Georgia schedules special election for Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat

ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia on Tuesday set a special congressional election to serve out the remainder of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s term after her unexpected resignation.

Greene, a Republican who entered Congress in 2021, officially stepped down Monday, as she said she would in an announcement on Nov. 21 that blindsided her constituents and many lawmakers in her party who did not expect her rift with President Donald Trump to escalate so intensely.

Even as Democrats have become more competitive in Georgia in recent years, Greene’s district — the 14th, which reaches from the Atlanta suburbs to the northwest corner of the state — has remained deeply conservative. It is widely regarded as securely Republican, meaning there is little chance of the election helping to shift the balance of power in the House.

The special election will be held March 10. The timing of the contest, months before the midterms, will most likely ensure it draws national attention because it will provide a window on the mood and priorities of voters who have traditionally been ardent supporters of Trump.

The field of candidates to replace Greene remains unsettled. But nearly two dozen people have entered the race for the general election in November, according to federal election records. Candidates have until Jan. 14 to qualify to run in the special election.

The race might offer a measure of the fissures within the Make America Great Again movement, some of which were evident in the acrimonious split between Trump and Greene, who had once seemed an unshakable ally.

After Trump returned to office last year, Greene strayed from him on some key issues, including whether to extend enhanced federal subsidies that brought down insurance costs for Obamacare customers. She also openly questioned his commitment to the movement’s “America first” ideals, saying he had devoted too much of his attention abroad.

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