ATLANTA — The crowded race to succeed former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will come down to a runoff between a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump and a Democrat seeking an upset in a conservative northwest Georgia district.
Republican Clayton Fuller, a former prosecutor, and Democrat Shawn Harris, a retired Army brigadier general, will meet in an April 7 runoff, according to unofficial results of a special election Tuesday.
They emerged as the leaders among a field of 17 candidates seeking to replace Greene, who resigned in January after splitting with Trump on foreign policy and the release of files related to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Neither candidate received a majority of votes needed to win the special election outright Tuesday night. Harris led the field, while Fuller garnered the most votes among 12 Republican candidates who split the GOP electorate.
Fuller’s second-place finish eliminates from contention pro-Trump firebrand and former state Sen. Colton Moore, R-Trenton.
Trump’s backing of Fuller helped boost him into a head-to-head runoff with Harris, who lost to Greene with 36% of the vote in 2024.
“Voters in Georgia are fired up to send a strong conservative to represent them in Washington. Clay will be a strong ally of President Trump and help House Republicans grow the economy, secure the border, and keep Americans safe,” said Reilly Richardson, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Harris recognized the challenge of winning the runoff but said voters are increasingly supporting his campaign.
“This race isn’t over. Northwest Georgia showed up in a BIG way, and now we head to a runoff,” Harris said on X. “Momentum is real. The coalition is growing. Let’s finish what we started. On to the runoff.”
The winner of the April runoff will fill the remaining months of Greene’s two-year term.
After the runoff, a primary in May and potential runoff in June will decide each party’s nominees for the November general election.
Three other special elections Tuesday for seats in the Georgia General Assembly also appeared to be heading to runoffs April 7.
Republican Lanny Thomas will face Democrat Jack Zibluk in the race for Moore’s former seat in the state Senate, which covers the northwest corner of Georgia including Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, and Walker counties.
A state House race between four Democrats in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties will also be decided by a runoff between Venola Mason and Kelly Kautz to replace former state Rep. Karen Bennett, D-Stone Mountain, who resigned in January and pleaded guilty to charges that she fraudulently obtained $13,940 in unemployment supplements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Richmond County, Democrat Sheila Clark Nelson will face Republican Thomas McAdams. The winner will take the seat previously held by state Rep. Lynn Heffner, D-Augusta, who resigned after moving out of the district because of damage to her house from Hurricane Helene.
