Sydney Martinez, Campus Carrier news editor
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former United States Representative, announced her resignation, effective on Jan. 5, last month after President Donald Trump threatened to endorse a challenger for her seat in the upcoming midterm elections.
“[Greene] was more or less metaphorically at war with the Trump administration,” Michael Bailey, associate professor of political science, said. “What the Trump administration was hinting at, mostly through secondary figures, not from the president himself, [was] that she would be primaried, that there would be someone more or less supported by the president as a replacement for her, and she wanted to avoid that particular fire.”
Greene was a representative for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, which includes Berry and much of the northwestern region of the state. Her decision to resign came after her ill-received critique of President Trump’s delay in releasing the Epstein files.
“Because Marjorie Taylor Greene quit on us, we don’t have anybody in Washington, D.C. that represents the people of northwest Georgia,” retired Brigadier General Shawn Harris, a democrat running in the special election, said.
After Greene’s resignation, Governor Brian Kemp announced a special election to be held on March 10, with absentee voting starting on Feb. 16. To be eligible to vote in the upcoming special election, a person must register before Monday, Feb. 9.
To have qualified to run for House representative, a candidate must be at least 25, a resident of their state for at least two years, and a resident of the district they want to represent for at least one year before the election.
22 candidates applied by the Jan. 14 deadline to compete in the special election, with 17 Republicans, three Democrats, an independent and a Libertarian on the ballot. Among the 22, Reagan Box is a Berry alum running for congress on conservative grounds.
Students registered to vote can request an absentee ballot if they are unavailable to travel to their correct polling location.
“[Greene’s] resignation has opened up the ballot so that we have 22 people running,” independent candidate Rob “Rush” Ruszkowski of Rising Fawn said. “That just shows that there are more people interested in getting involved in politics than would normally be jumping in because of the restrictions that are set up with primaries.”
Unlike a typical election, this special election will feature an all-party ballot, where all candidates are listed on the ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the candidate with the most votes wins the election. If no single candidate receives a majority of the votes, a runoff between the two candidates with the most votes will be held on April 7.
“Now we have to focus on making our way through this jungle election,” Harris said. “The reason it’s called a jungle is that there’s no primary [election]. That means all 22 [candidates] will be on the same ballot.”
Whoever is elected in the special election will serve the remainder of Greene’s term, but they will also have to register for the primary election in May. Harris said that, regardless of whoever wins the special election, will have to continue running for Congress until the midterm election in November.
“[Candidates] will be in what you consider running for Congress from now until November,” Harris said. “Somebody will win and go to D.C. for a few months, but the reality of it is, in northwest Georgia, the people are going to be continuously voting.”
Harris, who comes from Cedartown, previously ran against Greene in 2024 and has qualified for the special election. Harris describes himself as a Democrat, although he is not married to the party.
“I am the only candidate that will say that, yes, I am a democrat, but I’m not married to the party,” Harris said. “That simply means that I am going to vote every day. I’m going to fight every day for the people of Northwest Georgia, period. Nobody else, period.”
Harris’ main talking points include reducing the cost of living, passing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — an act that made healthcare affordable to more people — ensuring veterans have access to the VA and ensuring farmers have a representative in Congress who will fight for their interests.
Ruszkowski has never run for office before but initially considered running in 2024 to remove Greene from office.
“I saw the divisive politics of Marjorie Taylor Greene, [in] the way that she was presenting herself and the negative emotions and what it was stirring up in the country as well as the district,” Ruszkowski said.
This time around, Ruszkowski decided to join the special election after watching events like the “No Kings” protests and Trump’s immigration enforcement operations unfold.
“Something told me that I had to get involved,” Ruszkowski said. “I have to be out there to give a voice and I really want, more than anything, to be able to give the people of the 14th district a third choice separate from the two-party system.”
Ruszkowski is running on getting the people of northwest Georgia on a “thriving” wage, where residents can save money for emergencies and not live paycheck to paycheck. His policies include support for a universal healthcare system and opposition to aggressive wars.
Eric Cunningham of Paulding County ran for this seat in 2022 against Marjorie Taylor Greene. He is running to represent the district because he could not contribute through the armed services and wants to have a positive influence on the people of the district.
“I am now running for the special election and hoping and praying that this works out for me to be able to come in and represent the people and do it with dignity and use my faith to help guide me through this process,” Cunningham said.
Many conservatives are worried that the number of Republicans running will spoil the election for the Democrats. Cunningham, however, believes that his party will turn out in sufficient numbers to prevent this.
“People are concerned because there are so many Republicans in this race that it’ll get diluted and a Democrat will come out on top,” Cunningham said. “I don’t believe that at all.”
Cunningham encourages voters to stay off social media and use other means of communication to make an informed decision about their vote.
“Don’t use social media to have an understanding of our constitution, of our politics,” Cunningham said. “Listen [to candidates], read about and study up on the folks that are running and know what they stand for.”
Harris emphasizes the importance of not only voting in major elections, but also participating in the midterms because those who win will make long-term decisions for their residents.
“All of these elections that are currently going on are very important,” Harris said. “It’s important for where [voters] want their lives to go in the future. Get involved in the election process and make sure you cast your vote because the decisions that [congress people] will be making in Washington, D.C. will affect [constituents] for the next 30 to 40 years.”
Bailey said that people across the country are watching Georgia’s midterm elections because it is a swing state.
“There’s one overarching theme, and that is that the parties are so very polarized and so evenly matched that any small minor variation feels like it could have enormous implications for going on with President Trump’s agenda, resisting President Trump’s agenda, congruence between the House and the Senate,” Bailey said.