April 8 (UPI) — Republican Clay Fuller has claimed victory in Marjorie Taylor Greene‘s former House seat as Democrat Chris Taylor won a seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court.
The two contests were closely watched Tuesday as voters in Georgia and Wisconsin cast ballots in races Democrats hoped would help them regain ground ahead of November’s midterms.
Fuller, a district attorney in northwest Georgia, had secured President Donald Trump‘s endorsement and ran on a platform supporting many of the president’s key priorities: an America First economy, mass deportations, conservatism founded on Christianity and being tough on crime.
The District 14 runoff between Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris was held after neither candidate won a majority in the March 10 special election, when Fuller trailed Harris by about 2 points.
During his victory speech Tuesday night, the former U.S. Air Force lieutenant thanked Trump for elevating his campaign with his endorsement.
“So much of what the story has been when this race started and so much of what you’re going to hear from the fake news media is that President Trump doesn’t mean anything to Georgia 14 anymore,” he told supporters.
“Well, you can see with the results on March 10 and you can see the results of what we’re seeing here today that President Trump is the most critical factor in our election, and he has made sure that we were going to win. He made sure that he was the ultimate trump card.”
With all 10 localities reporting late Tuesday, Fuller had secured about 72,304 votes for nearly 56% of the vote share compared to Harris’ 57,000 votes for 44.1%, according to unofficial results from the office of Georgia’s secretary of state.
The district is solidly Republican, with Greene winning District 14 with about 64.4% of the vote in 2024, the same year Trump carried the state.
Harris framed Tuesday’s election loss as a victory in the fight against Trump during his speech Tuesday night, noting that he had cut the GOP margin in the district to far fewer votes than the more than 108,000-vote margin Greene had won by in 2024.
“Donald Trump came right here to Rome, Ga., and didn’t do a damn thing,” he told supporters.
“We have absolutely no fear because we have Democrats, independents and, yes, Republicans voting for us because they are ready for change.”
The District 14 seat became available after Greene, a firebrand politician and former staunch Trump supporter, resigned in November as she sparred with the president, whom she accuses of distancing himself from his America First policies.
Harris had campaigned on supporting farmers, protecting SNAP benefits, defending Medicaid and Medicare, cutting the cost of living and fixing the U.S. immigration system.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the U.S.-based pro-Israel lobby, congratulated Fuller on his victory.
“Fuller replaces Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose tenure was marked by repeated efforts to undermine the U.S.-Israel relationship and disparage millions of pro-Israel Americans engaged in the democratic process,” AIPAC said in a statement.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, also congratulated Fuller.
“I was proud to have appointed Clay as District Attorney and even more proud to now see him take that same fighting spirit to Congress,” Kemp said online.
“Keep Chopping, Clay!”
In Wisconsin, Taylor, a Democrat-backed appeals judge, claimed victory in a seat on the state’s Supreme Court left vacant by retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley.
“Tonight, the people of Wisconsin stood up for our rights and freedoms, our democracy, our elections and a strong state Supreme Court that will protect the independence of our beloved state,” she said in her victory speech Tuesday night in Madison, Wis.
“Once again, Wisconsin showed the entire nation that we believe that the people should be at the center of government and the priority of our judiciary — not the billionaires, not the most powerful and privileged, but the people.”
With Taylor’s victory over Maria Lazar, a Republican-backed appeals judge, Wisconsin’s Supreme Court tilts even more heavily to the left, now with a 5-2 liberal majority.
During her speech, Taylor said Lazar had called her to concede the race.
Lazar confirmed the phone call in her own speech before supporters in Pewaukee on Tuesday night.
“I think that this race was run so that people in this state from now on will know that judicial races are not political races, and the next race and the next race and the next race we will keep fighting to put judges — good, talented judges with experience — on the bench and we will not take that status quo,” she said.
Justices serve a 10-year term on the bench, with no term limits.
Voters on Tuesday cast ballots to fill a state Supreme Court seat left vacant by retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley.
Last year, Democrat-endorsed Susan Crawford was elected to the court despite Elon Musk pouring millions into the race.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate and State Rep. Francesca Hong congratulated Taylor on her victory.
“Wisconsinites voted for a Supreme Court that will protect their rights and freedoms,” she said on social media.
“This shows voters are ready for leadership that represents our state motto — Forward.”
