Donald Trump influence tested in Marjorie Taylor Greene former district during closely watched Georgia special election
Georgians are voting in a special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in the U.S. House of Representatives, a race seen as a test of Donald Trump's influence in the conservative district. Trump has endorsed Clay Fuller, but Colton Moore, a hard-right former state senator, is also vying for Trump's activist base. With 17 candidates, a runoff on April 7 is expected, potentially including Democrat Shawn Harris, a retired U.S. Army general. The election is drawing national attention as an early measure of Trump's grip on his base.
The race is for Georgia's 14th Congressional District, a region that became prominent after Marjorie Taylor Greene's victory in 2020. Greene quickly rose as a prominent MAGA figure.
Greene had a public falling out with Trump in late 2025. This occurred after she pursued the release of investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein, against Trump's wishes.
Kerwin Swint, a political science professor at Kennesaw State University and a resident of the district, views the election as a crucial test. He stated that the election is a test case to see "how powerful Trump's hold over the party is in that particular district."
Swint anticipates a likely outcome where Harris finishes first without securing a majority. He believes the large number of Republican candidates will split the party's vote. This division could allow either Fuller or Moore to secure the second runoff spot. Swint also added that Harris would likely lose to the Republican candidate in the runoff, given the district's conservative leanings.
In Lookout Mountain, a small city with approximately 1,600 residents, Eddie Gwaltney, 74, expressed his support for Harris. He commented, "It was hard to argue with a retired general and cattle farmer."
Gwaltney further stated his belief in the importance of Democratic representation. "Any chance we have to put another Democrat in the House of Representatives is good news for me," he said.
Mark Nelson, a 63-year-old retired commercial airline pilot and Republican, was undecided between Fuller and Moore as he entered a polling place in Dalton. He views both candidates as MAGA loyalists.
Nelson emphasized the need for a candidate who embodies strong pro-Trump sentiment. "We need someone who's as pro-Trump as Marjorie used to be," he remarked, referring to Greene's departure from Congress.
Nelson indicated that external factors were not influencing his decision. He stated that neither the conflict in Iran nor the rising gasoline prices were affecting his choice. He expressed faith that Trump "will fix everything real soon."
Art Carlson, a 96-year-old lifelong Republican, holds a different perspective. He chose to vote for Jim Davis, one of the three Democratic candidates. Carlson attributed the Iran conflict and the surge in gas prices to Trump.
Carlson explained his motivation for voting. "The reason I'm here today is to counter anyone who's going to be like Trump or Marjorie Taylor what's-her-name," he declared.
Polls were scheduled to close at 7 p.m. ET (2300 GMT) on Tuesday.
The Georgia 14th Congressional District is characterized as a predominantly blue-collar area. It stretches from the exurbs of Atlanta to the Tennessee border. The district gained national attention following Greene's 2020 victory.
Colton Moore, in an interview on Tuesday, expressed confidence in his ability to win the election without Trump's endorsement.
He highlighted his consistent promotion of Trump's unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 election being stolen. Moore also pointed to his attacks on Trump's perceived political adversaries. He believes this demonstrated loyalty will resonate with the MAGA base.
"The district recognizes me as Trump's number one defender," Moore stated. He added that his campaign's volunteers had engaged in significant outreach. "You know, quite frankly, I think the president has got some bad advisers to endorse my opponent," he commented.
Moore predicted that Harris and either himself or Fuller would advance to a runoff election.
Shawn Harris suggested that voter dissatisfaction with the economy and Trump's actions regarding Iran were driving support for his campaign.
"He got us into the middle of a war. And everything I talk about is kitchen-table issues," Harris told Reuters. He expressed optimism about the election outcome. "We are either going to win it outright, or we're going to go into a runoff," he said.
The winner of this special election will serve the remainder of the current term, concluding at the end of 2026. However, they will immediately need to campaign for the full two-year term beginning in January 2027. This campaign will commence with a May primary election. It is possible that many of the same contenders will face each other again in that primary.