DALLAS, Ga. — In a small Republican stronghold on the edge of suburban Atlanta, voters donned their MAGA merchandise for a town hall in support of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — many unaware that she does indeed have an opponent.
Democrat Shawn Harris, a retired Army general and farmer, faces an uphill battle in Georgia’s 14th District. Ahead of the start of early voting Tuesday, Harris criticized Greene for her extreme rhetoric and her inattention to the district that extends into the northwest corner of the state.
But many are drawn to Greene’s national political presence. At the Oct. 2 town hall in Dallas, Georgia, supporters cheered online videos of Greene’s altercations with officials and her controversial talking points.
Greene, who is closely associated with former President Donald Trump, recently posted false accusations online that Democrats sparked Hurricane Helenethat made its way through the Southeast last month. In May she has came under fire for insulting him Democratic U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who fired back at Greene without mentioning her name.
Green too led the failed attack to impeach Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson resists the party’s far-right voices. When she promised the Dallas audience that she would try to choose a different speaker, an audience member said, “Why don’t you run?”
“Oh honey, they wouldn’t have liked me,” Greene said. ‘People would, but not a group of those people up there. That’s a swamp we’re talking about.’
Greene complained about government “tyranny” over lockdowns, mask requirements and vaccines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also repeated false statements about immigration and the 2020 election, and said she remained proud of her decision to vote against certifying the results.
Although several voters wished she would clarify her achievements and goals for her constituents, her focus on national issues also energized them.
“I left with a better understanding and attitude about the future we could have,” said Alan Rusch, who visited the town hall hoping to hear what she had accomplished for the district. “I like the way she fights for things.”
Harris believes the people in his district deserve more.
“I have concrete things I plan to do and bring back to the district,” Harris said. “Marjorie has been awake for three and a half years and can’t pinpoint anything she’s actually done.”
Many Harris donors are from outside Georgia and are eager to mount a challenge to a nationally known far-right Republican. Georgia’s Democratic Party is asking for money to defeat Greene without naming Harris.
Harris said Greene is his “greatest asset” as he raises money for his campaign. He has raised about $522,000 — a significant amount for a congressional challenger, but far less than the $15 million that Democrat Marcus Flowers raised against Greene in 2022. And Flowers lost, earning just 34.1% of the district’s votes.
“I try to donate to races that I think have a shot at red seats, but I despise her so much that I gave it to Shawn Harris,” said Marjorie Glazer of Boston. “I don’t think he has a chance, but it made me feel better to give her money.”
Harris, who grew up in a house on a dirt road in southwest Georgia, said he wants to improve services for veterans and seniors, expand health care, build mental health facilities and create jobs by bringing a freight hub to the county to bring. If he loses, running would still have been worth it.
“Many of us in northwest Georgia come from less fortunate families, but your zip code does not define who you want to be,” Harris said. “That’s the young person I’m trying to motivate.”
Harris also wants to prioritize the national farm bill, which Congress is expected to pass every five years. The legislation, which covers a range of issues from crop insurance to food access, drew Don Westlake to support Harris. The Republican rancher who previously voted for Trump and Greene appeared in a promotional video for Harris, calling him a “good person,” a “great family man” and a “proven leader.”
He has never met Greene but says he is “disturbed” by her behavior.
“The only thing I can remember her doing since she was elected is trying to impeach President Biden and also her fellow Republicans,” Westlake said, referring to Johnson.
But this won’t matter to most voters in the district, says Republican strategist Brian Robinson, who has never heard of Harris. In Dallas, where houses sit on lawns along the road, it’s hard to go a mile without seeing several signs featuring former President Donald Trump. In some cases they are next to the signs for Greene.
Most voters today consume national news and prioritize national issues over local issues, Robinson said.
“By speaking on national issues, she is speaking about what people expect her to talk about – what they show up for,” he said. ‘That’s what they want. They want that red meat. She reinforces what they already believe.”
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Researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York.
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Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon