MAGA on defense as Democrats seize 'rare opportunity' in conservative stronghold

The race to replace former MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene might be an easy win for the GOP, but they are still on defense as Democrats rake in huge fundraising gains and look to seize a "rare opportunity" in a deep-red state.

The race is underway to fill the congressional seat in Georgia's 14th District, left empty after Greene resigned from Congress amid her dissatisfaction with Donald Trump's second term and the MAGA movement overall. Trump has endorsed former prosecutor Clay Fuller, but as The Guardian laid out in a Tuesday report, the GOP field is still heavily fractured as over a dozen candidates vie for the office.

While GA-14 has long been a conservative stronghold, with Greene herself cruising to reelection in 2024 by 29 points, Democrats still see an opportunity in the race, buoyed by fundraising and nationwide momentum. Retired Army general Shawn Harris is the most prominent of the few Democrats in the race, and has so far raised over $4 million for his campaign, outpacing Fuller's haul four times over. Harris previously ran against Greene in 2024 as well, where he set a record for the most votes won by a Democrat in the district.

Per Georgia's election laws, all candidates will compete on the same ballot, with no primary process ahead of the main race.

Speaking with The Guardian, Harris argued that he has a major opening in the race, as he represents an option closer to the political center than anyone else on the Republican side of the ballot.

"I don’t care who it is, but when we do our analysis — because Marjorie Taylor Greene was so far out there — we don’t see the Republican party, Donald Trump or the local Republican party getting somebody that’s closer to the center,” Harris explained. “Because if you get somebody that’s closer to the center, then guess what? You got Shawn Harris.”

He added: "The economy is very bad. People know that things cost more now. People know that. You don’t have to be told, you just know it, you can feel it across the board. Middle-class families are now struggling to pay the light bill, put food on the table, trying to figure out how they’re going to pay their rent or pay their mortgage."

Given the solid-red history of the district, a Republican is still heavily favored to win the race in the end. Democrats, however, might also be looking to send a message about shifting voter sentiment, as they did in a Tennessee special election last year when their candidate lost but came closer than anyone anticipated in another deep-red district.

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