The special election to replace former Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene is projected to be headed to a runoff after none of the candidates secured a majority of the votes on Tuesday night.
Republican Clay Fuller, who received President Donald Trump’s endorsement, is projected to face Democrat Shawn Harris to represent Georgia’s 14th congressional district, according to the BBC’s US partner CBS.
The two candidates beat out a crowded field of 17 candidates for the runoff slots.
Trump put his finger on the scale, giving Fuller his “complete and total endorsement” in a Truth Social post and holding a rally in Rome, Georgia, last month.
“For those of you who questioned how important Donald J Trump is to this country, to Georgia 14, and the state of Georgia, you see what this man means to this community, what he means to the people in this country, and what he means to the MAGA movement,” Fuller, a former district attorney, said on Tuesday night.
Harris, the Democrat, posted on X: “This race isn’t over. Momentum is real. The coalition is growing.”
The runoff election will be held 7 April.
Whoever wins the seat will serve out the rest of Greene’s term.
Tuesday’s election served as an early test of Trump’s power to shape the upcoming midterm elections in November.
Greene’s larger-than-life political persona loomed over voters as they chose her replacement. In her nearly six years in Congress, Greene developed a reputation for bombastic committee appearances, embracing conspiracy theories, and supporting hardline immigration policies.
She was one of Trump’s most prominent backers until their relationship combusted over the Epstein files; Greene pushed for legislation that would demand the government release its trove of documents, despite Trump’s opposition. Congress eventually passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and Trump signed it into law, after sustained political pressure. But their relationship never healed.
Since leaving office in January, she has used her X account to criticise Trump for the US and Israel’s military operation against Iran.
Voters went to the polls on Tuesday mindful of the feud. They had the dizzying task of choosing from 17 candidates, both Democrat and Republican.
Some Republicans used Trump’s endorsement to guide their own vote, wanting a more reliable fighter for the president they support.
Marsha Miles “would have voted for Fuller anyway”, she told the BBC outside a polling place in Rome, but Trump’s endorsement signaled he was the right choice.
But she also chose Fuller because “of his morals, what he stands for, and his military service”.
Other Republicans gravitated toward former State Senator Colton Moore, whose own anti-establishment persona resonated with voters who liked Greene’s approach but were angry about her exit.
Moore is projected to finish in third place.
“Colton has that same appeal as Marjorie,” said 21-year-old Moore campaign volunteer Benito Rubino said, though he noted: “So far nobody’s happy with Marjorie, with the fact that she quit so early.”
Moore, he believed, would be a more reliable warrior for Trump.
Meanwhile, Democrats in the district hoped to flip the seat after six years of Greene’s representation by electing Harris, a retired brigadier general and local farmer.
Sheila Hutchings, a Democrat, voted for Harris because she wanted “a more positive” personality who would “speak kindly” to all constituents regardless of party.
By BBC News
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