same county by 64 percentage points during the 2024 presidential election.
That marks a notable swing in Harris' favor but the Democrat's underdog bid will need massive margins in the more populated areas closer to the metro Atlanta area.
Polls have closed in Georgia
Terry Collins
The polls in Georgia have officially closed at 7 p.m. ET.
This would include voting for Georgia's 14th Congressional District special runoff election to see whether Republican Clay Fuller or Democrat Shawn Harris will complete the term of retired Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, which doesn’t end until January 2027.
But President Donald Trump, who endorsed Fuller, urged Georgia voters in a pair of Truth Socialposts on April 7, "IF YOU ARE IN LINE BY 7 P.M., STAY IN LINE, AND THEY MUST LET YOU VOTE."
What does GA 14th look like after Marjorie Taylor Greene?
Irene Wright
The era of Marjorie Taylor Greene is over in northwest Georgia, despite her continued effort to remain in the political conversation. Voters now have to ask what comes next for the district.
Cathy Aiken-Freeman, who voted for Democrat Shawn Harris, told USA TODAY outside a polling location that it has been "interesting being in Marjorie Taylor Greene's district," in recent years, but she hopes her vote will take the district in a new direction.
"Things that matter to me are, do you know what's happening in our district? Do you care about the people in our district? Do you care about the more vulnerable members of our district?" Aiken-Freeman said.
Chaney Lance leans conservative and voted for Clay Fuller both on March 10, among many Republican candidates, and on Tuesday.
She said she "liked (Greene) okay," but she wasn't motivated to vote for her in prior elections. Lance said she chose Fuller because he had the greatest chance of winning against Harris.
Riley Gaines endorses Fuller
Phillip M. Bailey
It isn't just Donald Trump throwing his name behind Fuller in his election to keep Greene's old seat in the GOP column.
Other notable conservatives are weighing in, underscoring the race's importance for House Republicans who are clinging to a razor-thin 217-214 majority.
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, an outspoken anti-trans activist, threw her support behind the former Georgia prosecutor, who once played men's college basketball at Emory University.
"Keep Georgia red," Gaines said in an April 7 post on X.
Fuller praised the March 26 decision by the International Olympic Committee barring transgender women from competing, beginning with the Los Angeles Summer Games in 2028. He called it a "massive victory for common sense."
Iran top of mind for Georgia voters
Irene Wright
At the Rome Civic Center on Tuesday afternoon, voters trickled in between the lunch and dinner rush in the heart of the city.
The center is one of four voting sites in Rome and the only location not based in a Baptist church.
USA TODAY spoke to voters as they stepped down the front steps with peach-shaped "I voted" stickers on their chests.
Amanda Lee, a 36-year-old teacher who declined to share who she voted for, said the war in Iran was top of mind when she went into the voting booth.
"Talking about what we're going to do as a country and how we're going to lead what's going to happen after we finish up," Lee said. "What (the president) said on Sunday was kind of a little alarming."
Lee said she hoped Congress would come together as a united front in the weeks ahead.
Dale Hurley voted for Republican Clay Fuller, but said he didn't get a chance to vote the first time on March 10. He said he would have voted for any Trump-endorsed candidate, despite having mixed feelings on the president right now.
When asked about the war in Iran, he said "it's been going on way too long," but Trump's predecessors have just "kick(ed) the can down the road," and it's finally time to address it. "The next biggest evil is when they strike us... This evil is better than what we had prior."
Iran war offers voters clear contrast
Phillip M. Bailey
Fuller and Harris don't agree on much but their contest is one of the first between the two parties amid the escalating conflict with Iran, which is an unpopular war among most Americans.
The two military veterans couldn't be further apart.
Fuller is fully supportive of the war, arguing that the president has made the U.S. safer by going after Iran and killing members of its theocratic leadership, which he described as a "death cult." He has also praised the recent rescue of an Air Force member shot down in the region.
Harris is coming at this from the opposite viewpoint, calling the conflict a "war of choice" by Trump.
Like many Democrats, he connects the war to rising gas prices due to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil production, being closed. The average price for a regular gallon of gas edged up to about $4.14, according to AAA, which represents a roughly 39% increase since the war began.
Democrats nationally are hoping voters' anger over the price at the pump will be a wedge issue in swing districts, but are also willing to test that messaging out in other areas where people are already struggling with America's affordability crisis.
Harris calls Congress 'weak' amid Iran escalations
Irene Wright
Speaking in South Rome on Tuesday, Democratic House candidate Shawn Harris said Congress on both sides of the aisle has been "weak" as the war in Iran has escalated over the past 48 hours.
"I think Democrats are weak up there, and I think Republicans are weak. I know it's bad to say, but that's why people need to vote for me and send me up there, because sometimes leaders need to be able to have another leader they can stand behind and say, 'Wait a minute, Shawn Harris is standing up for all the people of the United States,'" he said. "Congress has allowed us to get into this war."
President Donald Trump shared a post on Truth Social saying a "whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," if Iran failed to agree to negotiations before 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
The message sparked panic from both sides of the political spectrum, including groups like the NAACP and former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who Harris is hoping to replace in the House.
Read the full story here.
Trump urges Georgia voters (again) to pick Fuller
Phillip M. Bailey and Terry Collins
President Trump shot off another Truth Social post supporting Fuller, asking Georgians to get out and support the Republican contender.
"To the Great Patriots in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District: GET OUT AND VOTE TODAY for a fantastic Candidate, Clay Fuller, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on April 7.
The president also encouraged voters that the polls are open and close at 7 p.m. ET, reminding them in all capital letters, "IF YOU ARE IN LINE BY 7 P.M., STAY IN LINE, AND THEY MUST LET YOU VOTE. GET OUT AND VOTE FOR CLAY FULLER — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!"
It was Trump's second Truth Social post endorsing Fuller within an hour, only separated by a smattering of posts endorsing candidates in other races across the country.
Georgia's 14th Congressional District is rated as 19 points more Republican than the country as a whole, according to the Cook Political Report, but Democrats are pushing the limits in the northwest corner of the state, which grazes Atlanta's suburbs and stretches into a more mountainous Appalachia region bordering Tennessee.
Fuller finished about 2 percentage points behind Harris in the nonpartisan March 10 contest, but that was mostly because Republican voters were split among more than a dozen candidates, whereas Democrats had just two.
GOP strategists point out Harris was defeated by about 29 percentage points against Greene in 2024, but he did slightly improve his margins in almost all of the district's 10 counties in March. To have a chance, Harris will need to do massively better in the district's more populated areas − such as Cobb and Paulding County, which are closer to the metro Atlanta area.
Both have to run twice more this year
Phillip M. Bailey
No matter what happens on April 7, both men will have to run two more times this year if they want to remain in Congress.
That’s because they’re vying to serve out the remainder of Greene's term, which doesn’t end until January 2027.
Fuller has already indicated he will be on the ballot May 19 during the Republican primary to serve a full two-year term, which could serve as a rematch with Colton Moore, a former state representative who aggressively attacked him in the final stretch of the March 10 special election.
If he wins that primary battle, Fuller will then have to run again in the general election this fall, too.
The same thing goes for Harris should he prevail in the run-off.
How we got here: MTG v. Trump
Phillip M. Bailey
No one, besides President Donald Trump himself, was likely more associated with the Make America Great Again movement than Marjorie Taylor Greene, a controversial Republican lawmaker once thought of as the president's chief sidekick in Congress.
But their nasty feud over various issues within the last year resulted in a political divorce that drove Greene out of office at the beginning of the year.
Some say the beef stems from Trump's betrayal of campaign promises, but others point out the White House reportedly pushed Greene out of the 2026 Georgia race against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Trump is said to have urged her not to run after sharing the results of a poll commissioned by his political team showing Greene losing that contest by double digits, according to reports.
Whatever fueled their split, Greene is now one of the leading anti-war critics and often calls out the administration for going against what she argues are MAGA principles on a host of other issues as well.
Several Georgia Republicans who spoke with USA TODAY earlier this year said while the split has been unfortunate, most voters in the deeply conservative district have sided with the president.
"Marjorie has been very public about the fact that she's changing her political brand and when that happens, you're going to win some new people and you're going to lose some of the people that you had," said Republican strategist Chip Lake, a senior adviser to former football star Herschel Walker's 2022 U.S. Senate campaign in Georgia.
Samuel L. Jackson calls on Black voters to show up
Irene Wright
On Monday, actor Samuel L. Jackson endorsed Shawn Harris for Georgia's 14th congressional district to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene.
"There are 72,903 registered Black voters in your district," Jackson said in a video shared on Harris' X account. "Last time, only 7,000 of you voted. That's 10%. That's why we're having a runoff. Here's your chance to fix your mistake."
Jackson went on to say Harris needed the Black base in Rome, and to "get out and vote."
Jackson's endorsement comes on top of the support Harris has received from former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who endorsed Harris and hosted a joint event highlighting the military in northwest Georgia.
Harris has said previously while he appreciates national voices supporting his race, his focus is on Georgia voters and earning their support.
Who is Clay Fuller?
Phillip M. Bailey
Republican Clay Fuller is easily considered the favorite. Still, the 44-year-old former Georgia prosecutor told USA TODAY back in March that he wasn't taking anything for granted headed into the April 7 run-off.
Fuller is an Air National Guard veteran who was deployed to Qatar in 2024 as a legal advisor following a stint as a White House Fellow. He served at the Al Udeid Air Base, which is the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East and was attacked on March 3 by Iranian forces during the ongoing war.
In 2013, Fuller was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which he described as life-altering when talking publicly about surviving the disease.
Running under the motto of "Faith. Duty. America First," he often describes himself as a "MAGA warrior" who will carry the populist movement forward.
Prominent conservative activists online expressed support for Fuller, but none are likely as vital as President Donald Trump, who described the special election as "very important" before reiterating his endorsement of Fuller in a Truth Social post. Trump called him a "fantastic candidate."
Who is Shawn Harris?
Terry Collins
Democrat Shawn Harris is considered an underdog in Georgia's 14th Congressional District race with a puncher's chance to win. Harris captured nearly 38% of the vote in the March 10 primary.
He is a retired Brigadier General who spent 40 years in the military before becoming a cattle producer in Polk County. Despite his chances, Harris has led in campaign fundraising with $6.4 million compared to the Republican favorite Clay Fuller's $1.2 million as of April 2, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Harris has also garnered the backing of Democratic heavyweights, including former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. Harris is focused on five key issues, including agriculture, healthcare, affordability, national security, and improving the lives of fellow veterans.
He ran for Marjory Taylor Greene'sseat in 2024 and lost to her, receiving about 35% of the votes. However, an upset win for Harris over Fuller this year in a traditionally deep-red GOP district could definitely complicate matters for Trump's second-term agenda in DC.