U.S. House District 14: Deja vu in NW Georgia as voters again head to the polls

Voters in northwest Georgia’s 14th congressional district just elected a new congressman.

Now they must go back to the polls and do it again.

The seat opened up when U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced her surprise decision to step down in January amid a bitter split with her one-time ally President Donald Trump.

Of the 22 candidates who lined up to take her place, two — Republican Clay Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris — emerged from a special election primary in March to face off in an April 7 runoff.

Fuller ultimately defeated Harris and was sworn into office to fill out the remainder of Greene’s term.

His bid was fueled by Trump’s endorsement, which helped him break away in the crowded field. The district attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, Fuller had run unsuccessfully in 2020, coming in a distant fourth in the GOP primary that Greene ultimately won.

Despite the loss, Democrats were buoyed by Harris’ strong showing in the overwhelmingly Republican district and see it as a sign of momentum heading into the midterms.

Trump won the district by 37 percentage points in 2024, while Fuller defeated Harris by about 12 percentage points — a 25-point shift to the left.

Harris, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general, also posted a strong showing when he ran against Greene in 2024.

Shawn Harris lost a special election runoff in the 14th District, but by far less that expected. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

In the May 19 primary, Fuller will face nine Republican opponents, many of them the same candidates he defeated in the March special election.

Should Fuller win again, he will face a rematch with Harris, the lone Democrat seeking the seat.

Here are the other Republicans on the May primary ballot:

Star Black: 28-year retired veteran of the Federal Emergency Management Agency from Kennesaw, Black portrayed herself as a more mainstream alternative to Greene.

Reagan Box: A resident of Rome, she is a traveling equestrian and rancher.

Timothy “Beau” Brown: A risk engineer from the Silver Creek community south of Rome is running as an outsider “with a heart for public service as the Founders intended it.”

Eric Cunningham: An executive for Pinsly Railroad Co., he lives in Paulding County and is running a campaign focused on his background in business and his Christian faith.

Thomas Gray: The senior pastor of Mars Hill Community Church in Powder Springs, he has also worked as a professor at Kennesaw State University.

Nicky Lama: A former Dalton City Council member, the 25-year-old Lama would be one of the youngest members of Congress if elected. He describes himself as a “next-generation conservative” who is also “100% MAGA.”

Colton Moore: A former state senator from Trenton, Moore had a controversial tenure in the Legislature. He openly feuded with fellow Republicans at the Capitol and was arrested after a scuffle with Georgia State Patrol officers in January 2025. Moore had been trying to enter the House chamber after being banned by the speaker.

Brian Stover: A former Paulding County commissioner and business owner.