Georgia race to replace Greene could test Trump influence, Democratic strategy - analyst

Record ID: 2362219

  • Title: Georgia race to replace Greene could test Trump influence, Democratic strategy - analyst
  • Date: 7th March 2026
  • Summary: ATLANTA, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES (MARCH 6, 2026) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLITICAL SCIENTIST AT EMORY UNIVERSITY, ANDRA GILLESPIE, SAYING:    "So I think the choice here in this particular race is not MAGA or not MAGA so much as it is, does it look more like establishment MAGA versus does it look more like what we remember Marjorie Taylor Greene to be before she sta
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Clayton Fuller Georgia Georgia 14th congressional district Marjorie Taylor Greene Republican party Shawn Harris Trump andra gillespie midterms special election
  • Location: VARIOUS
  • City: VARIOUS
  • Country: US
  • Topics: North America,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA00F170006032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:        The race to replace former U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia’s 14th congressional district has drawn attention after her resignation last year and a public falling out with U.S. President Donald Trump.
            Political scientist Andra Gillespie of Emory University said the district has long been a Republican stronghold but Greene’s departure triggered a high-stakes special election.
           “The 14th district is a reliably Republican district in the state of Georgia,” Gillespie said, noting Greene first gained attention as “a loyal ally of President Trump” before their dispute over the administration’s handling of the Epstein files.
          Republicans are closely watching the special election because they hold a “razor thin majority in the House of Representatives,” Gillespie said.
          Shawn Harris is considered the leading Democratic candidate. Harris, a 59-year-old cattle farmer and retired brigadier general, has made courting disaffected Republican voters a central focus of his Democratic candidacy, aiming to win them over with a message centered on lowering costs for everyday workers and expanding access to affordable healthcare.
        “Shawn Harris was the Democratic nominee in 2024, and he far outpaces all of the Republicans in terms of his fundraising at this point,” Gillespie pointed out. 
         On a crowded Republican side, no candidate in the race has been as fiery or aggressive in backing the president over the years as Colton Moore, a hard-right former state senator who calls himself “Trump’s #1 Defender" and is running under the slogan “GOD. GUNS. TRUMP.”
         However, Trump endorsed Clay Fuller, a former district attorney for four counties in northwest Georgia, describing him as a torchbearer of MAGA.
         “This is a year where the president's party is expected to lose seats. And while nobody is expecting in the general election that the Georgia 14th (district) is going to flip blue. You don't want to risk that by putting forward a candidate who could be perceived as radioactive,” Gillespie said. 
        Gillespie said the race may test Trump’s political influence, but the broader significance could lie in how Democrats perform.
         “I think the bigger story will be how well Shawn Harris performs in this election,” she said, noting a strong showing could signal Democratic organizing that might serve as a blueprint for statewide campaigns, including that of Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, as he seeks to hold his seat.
        At the same time, Gillespie said the Republican contest reflects a debate within the party over style and strategy.
         “The choice here… is not MAGA or not MAGA so much as it is establishment MAGA versus what we remember Marjorie Taylor Greene to be,” she said.
    (Production: Alexandra Sarabia)
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