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Clay Fuller supports the war in Iran. Shawn Harris opposes it. Voters in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s former district in north-west Georgia decided that this distinction was not enough to propel a Democrat into a conservative-leaning House seat on Tuesday night.
Associated Press called the election as results from the rural counties of north-western corner of the state rolled in.
Both men running to replace the former Trump ally turned critic, who resigned from Congress earlier this year, have considerable military credentials. Fuller is an air force reserve lieutenant colonel and military attorney. Harris is a retired brigadier general who has commanded combat troops in Afghanistan, Liberia and elsewhere, with his last active-duty assignment as a military attache in Israel.
On paper, the odds of a Harris win were slim. Georgia’s 14th congressional district voted for Trump by a two-to-one margin in 2024, which is nearly the same margin Harris lost to Greene in 2024. In line with special elections for Congress since the start of Trump’s term, the Democratic candidate overperformed. Early results suggest Harris has improved on his 2024 margin by double digits. Harris said he will try again in November with a full congressional term on the table.
Trump’s war, which he had threatened to escalate on Tuesday evening before agreeing to a two-week ceasefire, is unpopular, with most Americans opposing the conflict, which Harris hoped to capitalize on in the campaign.
“This war that we’re in right now is a war of choice,” Harris said in the sole debate between the two during the campaign. “The president was advised not to do it. He did it and now we’re trying to figure out how are we going to get out of it … We should not put ground troops on the ground because this is not a war we should be in. We should be trying to pull back out of it.”
In that debate on 22 March, Fuller expressed his support for Trump’s actions. “Our country is safer because of what President Trump has done regarding Iran,” Fuller said. “You see that with just the news over the last couple of days. Iran fired a ballistic missile aimed at Diego Garcia where there are Americans stationed. … [Iran] is a death cult that could not be negotiated with.”
Republicans currently hold the House with a three vote margin, with three vacancies. The loss of Greene’s seat to a Democrat would have been an unthinkable blow to Republican prospects heading into the November midterm elections, so the contest drew outsized attention. Samuel L Jackson recorded an ad for Harris, and Pete Buttigieg joined Harris on the campaign trail.
Fuller kept a comparably lower profile after placing second in the open “jungle” primary amid a field of more than a dozen Republican candidates splitting conservative voters. Fuller benefitted from his relationship with Trump as a former White House aide and a relationship with voters as the elected prosecutor in north Georgia’s Lookout Mountain judicial circuit.
Harris significantly out-raised Fuller with $6.5m to Fuller’s $1.2m. But outside organizations have used nearly $2m in additional spending to attack Harris.
“Who runs negative ads against somebody who doesn’t have a chance?” Harris asked in an interview with the Guardian. “Democrats are motivated. Independents are motivated and upset with Trump.”
In advance of the tally, Fuller’s team expressed confidence.
“The 14th district is united behind President Trump and his candidate Clay Fuller because they understand we can’t afford to give any ground to the radical left or their candidates,” said Fuller spokesperson Will Hampson early on Tuesday evening. “From former opponents to grassroots patriots, Clay has been incredibly humbled by the unity and outpouring of support for his campaign. Clay is going to win tonight and will deliver results in Congress for the hardworking people of north-west Georgia.”
