ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A special election to fill U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s 14th congressional seat will probably happen in March.
That’s according to Ricky Hess, chairman of the Paulding County Republican Party.
“We will still have our regular primaries in May,” Hess said.
If there is a special election to fill out the rest of Greene’s term, Gov. Brian Kemp will be the elected official to set the date. With Greene’s announced resignation date of Jan. 5, 2026, the northwest Georgia district will go without representation on Capitol Hill until a new congressperson is elected.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: This Sunday’s On The Record With Atlanta News First will feature an in-depth look at Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation and its impact on Georgia and the nation. Watch On The Record With Atlanta News First at 11 a.m.
Georgia’s nationally watched midterms in the 2026 primary are on May 19, 2026. Kemp may decide to call for a special election before that date, or could simply let the seat remain vacant until the state’s primary rolls around.
According to Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, no temporary appointments to the seat are allowed. All House vacancies must be filled by an election, regardless of when the representative resigns.
Here’s how a special election for a vacant congressional seat works in Georgia:
- Georgia law requires the governor to issue a writ calling a special election for a U.S. House vacancy within 10 days of the vacancy. Greene’s resignation takes effect Jan. 5, 2026.
- The special election date must be at least 30 days after the writ is issued. If no candidate receives a 50% majority, a runoff between the top two is held 28 days after the special election.
- County superintendents and the Secretary of State handle the special election.
- Candidate qualifying windows for special elections are set by the Georgia Secretary of State and the governor. For many special contests qualifying is short and typically closes several weeks before the election to allow ballot printing and absentee processing.
LATEST COVERAGE
In one of the most stunning political developments Georgia has seen this century, Greene announced her resignation from Congress late Friday night.
Greene, who was elected to the 14th congressional district in 2020 and overwhelmingly re-elected since, said she was resigning over her disillusionment with the nation’s current political climate, stemming from a recent political split with President Donald Trump.
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