Polls open in runoff to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene
ROME — Voters in northwest Georgia are headed to the polls today to decide whether Republican Clay Fuller or Democrat Shawn Harris will represent them in Congress.
Whoever wins this special election runoff to complete the term of former Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will have an immediate leg up in the race for a full two-year term.
Fuller is on the Republican primary ballot for that contest in May. He is also considered the front-runner in the runoff given that Georgia’s 14th Congressional District has more Republican than Democratic voters.
Fuller’s supporters gathered at an event hall in Rome on Monday night to participate in a phone-a-thon to remind GOP voters about Election Day.
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Among those participating in the phone bank was Jim Tully, a GOP activist who was among the roughly 20 Republicans who ran in the March special election. After Fuller made the runoff, Tully endorsed him and has been actively campaigning on his behalf ever since.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s exactly what the district needs,” Tully said Monday night. “Georgia needs Clay. The country needs somebody like Clay.”
On the Democratic side, Harris is hoping to ride a wave of discontent toward President Donald Trump into a surprise victory. Trump has endorsed Fuller but continues to face backlash from voters as fuel prices soar and the conflict in Iran drags on.
“Those are the issues that are hitting people right in the face,” Harris said during an interview with Fox News on Monday. “And tomorrow when they go to the polls, they will have to stop at the pump, and that’ll be the last thing they think about before they go and vote.”
Because the district is so Republican-leaning, Fuller has a leg up. However, Democrats and even some Republicans say that if he doesn’t finish with a commanding lead it could indicate voters dissatisfied with Trump are willing to take it out on his allies, a troubling sign for Republicans in a midterm year.
When Harris ran against Greene in 2024, she defeated him by 28 percentage points. Trump bested Vice President Kamala Harris by 36 points on that same ballot. Fuller, who doesn’t have the power of incumbency and has never run districtwide, is not expected to win by as large of a margin in what will likely be a low-turnout affair.
About the Author
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
