Marjorie Taylor Greene is no longer on the ballot, but she remains a major influence as voters in Georgia’s 14th congressional district prepare to choose her replacement in a special election.
Greene, a controversial Republican known for her strong Christian conservative views and confrontational style in Congress, first won the seat in 2020 and quickly became one of the most recognizable figures in Washington. However, her political career in Congress came to an abrupt end earlier this year after a public feud with U.S. President Donald Trump. Their conflict began when Greene criticized Trump’s initial opposition to releasing the Epstein files, calling his movement “a lie,” while Trump responded by labeling her “a traitor.” The dispute escalated and eventually led Greene to resign from Congress in January.
Now voters must decide who will fill the remaining months of her term. The race is crowded, with 17 candidates from both major parties competing. Trump has given his “complete and total endorsement” to Republican former district attorney Clay Fuller, which could influence many conservative voters in the strongly Republican district.
“She did some stuff off the wall,” said Justin Leonard, 28-year-old firefighter in Georgia’s 14th congressional district, who voted for Greene twice. “Kind of making conservatives look a little right-wing and a little like nut jobs. But other than that, I think she did her job.”
But when Greene broke her unwavering support for US President Donald Trump late last year, the pair’s rift descended into a very public feud that ultimately led to her decision to quit Congress in January.
“She loved her country, she loved Christ, she believed in values,” Leonard said. “Unfortunately, she kind of went off the rails a little.”
On Tuesday, voters in Leonard’s area, a Republican stronghold, will decide who will take Greene’s place on Capitol Hill in a special election.
Trump himself has bequeathed his “complete and total endorsement” to a Republican former district attorney named Clay Fuller. But Fuller is just one of 17 candidates in a crowded field that features both Democrats and Republicans.
And Greene’s voters share her resistance to being told what to do, even by a president they admire.
Democrats are also trying to take advantage of Greene’s absence. Retired brigadier general and farmer Shawn Harris, who ran against Greene in 2024, is campaigning again. Harris previously received 35% of the vote against Greene’s 64%, but he hopes the crowded Republican field could give him a better chance this time.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers—regardless of party—will move to a runoff election on April 7. Whoever wins will serve the remainder of Greene’s term and then must run again in the regular midterm election in November.
Although Greene is gone from Congress, her political legacy and dramatic exit continue to shape the race, with voters divided over her influence and searching for a candidate who can represent the district moving forward.
