Kemp sets date for special election to fill Greene’s seat

The race to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress is on.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp authorized a special election to select a candidate to fill the remainder of the former MAGA acolyte’s term following her official resignation from the House late Monday night. Kemp’s office posted the signed writ of election to his office’s website, setting the contest for March 10.

Nearly two dozen candidates are already looking to run for the vacated northwest Georgia seat according to Federal Elections Commission filings — and almost all are Republicans hoping to represent the deeply conservative district.

The race sets up as a potential test of what kind of candidate Republicans prefer in the deep-red district, following Greene’s controversial tenure in Congress.

Republicans already in the race include District Attorney Clayton Fuller of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, state Sen. Colton Moore, and businessperson and former Paulding County Commissioner Brian Stover.

Only two Democrats have entered the race so far: Greene’s unsuccessful 2024 challenger Shawn Harris, and Clarence Blalock, who had previously been running for state Labor Commissioner.

House Republicans will be glad to have the seat filled: Greene’s resignation and the Monday death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) means they have just a five-seat majority.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report misnamed the California Representative who died Monday. It was Rep. Doug LaMalfa. An earlier version of this report also misspelled the county where Brian Stover was a commissioner.