In a surprising development, Democrat Shawn Harris is leading the vote count in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, a traditionally Republican stronghold once held by Marjorie Taylor Greene. According to the Associated Press, Harris has advanced to a runoff election, where he will compete against Clayton Fuller, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. With nearly 90 percent of the votes counted, Harris is currently ahead of Fuller. Harris, a retired Brigadier General in the U.S. Army, has campaigned on issues such as raising teacher salaries, enacting a farm bill, and advocating for veterans. He also emphasized a “tough but compassionate” approach to immigration.

Clayton Fuller, a former state legislator, secured Trump’s endorsement, an influential advantage in a district where Trump won by over 40 points in 2024. This endorsement is considered a critical factor as the runoff approaches, positioning Fuller as a strong contender for the seat. Trump expressed his support for Fuller on Truth Social, congratulating him on advancing to the runoff with a significant portion of the vote despite a crowded Republican field. Trump stated, “Clay will be a GREAT Congressman — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

The winner of this runoff will be sworn in to complete Greene’s term and will also have to participate in the upcoming midterm elections. Jacob Rubashkin, Deputy Editor at Inside Elections, commented that Republicans are expected to maintain control of the seat, citing the district’s strong Republican lean. He noted that even in races where Democrats performed well statewide, Georgia’s 14th District remained significantly Republican. Pete Buttigieg, former Democratic presidential candidate and Transportation Secretary, endorsed Harris, providing him with some national attention. Prior to the election, there was speculation that a Democrat could secure the top vote in the initial round due to the crowded Republican field.

The final field of 17 candidates included three Democrats, 12 Republicans, one Libertarian, and one independent. The top finisher prediction came true, sending a Democrat and a Republican to the runoff. Harris also led the field in fundraising, pulling in $4.3 million, and has claimed his team had ‘figured out how to get Republicans to also vote for’ him. The next best fundraisers were Republican contenders Brian Stover, who raised $940,000, and Fuller, at $786,000. At Trump’s rally in Rome, Georgia, last month, Fuller joined the president on stage, pledging to be a ‘MAGA warrior’ in Congress after securing Trump’s ‘total and complete’ endorsement. Days earlier, however, Trump had muddied the waters with an apparent slip. ‘They say whoever I endorse is going to win. But we have a lot of good candidates that want to take her place,’ he said the following week.

The White House declined to clarify the remark, pointing instead to Trump’s original endorsement of Fuller. Greene had stayed neutral in the race. Fuller has also drawn support from two conservative outside groups — Club for Growth, which endorsed him, and Conservatives for American Excellence, which has ‘spent hundreds of thousands of dollars’ backing his candidacy, according to NBC News. Tuesday’s contest is the first of up to five elections before Georgia’s 14th district — a rock-solid R+19 Republican stronghold — sends a representative to Washington for a full two-year term. Next comes the runoff special election on April 7 to fill the remainder of Greene’s seat through January. Should the winner seek a full term, they will appear on the ballot again in the May 19 statewide primary, with a potential runoff on June 16. The runoff winner faces the November 3 general election — and, if needed, a December 1 runoff to settle the full congressional term.