Georgia 14 Special: Greene New Deal
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s surprise resignation announcement sent shockwaves through Congress, as the onetime staunch ally of President Donald Trump transformed seemingly overnight into one of his chief antagonists.
But the North Georgia congresswoman’s abrupt decision also caught her own district by surprise, triggering a free-for-all special election in early March. More than a dozen candidates have already said they’re running, another dozen are still eying a bid, and the field could look radically different over the next few weeks as candidate qualifying begins and Trump-world begins to make its preferences known.
An April runoff is also a near-certainty, adding a layer of complexity to the still-developing race — and depriving House Speaker Mike Johnson of a crucial vote for another month at a time when his majority will be as razor-thin as it can get.
The Lay of the Land
The 14th sits in Georgia’s northwest corner, bordering Alabama and Tennessee. Though the district, which spans nine complete and one partial county, is largely rural and exurban, it does extend south into Paulding County and part of Cobb County in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Those two counties cast a third of the district’s overall votes, are fast-growing, and are more politically competitive.
The district has two notable cities outside of the Atlanta region: Rome (pop. 37,000) and Dalton (pop. 34,000). Most residents live within the Atlanta media market but about 40 percent live in the…
