Georgia voters choosing a successor to Marjorie Taylor Greene in US House

Trump-backed Fuller and Democrat Harris advance to Georgia runoff to succeed Marjorie Taylor Greene Trump-backed Fuller and Democrat Harris advance to Georgia runoff to succeed Marjorie Taylor Greene ROME, Ga. (AP) — Democrat Shawn Harris and Republican Clay Fuller advanced to an April 7 runoff for Marjorie Taylor Greene's former U.S. House seat in Georgia after neither candidate won a majority in Tuesday's special election. In February, President Donald Trump endorsed Fuller, a district attorney who prosecutes crimes in four counties, to succeed Greene. Fuller has called Trump's endorsement “rocket fuel” for his candidacy, but it did not propel him to a majority of votes in a field of 14 candidates that included nine Republicans, three Democrats, one Libertarian and one independent. All candidates ran together regardless of party, and the top two went to the second round. Harris, a rancher and retired brigadier general, will likely face an uphill battle to win the majority in the predominantly Republican district. However, Democrats are likely to boast about their first-round result as a new success in a period in which they have focused on strong results in special elections. Harris has promised moderation and focus on district issues, contrasting herself with Greene's bomb-throwing style. The winner will serve out the remaining months of Greene's term. A Republican victory in northwest Georgia's 14th Congressional District would bolster the party's majority in the House. The district stretches from the Atlanta suburbs to the Tennessee state line. Fuller was a White House staffer during 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 before becoming district attorney. Fuller had set an outright victory as his goal for Tuesday's vote. This round of voting is just the first step in a marathon election in the Georgia district. Republicans and Democrats seeking a full two-year term are scheduled for a May 19 primary, and possibly a June 16 runoff, before advancing to the November general election. Last week, 10 Republicans and Harris qualified to run in the November election for a full two-year term. That includes Fuller, as well as Colton Moore, a former state senator and favorite of far-right activists who drew attention for a vociferous attack on Trump's prosecution in Georgia for alleged election interference. For some, support for Trump has not wavered. Presley Stover of Dallas, Georgia, voted for Fuller. He said he doesn't agree with the president on everything, but supports him in general. “I think he's doing a great job as of now,” he said. "He's definitely helping us a lot more than Biden. I mean, for now, they're not the best, but you're not going to change anything overnight." Some Republicans, however, were unaffected by Trump's nod. "God, no. That's not going to sway me one way or the other," said Brendon O'Laughlin of Dallas, noting that he voted for Brian Stover, a Republican from his area. O'Laughlin said he was looking for a change of style from Greene. Those who supported Democrats said they were repelled by Trump and were eager to reduce his power. “There just needs to be checks and balances and I don't think we have many of them right now,” said Matthew Wisniewski, a Dallas resident who voted for Harris. But voters as a whole in the district embraced Greene's far-right campaign in 2020, when she parachuted into the district after aborting a campaign in a more contested district closer to Atlanta. Greene was one of the best-known members of Congress until she left in January. She remained loyal to Trump after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, promoting Trump's falsehoods about a stolen election.