Three states begin 2026 midterm elections with primaries
Voters in Texas, Arkansas and North Carolina will head to the polls to decide the Republican and Democratic candidates for November’s congressional elections.
The race to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene is reaching a climax.
After a special election on Tuesday, March 10, Republicans and Democrats will face a spring runoff election for a northwest Georgia congressional seat. Whoever wins the April runoff will fill the seat vacated by Greene, who left Congress in January after months of conflict with President Donald Trump.
Here’s what you need to know about the 14th Congressional District special election, the results, and why it matters from a national perspective.
Why was this special election held?
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has called an election to replace Greene’s U.S. House seat in January 2026. The former congressman is a leader of the Make America Great Again movement and vowed during the 2024 campaign that Trump’s return to power would “make us wealthy again.” But that relationship gave way to public hostility between Greene and the president before she left office.
Since this was not a primary election, all candidates were listed on the same ballot, according to Ballotpedia. Either Republicans or Democrats could win the seat, and the race could have potential implications for the slim Republican majority in the House. A shift in the balance of power in the House could have a negative impact on Trump’s legislative agenda in the second half of his second term.
Who are the candidates?
Dozens of names appeared on Tuesday’s ballot to replace Greene. Most of the candidates were Republicans, but three Democrats, one independent, and one liberal joined the fight.
Here are some names you should know.
- Clay Fuller (R): Mr. Fuller is a state prosecutor with military experience and a supporter of Mr. Trump.
- Sean Harris (Democrat): A former Marine who now lives on a farm is building on job growth and affordability.
- Nikki Lama (R): Entrepreneur, small business leader, and Dalton City Council member, he is promised to be the “next generation of conservative leaders.”
- Colton Moore (R): A former Georgia state senator, he also works as an auctioneer and dump truck driver. He was arrested in January 2025 while attempting to enter the state Capitol, which had previously been off limits.
- Brian Stover (R): A conservative businessman and “loyal supporter of President Trump” who touts his accomplishments in reducing county taxes during five years on the Paulding County Commission.
According to the Federal Election Commission, Harris entered the day as a leader in campaign fundraising, having raised about $4.3 million as of February 18. Stover is the second most expensive, at about $3 million. In comparison, Mr. Fuller’s total income amounted to $786,797.09.
Fuller supports Trump in runoff election with Democratic candidate
Harris received 37.3% of the vote, according to CNN and the Associated Press. He won 2,853 votes over Trump supporter Fuller, who came in second place with 34.9% of the vote. Moore, another Republican, finished the day with 11.6%.
Mr. Fuller’s lead among a crowded list of Republican competitors shows that Mr. Trump’s support stands out in conservative districts.
“I think this is a reaffirmation that voters (here) support the president (and) that the president is listening to their ideas about the people he wants to implement his policies,” Fuller told USA TODAY in a one-on-one interview shortly after the results were announced.
Because neither Fuller nor Harris received more than 50% of the vote needed for an outright victory, Georgia law requires them to face a runoff election on April 7.
What does Trump think?
The president has focused his efforts on this special election. He traveled to Georgia on February 19th to lead a rally in the 14th District to show his support for Fuller.
The election comes close to the start of the 2026 midterm primaries, and Mr. Trump is at war with his detractors within the Republican Party, hoping to remain the party’s kingmaker with a dominant performance from his preferred candidate, state prosecutor Mr. Fuller.
The president also wants to keep allies in the House of Representatives to ensure passage of his policy agenda during the remaining two years of his second term.
