Republican Clay Fuller is projected to have won Georgia's runoff election to replace former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a once-staunch ally of Donald Trump who resigned earlier this year after breaking with the president.
Fuller won the election to replace her on Tuesday, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner. He is a Trump-endorsed candidate who won against Democrat Shawn Harris, and whose victory keeps the strongly conservative district in Republican hands.
The win shores up the party's razor-thin 217-214 majority in the House of Representatives. Fuller, a lieutenant colonel in the Georgia Air National Guard, will serve out the rest of Greene's term, which ends next January.
He said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday night that Trump's endorsement was the key factor in us winning. He was the difference-maker, Fuller said. He made all the difference in the world. It was the honour of my lifetime to be able to get his endorsement.
A special election was held on 10 March where Harris performed marginally better than Fuller, partly due to a split Republican vote. The run-off election was needed as no candidate secured a majority that night.
To hold the seat in Congress beyond next January, Fuller will need to start campaigning immediately for the midterm elections this November, where he may face Harris again. Harris has indicated on social media that he plans to run. This wasn't the result we wanted, but the message is clear — people here are ready for leadership that puts them first, he stated.
Fuller aligns closely with Trump's agenda, especially on issues like illegal immigration and mass deportations. His rise in a crowded Republican primary largely stemmed from Trump's endorsement, as Washington watched closely for indications of Trump's influence over his base leading to the midterms.
Trump openly supported Fuller prior to election day, urging his supporters on social media: I am asking all Republicans, America First Patriots, and MAGA Warriors, to please GET OUT AND VOTE for a fantastic Candidate, Clay Fuller, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement!
The Democratic Party had eyed the seat as a potential pickup, with former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg participating in a town hall event with Harris in March. Harris had hoped that the unique dynamics of the runoff would help him attract enough Democratic and Independent voters to clinch a surprise victory.
However, several factors needed to align in his favor for a Democratic win, prompting political experts to analyze the broader implications of the race results and Trump's continuing influence.
Fuller won the election to replace her on Tuesday, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner. He is a Trump-endorsed candidate who won against Democrat Shawn Harris, and whose victory keeps the strongly conservative district in Republican hands.
The win shores up the party's razor-thin 217-214 majority in the House of Representatives. Fuller, a lieutenant colonel in the Georgia Air National Guard, will serve out the rest of Greene's term, which ends next January.
He said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday night that Trump's endorsement was the key factor in us winning. He was the difference-maker, Fuller said. He made all the difference in the world. It was the honour of my lifetime to be able to get his endorsement.
A special election was held on 10 March where Harris performed marginally better than Fuller, partly due to a split Republican vote. The run-off election was needed as no candidate secured a majority that night.
To hold the seat in Congress beyond next January, Fuller will need to start campaigning immediately for the midterm elections this November, where he may face Harris again. Harris has indicated on social media that he plans to run. This wasn't the result we wanted, but the message is clear — people here are ready for leadership that puts them first, he stated.
Fuller aligns closely with Trump's agenda, especially on issues like illegal immigration and mass deportations. His rise in a crowded Republican primary largely stemmed from Trump's endorsement, as Washington watched closely for indications of Trump's influence over his base leading to the midterms.
Trump openly supported Fuller prior to election day, urging his supporters on social media: I am asking all Republicans, America First Patriots, and MAGA Warriors, to please GET OUT AND VOTE for a fantastic Candidate, Clay Fuller, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement!
The Democratic Party had eyed the seat as a potential pickup, with former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg participating in a town hall event with Harris in March. Harris had hoped that the unique dynamics of the runoff would help him attract enough Democratic and Independent voters to clinch a surprise victory.
However, several factors needed to align in his favor for a Democratic win, prompting political experts to analyze the broader implications of the race results and Trump's continuing influence.
