Voters go to a special election in the Georgia state of Marjorie Taylor Greene

The Georgia state that sent Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a fierce defender of Donald Trump, to Congress is now deciding how to install her — and whether to let the president choose.

Voters are headed to a special election Tuesday in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District where all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation. Of the 17 Republicans in the race, five withdrew illegally after the deadline and are yet to appear on the ballot, along with three Democrats. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the top two vote-getters head to the April 7 runoff.

Republicans in the race are all following Trump’s “Make America Great Again” principles, but one standout is at odds with the president personally, as a congressman is struggling to succeed.

Greene was initially one of Trump’s closest allies in the House, but fell out with the president over his handling of the release of records related to the federal investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.. At the beginning of this year, he resigned.

Republican state Sen. Colton Moore told voters at a candidate forum last month that he had a similar reaction to the release of the Epstein files.

“When this first came out, I was hoping that President Trump had a reason to withhold them,” he told the crowd. But as the files were released, he said, “my blood pressure hasn’t been that high in a long time.”

Also in the GOP field is prosecutor and Air Force veteran Clay Fuller, who received Trump’s endorsement.

Although Moore has sometimes questioned the president and has made a name for himself as a disruptive figure, he also has a history of supporting Trump. Moore said he was the first elected official in Georgia to seek corruption in the 2020 presidential election, a charge without evidence that other Georgia Republicans have fought. And Moore publicly attacked Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who investigated Trump over allegations of election fraud.

Fuller asked voters at the forum who “100% supports President Trump” to support him in the special election, saying he would go to Capitol Hill to support Trump’s border security and immigration plans.

The president visited the 14th state of Georgia six days later, stopping in Rome, to record a podcast, visit a local restaurant and visit a steel factory. Fuller greeted Trump and spoke briefly during the president’s address at the facility.

Trump won the district by 37 points in 2024, a larger margin than Greene’s 29-point lead over former Vice President Kamala Harris that year. Although Democrats have improved their performance in recent special elections compared to the 2024 results, that’s a big gap.

Still, three Democrats are running, including retired Brig. Gen. Shawn Harris, a cattle farmer, attorney Jonathan Hobbs and author Jim Davis. Libertarian Andrew Underwood and independent Rob Ruszkowski are also running.

Harris told USA Today that he wears a bulletproof vest when campaigning because he has received threats after running against Greene in the past. But he still hopes he can cash in on a diverse Republican platform, especially in Tuesday’s special election.

Harris received an unexpected endorsement from former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg late last month, who said he thought the Democrat could flip the seat. Harris has received millions of dollars since the start of the year, including $1.6 million in small-dollar donations since Feb. 18, more than any Republican in the race.

In addition to the election costs, Republicans have turned the attack on the ad campaign by more than 2.5 million dollars, according to the ad tracking platform AdImpact.

The GOP candidates touted their support for Trump, while Moore didn’t go too far, calling out Fuller’s record of consistency in a one-minute digital ad.

Fuller praised his endorsement of Trump and his Air Force service in an ad featuring the president calling him “an absolute winner.” The two largest PACs supporting him, the Club for Growth and Conservatives for American Excellence, have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to push similar messages.

At a Cobb County Republican Party forum, candidate Reagan Box accused Fuller of taking money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.

“AIPAC is not an outside organization, I’m glad to have their support,” said Fuller, adding: “There is no room for disagreement with the Republican Party, and that’s what you just heard on the Reagan Box.”

Campaign finance reports did not specify whether Fuller received money from AIPAC-affiliated groups, but high-profile super PACs have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to support him.

Greene went into X, asking who the AIPAC-backed candidate was. “There may be no official endorsement but indirect funding,” he wrote. “They have it, they always have it. Remember I never took money from them.”

Mississippi primaries

Mississippi also held its primary election on Tuesday. Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson is facing a primary challenge from Evan Turnage, a former aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

The race between Thompson, 78, and Turnage, 34, in the blue second district, which includes Jackson, is another battle for generations of Democrats. Thompson beat Turnage in this race, and Tunage went on the radio to blame him for not winning.

Meanwhile, Trump has endorsed all three House Republicans running for re-election in the state.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., who is also backed by Trump, is facing primary school physician Sarah Adlakha as she seeks a second full term.

Some Democrats said State Rep. Scott Colom could be a strong candidate, despite facing an uphill battle in a traditionally Republican state.