Georgia special election raises questions over impact of Trump’s endorsements : NPR
A special election to fill the seat vacated by Marjorie Taylor Greene is drawing renewed attention to the role President Trump’s support plays in deep red districts and among his voters.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Tuesday’s special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress will head to a runoff. None of the 17 candidates received more than 50% of the votes. That includes President Trump’s choice to replace Greene, District Attorney Clay Fuller.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Mr. Fuller will participate in a runoff next month against Democrat Shawn Harris. Harris raised more than $4 million and significantly outperformed her challenge against Greene a few years ago. But this is still a red district, so with only one Republican opponent, that Republican has the advantage. NPR’s Stephen Fowler is in Georgia and reported on this race. Hi, Stephen.
STEPHEN FOWLER, BYLINE: Hello.
INSKEEP: I’m trying to think about how this fits into the broader political narrative. Marjorie Taylor Greene – a big Trump supporter – fell out with him. Trump turned against her. She resigned. Was that what yesterday’s race was about?
FOWLER: Well, most Republicans have indicated they would be a much quieter choice in Washington than Greene. She expressed support for Trump and possible displeasure.
INSKEEP: That’s right.
FOWLER: Clay Fuller, he raised a lot of money. He was polite on the campaign trail and called himself a MAGA warrior when Trump visited the 14th Congressional District earlier this year. Trump remains the most popular figure in Republican politics. He reshaped the party in his image. At the same time, we see more and more Republican voters feeling comfortable recognizing that their choice is not the only one.
INSKEEP: However, given that this is such a red district, why wouldn’t Fuller have gotten 50 percent? Why wouldn’t he have won from the start?
FOWLER: Well, 17 candidates on the ballot included Democrats, one Libertarian and one independent. And it was a low-turnout special election, so it doesn’t take much to change the margins.
INSKEEP: Understood.
FOWLER: That said, Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Sarah Kallis spoke with voters who said Trump’s choice wasn’t the best embodiment of America First or MAGA for them. It was Colton Moore. He is one of the most conservative legislators in the Georgia State Legislature. But also, as we’ve seen over the past decade of support for Trump, almost everyone aligns with the president, and sometimes it comes down to who he thinks has the best chance of winning.
INSKEEP: But I – yeah, I think a nuance here. Trump voters remain loyal to Trump no matter what he does – they are very, very loyal, as we know, over the years. Sometimes his support means a lot and can crush someone he doesn’t like. Sometimes his support seems to mean nothing. Do you have any idea how this looks in 2026?
FOWLER: After last week’s election, Trump campaign political director James Blair posted online that everyone Trump supported had either won outright or advanced to a runoff, and that was true in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas. But many of these primaries were uncontested primaries or there were no serious challengers. It’s also the same thing yesterday in Mississippi. But a notable outcome for me was the U.S. Senate primary in North Carolina. Trump’s hand-picked Republican National Committee chief chosen to represent the party in one of the key Senate races, Michael Whatley, received just 60% in the primary. So, unlike other races and venues, his seal of approval could not clear the field. And that’s something to watch in the competitive general election there.
INSKEEP: Before we even get to the general election, we have this runoff, like the one in Georgia, and also the runoff for a Senate seat in Texas, which Trump didn’t endorse at all, as I understand it.
FOWLER: Well, Trump announced last week that he would quickly make a choice between Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, but that didn’t happen. One reason – he also said the other person would have to give up, and Cornyn and Paxton said that wouldn’t happen. Another reason: voters will not make their choice until May 26.
Here in Georgia, Trump also didn’t weigh in in the Republican Senate primary to take on incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff. There are two congressmen, Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, as well as former college football coach Derek Dooley, who are all neck and neck in the polls. But the most popular choice for voters and for Trump right now is undecided, with just months left in the race.
REGISTRATION: OK. NPR’s Stephen Fowler, thank you very much – I really appreciate it.
FOWLER: Thank you.
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