Honestly, if you’ve been following Georgia politics lately, you know it's a total whirlwind. One minute Marjorie Taylor Greene is the face of the 14th District, and the next, there’s a massive "help wanted" sign on her seat in Congress.
It feels like just yesterday she was securing another term, but here we are in January 2026, and the Marjorie Taylor Greene race to fill her vacancy is officially the wildest thing happening in the South.
Greene resigned. Yeah, for real. She stepped down effective January 5, 2026, after a pretty public falling out with Donald Trump. It’s a huge shift for a district that was basically synonymous with her brand of firebrand conservatism for the last five years. Now, we’re looking at a special election on March 10, 2026, and the list of people trying to grab that spot is... long. Like, 22-people-long.
The Shocking Resignation and the Special Election
Why did she leave? Basically, she said she didn't want to put the district through a "hurtful and hateful primary" after Trump revoked his endorsement and started taking shots at her on social media.
Now, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has set the stage for a sprint. This isn't your typical primary-then-general setup. It’s a "jungle" format. Everyone—Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and independents—is on one single ballot.
If nobody gets over 50% of the vote on March 10, the top two finishers head to a runoff on April 7. With 17 Republicans in the mix, a runoff is almost a guarantee.
💡 You might also like: Robert Hanssen: What Most People Get Wrong About the FBI's Most Damaging Spy
Who is actually running?
The candidate list is a wild mix of local heavyweights and political newcomers. You’ve got:
- Clayton Fuller: A former District Attorney who actually ran against Greene back in 2020. He’s got some name ID and is seen as a serious contender.
- Colton Moore: A state senator known for being a bit of a rebel himself. He’s got that "anti-establishment" energy that voters in Northwest Georgia often go for.
- Shawn Harris: The Democrat who took on Greene in 2024. He actually did better than any Democrat has in this district since 2010, pulling in about 134,759 votes (roughly 35.6%).
- Brian Stover: A former Paulding County commissioner who owns a trash-hauling business. He’s already hitting the airwaves with TV ads.
Breaking Down the 14th District Numbers
To understand why this race is so intense, you have to look at the people living there. The 14th District isn't just one vibe. It stretches from the Tennessee line all the way down to the Atlanta suburbs.
It’s an overwhelmingly white district—roughly 70%—but that's changing slightly. The Black population sits around 12% to 13.7%, and the Hispanic community is right there too, at about 11.9% to 13.2%.
Historically, this place is a Republican fortress. In 2024, Greene beat Shawn Harris 64.4% to 35.6%. In 2020, she won with a massive 74.7% of the vote. It’s rated as R+19 by the Cook Political Report, meaning whoever wins the Republican "lane" in this special election is basically the next Member of Congress.
The Financial Side of the Marjorie Taylor Greene Race
Politics is expensive. Greene was a fundraising machine. In her 2022 cycle, she raised over $12.5 million. Her Democratic opponent that year, Marcus Flowers, actually raised even more—about $16.9 million—and still lost by 30 points.
📖 Related: Why the Recent Snowfall Western New York State Emergency Was Different
That tells you everything you need to know about the Marjorie Taylor Greene race dynamics: money matters for noise, but the "R" next to the name matters more in Rome, Dalton, and Dallas.
Current candidates are scrambling for cash. Shawn Harris has shown he can raise money, pulling in $1.3 million last year, but in a 22-person field, standing out without a massive war chest is tough.
What Most People Get Wrong About Northwest Georgia
A lot of folks think this district is just one big monolith of "MAGA" country. It’s more complex. You have "carpet capital" Dalton, the medical hubs in Rome, and the suburban sprawl in Paulding and Cobb counties.
The demographics are shifting toward more blue-collar diversity. About 56% of the workforce is blue-collar. The median household income is roughly $71,533 to $78,969 depending on which census tract you’re looking at.
There’s a real tension between the "Old Guard" Republicans who want a quieter representative and the newer, populist wing that loved Greene’s style. That’s the real battle in this special election.
👉 See also: Nate Silver Trump Approval Rating: Why the 2026 Numbers Look So Different
Key Dates to Watch
- February 16, 2026: Early voting kicks off.
- March 10, 2026: Election Day.
- April 7, 2026: The likely runoff date.
Actionable Insights for Following the Race
If you're trying to keep up with the chaos, here’s what you should actually do:
Check the Georgia Secretary of State's "My Voter Page" to see your specific ballot if you live in the 10 counties covering the 14th. Since it's a special election, polling places can sometimes change or consolidate.
Keep an eye on the "Delivering on Government Efficiency" (DOGE) discussions. Greene was chairing a subcommittee with a similar name before she left, and many of the GOP candidates are trying to claim that mantle of "budget cutter."
Don't just look at the top-line poll numbers. Look at which candidates are winning the "outer" counties like Dade and Walker versus the "suburban" areas in Paulding. Whoever bridges that gap wins the seat.
This race is a litmus test for the post-Greene era of the GOP. Whether the district goes for a "Greene 2.0" or a more traditional conservative will tell us a lot about where the party is headed in the 2026 midterms.