WASHINGTON—Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene caused a stir on Saturday when she announced her plans to resign effective January 5. Now, with Republicans struggling to hold on to a barely-there majority, the question is: what will happen to her seat?
A special is slated to happen sometime in February or March. And with just 219 seats, Republicans can’t afford to lose it. There are currently three vacancies in the House: two seats left open by Democrats, one by a Republican, and Greene will with be the fourth when she resigns. The seven-seat margin means Republicans can afford no more than three defections on measures they want to pass without Democrats.
Greene, who rose to prominence as one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal allies, announced her resignation amid a very public fallout with the president over his resistance to releasing information related to the convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. In a video announcement posted on Nov. 21, Greene outlined the reasoning behind her decision and addressed her decision to support releasing the Epstein files.
“Standing up for American women who were raped at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” Greene said.
Greene also pointed to other frustrations, saying she believes Americans are being “used” by the “political industrial complex” on both sides to “elect whichever side can convince Americans to hate the other side more.”
This week, Greene confirmed she is not running for president, or joining “The View,” as many people online have speculated in recent days since her announcement.
Paulding County Republican Party Executive Committee Chairman Richard J. Hess told The Daily Wire there will be a special election to fill Greene’s unexpired term for 2025.
The timeline, however, is a little tricky.
Hess said the special election to replace the conservative firebrand will likely fall “somewhere between mid-February and March, but ultimately that decision is up to the governor.” Once Greene resigns, the governor will have 10 days to issue the call for a special election, formally known as a “a writ of election,” according to the Secretary of State’s office website.
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A spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told The Daily Wire that once this happens, a special election must be at least 29 days from the call being issued. Hess said their hope is that the special election “doesn’t interfere with the primary or the qualification period, because we’re looking at very tight timelines.”
Hess explained that there will be a special election and “potentially” a runoff election, followed by the regular primary cycle for the seat. Greene’s seat is up for election in November 2026, meaning the winner of this special election would have to run again if they want to retain the seat.
The general primary for the 2026 election is scheduled for May 19 with a potential runoff June 16, according to the Federal Election Commission’s website. Georgia is one of the seven states that requires a runoff election if none of the candidates receive a majority of the vote (50%+1), according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
This means the process could take longer if a runoff election is required, depending on how many candidates enter the race and the election results.
“It’s going to be a very hectic, fast-paced period, and we’re just hoping the transition moves as smoothly as possible,” Hess said.
Georgia’s 14th Congressional District is a solidly Republican district in the state’s northwest corner. In the 2024 race, Greene reportedly secured around 64% of the vote, compared to 35% for her Democratic challenger, Shawn Harris.
