Republican Clay Fuller won the special election Tuesday to fill the U.S. House seat previously held by Marjorie Taylor Greene, securing victory over Democrat Shawn Harris in Georgia’s heavily Republican 14th Congressional District.
Harris had led the first round of voting in March in a crowded 17-candidate field, but Fuller gained momentum in the runoff as the district’s strong Republican base coalesced behind him. Harris conceded once election results showed Fuller with a commanding lead.
Fuller’s victory strengthens the Republican majority in the U.S. House. Once sworn in, Republicans will hold 218 seats to Democrats’ 214, with one independent and two vacancies remaining.
The seat became open after Greene resigned in January following a public falling out with President Donald Trump. Trump later endorsed Fuller, helping him consolidate support among Republican voters. Although Fuller did not win a majority in the March 10 primary, Republican candidates collectively captured nearly 60 percent of the vote in the district, which the Cook Political Report rates as Georgia’s most Republican-leaning congressional district.
Fuller previously served as a district attorney prosecuting crimes across four counties and was a White House fellow during Trump’s first administration. He also serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Georgia Air National Guard. During a March 23 debate, Fuller said northwest Georgia needed “an America First fighter to stand strong for northwest Georgia,” pledging strong support for the president’s agenda.
Harris, a cattle farmer and retired general, campaigned as a moderate Democrat and described himself as a “dirt-road Democrat,” arguing that practical-minded Republicans should support him because of his focus on local issues. Harris criticized Fuller’s close alignment with Trump, saying it would limit his independence in representing the district.
Fuller will serve out the remaining months of Greene’s term, but his time in Congress will be brief unless he wins again later this year. Candidates seeking a full two-year term will compete in party primaries scheduled for May 19, with a possible runoff on June 16, followed by the general election in November. Early voting is set to begin April 27.
Greene had been one of the most prominent and controversial members of Congress, remaining a loyal Trump ally after the 2020 election and frequently campaigning with him during his 2024 presidential run. Tensions between Greene and Trump escalated last year over potential statewide political ambitions and disagreements on foreign policy and other issues. Trump eventually signaled support for a primary challenger, and Greene announced her resignation shortly afterward.
With Fuller now headed to Washington, voters in Georgia’s 14th District will soon return to the polls, as the race for a full two-year term is already underway.