Democrat, Republican Advance in Race for MTG's Seat

Democrat Shawn Harris and Republican Clay Fuller advanced to an April 7 runoff for Marjorie Taylor Greene's former US House seat in Georgia after no candidate won a majority in Tuesday's special election. President Trump in February endorsed Fuller, a district attorney who prosecutes crimes in four counties, to succeed Greene, the AP reports. Fuller has called Trump's endorsement "rocket fuel" for his candidacy, but it did not boost him to a majority of the vote in a 14-candidate field that included nine Republicans, three Democrats, a Libertarian, and an independent. All the candidates ran together regardless of party , with the top two moving on to the runoff.

• Harris, a cattle farmer and retired brigadier general, is likely to face an uphill battle to win a majority in the heavily Republican district. Nevertheless, Democrats are likely to boast of his first-round showing as a further success in a period when they have focused on strong performances in special elections. Harris has promised moderation and a focus on the district's problems, contrasting himself with Greene's bomb-throwing style.
• The winner will serve out the remaining months of Greene's term. A Republican win in northwest Georgia's 14th Congressional District would bolster the party's majority in the House. The district stretches from suburban Atlanta to the Tennessee state line.
• Fuller was a White House fellow in the first Trump administration and is a lieutenant colonel in the Georgia Air National Guard. He finished fourth in the 2020 Republican primary that Greene won. Fuller had set an outright win as his goal for Tuesday's vote.
• The New York Times reports that with more than 80% of the vote in, Harris is slightly ahead of Fuller, at almost 37%. Former state Sen. Colton Moore, a Republican seen as a Greene-style disruptor, is in third place, at 12.5%.
• This round of voting is only the first step in an elections marathon in the Georgia district. Republicans and Democrats seeking a full two-year term are set for a May 19 party primary, and possibly a June 16 party runoff, before advancing to the general election in November.