The crowded field to replace former U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has collapsed into a runoff election after no candidate secured more than 50% of the vote in Tuesday night’s special primary.
Democrat Shawn Harris emerged as the top contender with approximately 39% of the vote, according to unofficial results from Georgia’s Secretary of State’s office, while Trump-endorsed Republican Clay Fuller trailed closely with about 35%. The runoff will be decided on April 7, with the winner fulfilling the remainder of Greene’s term and facing re-election in November against the same opponents.
Harris leads currently but faces significant challenges in securing victory after Trump carried the district by 37 points in the most recent election cycle. Georgia law mandates that all candidates—regardless of party—appear on a single ballot, resulting in the current race with 22 contenders and an unlikely path to outright victory without a runoff.
Republican Colton Moore, a former state senator, finished third with over 11% of the vote despite lacking Trump’s endorsement. Moore positioned himself as a staunch pro-Trump figure during recent candidate forums, urging supporters who “100% support President Trump” to back his candidacy. He has faced multiple controversies this year, including an arrest after attempting to attend Governor Brian Kemp’s state of the state address and removal from the state Senate GOP caucus for criticizing fellow Republicans over their refusal to impeach Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis following her indictment of former president Donald Trump in the 2020 election.