Republican Party

Georgia special election results. Who replaces Marjorie Taylor Greene?

USA TODAY

April 8, 2026, 7:08 a.m. ET

Republicans kept a seat in Washington.

Clay Fuller won a Georgia runoff election late Tuesday, April 7, according to CNN and Associated Press, to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in the U.S. House of Representatives. Fuller's victory in the 14th Congressional District served as a litmus test of President Donald Trump's endorsement in a heavily GOP area. But a growing blue wave eroded the wide 2024 GOP margins in the district set by Trump and Greene in 2024.

Here are the results and why they matter.

Who won the Georgia special election?

The GOP-held 14th Congressional district went to a runoff after a March primary failed to produce a candidate with more than half of the vote.

The runoff wasn't tight, but it also wasn't a major margin: Fuller earned 55.9% of the voter, while Democrat Shawn Harris earned 44.1%, according to CNN and AP. Despite Harris' fundraising leads over Fuller, he was not able to pull ahead of the Trump-backed candidate in the heavily GOP district, potentially signaling the president's support still weighs heavily on the minds of voters leading up to the November midterms.

Georgia Republican congressional candidate Clay Fuller speaks to members of the media after voting on April 7, 2026 in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. The special election is being held to fill the 14th congressional district seat left vacant when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) resigned in January.

Why the runoff results matter for the nation

The balance of power in the House is in focus as House Speaker Mike Johnson manages a narrow majority in the chamber. Upon return from a spring recess, the House is set to consider voting rights as well as calls to reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement, two policy priorities for the president. With an ally in the House, it could potentially set these measures on a path toward success for the president.

Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives Shawn Harris spoke to supporters at a community garden in South Rome, Georgia before walking to a polling location on April 7, 2026.

The other ripple effect is whether or not the runoff results serve as a bellwether for the many races still to come this year. Amid the war in Iran, high gas prices and other affordability concerns, Americans' support for Trump has slipped to 36%, its lowest level since his return to the White House, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.. The selection of Fuller, though, could signal his endorsement still matters in the eyes of voters and compel more 2026 GOP candidates to seek his goodwill.

Contributing: Phillip Bailey

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