Republican Clay Fuller said he won Tuesday night. He captured Marjorie Taylor Greene’s old US. House seat in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. He also beat Democrat Shawn Harris in a runoff that drew lots of attention. So, Fuller is now off to Washington, DC., as the district’s newest congressman.
In Tuesday’s runoff, Fuller won 57% of the vote. Harris pulled in 43%. With nearly all votes in, Fuller won by roughly 12 points, less than many Republicans had expected. Still, the outcome locked in Republican control of one of Georgia’s safest conservative seats.
Trump’s Endorsement Drives Fuller’s Win
Donald Trump was key to Fuller’s campaign. In February, Trump backed Fuller, helping him beat other Republicans. Trump also rallied his supporters just hours before polls opened.
Trump told Republicans to “get out and vote” for Fuller, praising him as a “fantastic candidate”. And pointing to his “complete and total endorsement”. Adding that Fuller embraced the Trump brand wholeheartedly.
On March 23, during a debate, he fully supported Trump and couldn’t name a single thing he disagreed with the president about. So his loyal supporters rallied strongly behind him.
Who Is Clay Fuller?
Fuller arrives in Congress with a strong record. He worked as a district attorney, trying cases in four counties. He also worked as a White House fellow in Trump’s first term, and he’s currently a lieutenant colonel in the Georgia Air National Guard. In his win, Fuller promised to stay faithful to both his district and the president.“Just like President Trump said, I will never let you down,” Fuller declared before cheering supporters in Ringgold.
Harris Puts Up a Fight
But Shawn Harris, the Democrat, wouldn’t make the race any easier. Harris, a retired Army brigadier general, brought in almost $6.5 million, while Fuller made about $1.2 million. He beat the Democrats’ 2024 presidential results by 25 points, the biggest Democratic overperformance in a House special election since Trump took office.
Even so, Harris couldn’t overcome the district’s strong Republican leaning. In 2024, Trump won Georgia’s 14th District by 37 points, turning it into the state’s most Republican seat. Still, Harris stayed stubborn even in defeat.“Who would have ever thought that in a ruby red district, the race would be this close?” Harris told supporters in Rome, Georgia.
Why Greene’s Seat Opened Up
Greene leaving Congress set off this whole race. Greene quit in January, parting ways with Trump over foreign policy and his hesitance to share records tied to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Later, Trump backed Fuller to take her seat. On election day, Greene turned around and hit Trump on social media, accusing him of fighting a foreign war for Israel.
What Happens Next
Fuller’s work doesn’t end there, though. He’ll finish the rest of Greene’s term, helping the Republicans keep a narrow edge in the House: 217 seats to the Democrats’ 214. Fuller has to run in the May 19 Republican primary, win it, and then win the November midterms too, to get a full two-year term.
Meanwhile, Harris is already the Democrats’ choice for November. So, chances are these two candidates will meet again before the year is over.
Across the country, Democrats say the tight race is a sign they’re building momentum for November’s midterms, where control of Congress is still up for grabs. So Fuller may win today, but the larger fight for Congress goes on.
“Sources: NBC News, CNN, PBS NewsHour, Atlanta Journal-Constitution”
