Feb. 20, 2026, 10:16 a.m. ET
Rome, Ga. — The race is heating up in Northwest Georgia as more than a dozen candidates try to take the reins from Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The former congresswoman resigned her position in January following a loud and public falling out with President Trump. The two have continued to spar, with the president nicknaming her Marjorie “Traitor” Greene.
The president visited Rome, Georgia on Thursday to tout his economic agenda and double-down his endorsement of Republican District Attorney Clay Fuller to replace Greene in the special election that began early voting on Monday.
Fuller has to gain enough support from the Republican base — who have a lot of candidates to choose from — to fight off Democrat Shawn Harris, now an experienced candidate after his race against Greene in 2024.
Pete Buttigieg endorses Shawn Harris
“There’s no such thing as a permanently red state or district, and I believe Shawn Harris has the background and values to bring together and win,” the former secretary said in a statement Feb. 20.
Buttigieg and Harris share a military history, the former serving as a Navy intelligence officer in Afghanistan, and the latter as a retired Brigadier general.
“Shawn is running because he knows the status quo in Washington isn’t working for people in the district, and he’s ready to get to work to lower prescription drug prices, pass a farm bill that works for rural Georgia and defend Medicare and Medicaid,” Buttigieg said.
Harris called the endorsement “an honor,” and said former representatives for northwest Georgia haven’t been “putting their (constituents) needs first.”
During a conversation with Harris on Thursday, just before Trump arrived in Rome where Harris’ campaign is headquartered, he said during Greene’s time representing Georgia’s 14th, it was “very clear she did not represent everybody here in the district.”
“She only focused on MAGA. And because she only focused on MAGA, everybody else was left out. What I see actually happening as Trump starts transitioning out, he’s going to see that here today is the community coming closer together, and they want a candidate that’s going to represent everybody,” Harris said. “Yes, I’m a Democrat, but at the end of the day I’m a centrist, and I want to make sure … to serve the American people, or the people here in Northwest Georgia directly, and that’s it.”
Fuller calls Trump ‘greatest president in our country’s history’
Trump endorsed Fuller with a post on Truth Social at the beginning of the month, calling him a “highly respected MAGA warrior” and that Fuller had his “complete and total endorsement.”
But Trump appeared to waiver, or possibly forget he already endorsed Fuller, earlier this week when he said there were “a lot of good candidates” running in Georgia in statements made on Air Force One.
“I have to choose one,” the president said. “They say whoever I endorse is going to win.”
Former representative Colton Moore, who is running against Fuller as another pro-Trump MAGA candidate, took advantage of the statement. In a post on X he shared a video of the remarks and said “Thank you, Mr. President!”
But on stage in Rome, Fuller and Trump appeared as a united front with the president doubling down on his endorsement.
Trump told the crowd to go out and vote for Fuller, and Fuller responded by calling Trump “the greatest president in our country’s history.”
“We will never stop fighting for the MAGA movement and President Donald Trump,” Fuller said.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
