The special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene isn’t over yet.
The race for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District continues in a runoff between Democrat Sean Harris and Republican Clay Fuller.
ROME, Ga. — A group of supporters of Democratic House candidate Sean Harris gathered with placards at a small community garden in south Rome, Georgia, on Tuesday.
They were just a block away from Lovejoy Baptist Church, the polling place for the special election runoff election in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. In Rome’s predominantly black neighborhoods, voters began streaming into church halls in the morning.
Ms. Harris, joined by the candidate herself, spoke to supporters and thanked them for their continued support of the campaign. Harris ran against Marjorie Taylor Greene in 2024, and when Greene resigned in January, she had already announced her intention to run again in the 2026 midterm elections.
Harris recalled eating collared vegetables at the community center next to his garden and learning to dance with his wife. He said he could have been anywhere in the vast 10-county district, but this was where he wanted to connect with the Black community on Election Day.
The group walked together to the church, some splitting up to go inside to vote, while the rest headed across the street to a parking lot where Harris was legally allowed to stand and speak to the press.
Regarding the Iran war, he said:
“The current parliament is weak.”
The war in Iran has escalated in the past 48 hours since President Trump shared a post on Truth Social saying that if Iran doesn’t agree to negotiations by 8pm ET on Tuesday, “the entire civilization will perish tonight and never return.”
“I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump wrote.
The message sparked panic from groups on both sides of the political spectrum, including groups such as the NAACP and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is hoping to replace Harris, calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked to disqualify the president from holding office.
Asked if she thought this was an action Congress could take, Harris said: “I think Congress is weak right now.”
“I think the Democrats are weak in this area and the Republicans are weak in this area. I know it sounds bad to say, but that’s why people need to vote for me and send me out there, because sometimes leaders need another leader who can stand back and say, ‘Wait a minute, Sean Harris is standing up for all Americans,'” he said. “Congress authorized us to enter this war.”
President Trump’s rhetoric is ‘dangerous’ – whether an attack occurs or not
Harris called President Trump’s comments “unbelievable” and “dangerous.” Before becoming a cattle farmer in northwest Georgia, Mr. Harris served in the military for 40 years, retiring as a brigadier general.
“When the president speaks, he’s not only speaking on behalf of the American people, he’s speaking on behalf of the free world. And when you make a statement like that, even if we don’t comply, our enemies will use it as propaganda against the rest of the free world for years to come,” Harris said.
He said this was a “war of choice” and that it had “been completely out of control” since the operation began more than a month ago.
“I used to be part of (Centcom, U.S. Central Command) and I know the people who do the work. But the president hasn’t come out yet, even though he gave a press conference the other day, and hasn’t really told the American people why we’re in this war,” Harris said.
Harris went on to explain that even if the United States “won” this war militarily, it could still “lose this war politically.”
“Here in northwest Georgia, people are concerned because their sons and daughters have joined the military, and the last thing they want is another forever war,” Harris said.
Eileen Wright covers Georgia politics as an Atlanta Connect reporter for USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. X Find her at @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
