ROME, Ga. - Voters in northwest Georgia will head back to the polls on Tuesday for a runoff election in the 14th district. They’ll select who will fill out the rest of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s term, who resigned in January after falling out with President Donald Trump. The president did not support Greene as she explored running for the U.S. Senate and for governor. Greene criticized the president over his reluctance to release documents involving convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
What they're saying:
Christopher Brown tends to lean to the left. "I vote Democrat," Brown said. "I voted For Jill Stein, then I voted for Biden, then I voted for Jill Stein again."
Brown says the war in Iran and affordability top the list of important issues. "The economy. We need to get the hell out of Iran. Trans rights are a big issues for me, LGBTQ rights are a big issue for me," Brown said.
Johnny Huckaby leans to the right. "I’ve always voted Republican."
The economy heads his list as well. "My salary and social security never go up, but the cost of living goes up every year."
Dig deeper:
Clay Fuller, a Republican, will face off against Shawn Harris, a Democrat.
Harris, a retired brigadier general and a rancher, says he’s focusing on the economy in this rural district. "Everything costs way too much. Diesel, gas, fertilizer," Harris said.
Harris says he’s running on moderation, vowing to work with Democrats and Republicans. "We got some agreements that we can actually work on and that’s how we’re going to make this work across the aisle," Harris said.
Harris also says he’ll work on bringing down the cost of healthcare. And he opposes the war in Iran. "We should not be in this war currently as we are talking right now," he said.
Shawn Harris (left) and Clay Fuller (right) (Campaign photos)
This race has national implications for the balance of power in Washington. Right now, Republicans hold a razor-thin margin over Democrats in the House.
"It’s not about the party, it’s about the people here in northwest Georgia," Harris said.
Harris placed first in the all-party special election in March. Fuller, the district attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit and veteran, placed second. President Trump backs fuller. The 14th district is rated the most Republican leaning in Georgia, but recent polls show the president’s favorability is declining over voter concerns on the war, immigration enforcement and the economy. "Clay Fuller sold his soul to Donald Trump. Clay Fuller’s vote is already in the bag," Harris said.
FOX5 reached out to Fuller’s campaign, but he was unavailable on Monday. Fuller’s campaign sent a statement: "The 14th district is united behind President Trump and his candidate, Clay Fuller, because they understand we can’t afford to give any ground to the radical left or their candidates. From former opponents to grassroots patriots, Clay has been incredibly humbled by the unity and outpouring of support for his campaign. Clay is going to win tomorrow and will deliver results in congress for the hardworking people of northwest Georgia."
What's next:
The winner of Tuesday night’s runoff will serve the rest of Greene’s term, which ends in January.
Democrats and Republicans who want to run for the full two-year term would have to run again in the primaries in May. Republicans could face a party runoff in June.
Harris does not face a party primary since he is the only Democrat running.
Harris will face the winner of the Republican primary in the November general election.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from candidate campaign statements, local voter interviews, and previous FOX 5 reporting on the 14th District special election.