Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks at an April town hall in Cobb County. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s abrupt announcement that she plans to resign from office early next year is likely to send ripples through Georgia’s political landscape.
Greene, formerly among President Donald Trump’s staunchest allies, announced her plans in a video message Friday, citing frustrations with the political system and the president. In recent months, Greene and Trump had publicly sparred over topics including the release of the Epstein files.
Once she officially leaves office on Jan. 5, it will be up to Gov. Brian Kemp to set a date for a special election to replace her.
Kemp’s office said Monday that there’s no word on timing yet. State law gives the governor 10 days to issue a call for an election starting from the day of the resignation. After that, the election can be held after 30 days have passed from the governor’s order. That means the election could come in mid February at the earliest, though it will likely be held later.
A crowded field
Qualifying for the race will begin after Kemp officially calls for the special election. A race for an open seat usually attracts a lot of candidates, and the race to replace Greene is likely to be no exception.
Several candidates had already filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run against Greene when she was set to go up for re-election in November along with all of Georgia’s other congressional members. They include:
- Republican Star Black, a Federal Emergency Management Agency employee and entrepreneur.
- Republican actor Elvis Casely
- Republican business owner Jeff Criswell
- Republican Uloma Ekpete
- Independent Rob “Rush” Ruszkowski
Democrat Shawn Harris, a retired Army Brigadier General and farmer who challenged Greene in 2024 and earned just over 35% of the vote, has announced plans to run again next year.
On Saturday, Christian Hurd, a U.S. Marine and Dalton resident, announced his plans to run on an “America first” platform including building new infrastructure and banning the purchase of single-family homes by private equity firms.
Members of Congress are not required to live in the districts they serve. Greene herself originally announced a run for a more moderate metro Atlanta district in 2019 but moved her home and her campaign to the 14th District after former U.S. Rep. Tom Graves announced his plans to retire, so the seat could once again see candidates declare from out of the district.
Downstream effects
A congressional race with no incumbent is also likely to attract sitting politicians looking to run for higher office.
“I think we’re going to see a lot of dominoes falling,” said Kennesaw State University professor of political science and former Cobb County Republican Party Chair Jason Shepherd.
A number of state senators are rumored to be considering heading up to Washington, and that’s all part of the process, said Emory University political science professor Andra Gillespie.
“This is actually kind of part of the natural life cycle of running for office,” she said. “When you have an open seat, which doesn’t happen often, especially in a safe district like the 14th District, when you have somebody who chooses to retire, that is kind of an expression of pent up ambition in terms of the number of people who end up running for the seat.”
Much of the Republican leadership in the state Senate already plans to run for higher office, and other GOP lawmakers could be attracted to an open seat in the deep red district.
State Sen. Colton Moore, a Trenton Republican, has openly flirted with a run.
“I’m exploring a run for Congress because Northwest Georgia needs a fighter who won’t bow to the swamp,” Moore said in a statement. “With Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation, I’m seriously considering stepping up to fight alongside President Donald J. Trump to advance the America First Agenda that’s turning our country around.”
Moore is popular among conservative voters in his district, but he has riled his party’s leadership under the Gold Dome, including in 2023 when the Republican Senate Caucus suspended Moore after he revealed their personal contact information as part of a pressure campaign to impeach Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Last year, Moore was arrested outside the state Capitol after trying to force his way into the House chamber despite being banned from entering. Moore had been exiled from the chamber by GOP House Speaker Jon Burns after speaking ill of the late House Speaker David Ralston, a Blue Ridge Republican, while Ralston was being posthumously honored in the Senate.
Other state senator names being tossed around by politicos as potential candidates include Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte, a Dallas Republican; Republican Sen. Ed Setzler of Acworth, author of the state’s religious freedom law and six-week abortion ban, and Republican Sen. Chuck Payne of Dalton, a U.S. Army veteran who chairs the Senate Committee on Veterans, Military and Homeland Security.
Anavitarte, Setzler and Payne did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.
The timing of the race could put wrinkles into the plans of potential candidates. The 2026 legislative session, when state lawmakers all come to Atlanta to pass laws, is set to begin Jan. 12 and could last through late March or early April.
Members of the state Legislature are banned from raising campaign money during the legislative session when running for a state office like governor, or when they are seeking re-election, but they are free to fundraise for a run at federal office like Congress.
“The question will be, however, obviously that if you’re down there working in the general assembly during the session, it’s hard to be back in the district campaigning, so the likelihood is you’ll see a number of them resign,” Shepherd said.
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