Georgia's special election for the 14th Congressional District will advance to a runoff after no candidate secured a majority of votes. Republican Clay Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris received the most votes, setting up an April 7 runoff according to projections from CBS News and CNN.
Key Takeaways
Georgia's special election for the 14th Congressional District will advance to an April 7 runoff after no candidate secured a majority of votes. The race pits Trump-endorsed Republican Clay Fuller against Democrat Shawn Harris.
- Georgia’s 14th Congressional District election heads to a runoff on April 7
- Republican Clay Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris advance, beating out 15 other candidates
- President Donald Trump endorsed Fuller, highlighting the race as a test of his influence over MAGA supporters
- The winner will serve out the remaining months of Marjorie Taylor Greene's term
The race has drawn national attention as an early measure of President Donald Trump's influence over his base in this stronghold of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. Fuller, a former district attorney endorsed by Trump, had hoped to avoid a runoff but faced stiff competition from multiple candidates.
Fuller told reporters outside a polling place in Rome, Georgia: 'We’re the candidate that’s going to have his back on Capitol Hill.' He previously stated before a speech by Trump: 'We need to win this thing on March 10 and send an America First warrior to fight for President Trump.'
Democrat Shawn Harris, a retired Army brigadier general who lost to Greene in 2024, raised about $4.3 million for the race, with approximately $290,000 remaining as of February 18. Clay Fuller had the second-largest war chest with about $787,000 total and approximately $238,000 in the bank.
The district is known as ruby-red Trump country but contains enough Democrats and independents to potentially cause issues for Republicans in a special election that could lead to an April runoff. The winner will serve out the remaining months of Greene's term. But if they want to remain in Congress beyond next January, they will have to run again.
The race has drawn national attention as an early measure of Trump's influence over his base in this stronghold of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. A strong showing by Fuller would underscore Trump's continued sway, while a weaker performance could indicate a loosening grip on MAGA supporters.
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