Georgia voters advance Trump's pick and a Democratic candidate to House special election runoff
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Voters in the district that sent Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a fierce defender of Donald Trump, to Congress will cast ballots again in the April runoff, NBC News projects.
What to know today...
- GREENE'S REPLACEMENT: Clay Fuller, President Donald Trump's pick to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Democrat Shawn Harris will advance to an April runoff after they emerged as the top two finishers in today's special election, NBC News projects. Neither candidate secured the majority needed to avoid a second round of voting.
- MISSISSIPPI ELECTIONS: Voters in Mississippi cast ballots today in primary contests to set the stage for November. Longtime Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson survived a challenge from ex-Senate aide Evan Turnage, NBC News projects.
- SUBSCRIBE: For exclusive video analysis of today's primary races from Kornacki, become an NBC News subscriber.
Trump congratulates endorsed candidates in several races today
Trump posted graphics congratulating his endorsed candidates in several contests today, including Clay Fuller, who is advancing to a runoff against Democratic candidate Shawn Harris for the House seat in Georgia previously held by Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Trump also posted graphics congratulating Mississippi incumbents, including Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.
Clay Fuller credits Trump for election outcome in Georgia race
Following his advancement to an April runoff, Clay Fuller thanked Trump for his endorsement and credited him for tonight's outcome.
“For those of you that were questioning how important President Donald J. Trump is to this country, to Georgia 14 and the state of Georgia — you look at that screen behind me, and you see what this man means to these people here,” Fuller said at his election night party in Rome.
Asked by reporters why Trump’s endorsement wasn’t enough to avoid a runoff, Fuller said, “I would describe this as an outright win.”
In response to a question from NBC News' Aaron Gilchrist about getting supporters of his opponents to coalesce around him before the runoff, Fuller again touted Trump’s endorsement.
“I think you see with the results tonight that the voters support what President Trump is doing in endorsing our campaign,” he said. “And I think the Republican Party is going to unite around us, because they know that the Democrat is too dangerous.”
Longtime Democratic Rep. Bennie Thomspon defeats primary challenger
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., has won his primary, NBC News projects, easily fending off a challenge from a progressive candidate half his age.
Thompson, 78, defeated Evan Turnage, a 34-year-old former aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
Turnage, an antitrust lawyer, had directly challenged Thompson on his age and effectiveness, questioning whether Mississippi’s 2nd District has seen meaningful improvement over Thompson’s decadeslong tenure. But Thompson’s deep ties to the district and campaign spending advantage proved too difficult to overcome.
Thompson, who will be heavily favored to win an 18th term this fall in his solidly Democratic district, is a veteran presence on Capitol Hill. He was the chair of the House panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol and twice led the Homeland Security Committee.
GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Scott Colom to face off in Mississippi Senate race
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., will face off against Democrat Scott Colom in November, with NBC News projecting that both have won their primaries today.
It will be a difficult race for Colom, a district attorney. A Democrat has not won a Senate race in Mississippi since 1982, and Trump won the state by 23 points in 2024. And Ty Pinkins, who was the Democratic Senate nominee against GOP Sen. Roger Wicker in 2024, is running for the Senate again, but as an independent.
But some Democrats, including Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, have suggested that Colom could be a strong candidate. It also won’t be the first time Hyde-Smith and Colom have clashed: Hyde-Smith blocked Colom’s nomination for a federal judgeship during the Biden administration.
Shawn Harris thanks supporters for advancing him to runoff
Democrat Shawn Harris this evening thanked voters in Georgia's 14th Congressional District for advancing him to an April 7 runoff against Trump-backed Clay Fuller.
“This race isn’t over. Northwest Georgia showed up in a BIG way, and now we head to a runoff,” Harris said on X.
“Momentum is real. The coalition is growing. Let’s finish what we started. On to the runoff,” he added.
NBC News’ Steve Kornacki is at the board breaking down the numbers in the Georgia special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene, which will head to a runoff in April.
Trump-backed Clay Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris advance to runoff in race to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene
Republican Clay Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris advanced today from a crowded field to a runoff in the special election to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia, NBC News projects.
Fuller, a district attorney who was one of 17 Republicans on the ballot, benefited from Trump’s endorsement in the solidly GOP district in the northwest corner of the state. Harris, a retired Army brigadier general and cattle rancher, lost to Greene in the 2024 general election in the 14th District.
Polls close in Mississippi
Polls are now closed in Mississippi, where Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson and GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith are both seeking another term.
Thompson, who has served in the House since 1993, faced a primary challenge from millennial Evan Turnage, a former aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in the deep blue 2nd Congressional District.
Trump has endorsed all three House Republicans in the state running for re-election in deep-red seats.
Hyde-Smith is running for a second full term in the Senate with Trump's endorsement. Sarah Adlakha, a physician who has largely self-funded her campaign, is challenging her.
District Attorney Scott Colom launched a Senate campaign that caught the interest of national Democrats. But winning in November would be an uphill battle for any Democrat in a state Trump won by 23 percentage points in 2024. Democrats haven't won a statewide election in Mississippi since 2015.
Early results are promising for Trump's pick in Georgia special election
With a little less than 10% of the vote in, what we’re seeing is that Trump-endorsed Clay Fuller, one of more than a dozen Republicans on the ballot, has gotten pretty clear separation from the other GOP candidates.
Colton Moore, a former state senator, was seen coming into tonight as potentially the main Republican rival to Fuller. But we’re getting returns from some of Moore’s political base in this district — and so far Fuller is clobbering him.
Polls close in special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene
The polls are now closed in Georgia's 14th Congressional District in the special election to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
If no candidate wins a majority, the top two vote-getters will advance to an April 7 runoff.
All candidates appeared on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, including 17 Republicans and three Democrats. Five candidates withdrew after the deadline but still appeared on the ballot.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson says he doesn’t support nation-building in Iran
House Speaker Mike Johnson and other top Republicans said today that the U.S. should not be involved in nation-building in Iran, a day after Trump called the operation there “the beginning of building a new country.”
“I don’t” support nation-building, Johnson, R-La., said in a fireside chat with NBC News at House Republicans’ annual policy conference in south Florida. “I don’t think it’s our role.”
He added that “America has a very important role to play in the world” and that it is “the defenders of freedom and liberty.”
“Does that mean that we should be intervening everywhere around the world and nation-building and doing all these other endeavors?” Johnson continued. “No, because we don’t have the resources or the appetite to do that. That’s not our responsibility. Our responsibility, in my view, is to project peace through strength.”
Candidate for Greene's former House seat says focus should be on domestic issues, not international ones
Colton Moore, one of the front-runners in today’s race to fill Marjorie Taylor Greene’s former House seat, said in an interview that whoever represents the Georgia district needs to be focused on domestic issues.
“Obviously, the two most expensive places in the district are the gas station and the grocery store. You know, they want to make sure that we’re focused on domestic issues and not so much international issues,” Moore said.
“Ultimately, the 14th District wants to be represented in Washington, and they don’t want their voter card to be sold out to leadership in Washington, D.C.,” he added.
Moore’s take on foreign policy echoes that of Greene, who was a loud critic of U.S. military intervention in other countries, including Iran and Venezuela. His comments are in contrast to those of Clay Fuller, Moore’s Trump-endorsed opponent for the seat.
Earlier today, Fuller told NBC News that he “fully” supports Trump’s efforts in Iran and the Middle East.
Mike Johnson says Republicans had 'a little hiccup' with Latino voters
House Speaker Mike Johnson today addressed some of the challenges Republicans face with Latino voters over the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
“We got a little hiccup with some of the Hispanic and Latino voters, for certain, because some of the immigration enforcement was viewed to be overzealous,” Johnson, R-La., told NBC News' Scott Wong in an interview at a House Republican conference in Miami.
“You know, everybody can describe it differently. But here’s the good news: We’re in a course correction mode right now,” he said, saying he was looking forward to Department of Homeland Security leadership under Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., Trump's nominee to replace Kristi Noem as secretary.
“He’s a thoughtful guy. He’ll bring a thoughtful approach,” Johnson said while also praising border czar Tom Homan, who took over immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis from Greg Bovino after federal officers fatally shot two U.S. citizens. Johnson described Homan as having “brought calm to the chaos.”
Johnson added that Latino voters voted Republican in larger numbers in 2024 over concerns about affordability and employment, adding that Republicans have “a great record” on those issues. An NBC News poll released over the weekend found that voters largely disapprove of Trump's handling of inflation and the cost of living.
Georgia voter says Trump's endorsement of Clay Fuller was 'really important'
NBC News spoke to voters in Rome, Georgia, about the issues driving their vote ahead of tonight's special election to fill former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's congressional seat.
Sarah Umphrey, 77, said she supports Clay Fuller, whom Trump endorsed. She said Trump's endorsement was "really important. I like Trump."
Charles Stevens, 67, who voted Republican but declined to say for which candidate, said he voted for Greene in the past but feels "like she has more of a position for her own to fill" as opposed to representing him.
He added, "I want somebody who I feel like is speaking for me and not just speaking for themselves and trying to accomplish what she wants to accomplish.”
Mike Johnson says House could vote again on SAVE America Act — this time with new provisions
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said this afternoon that he thought the House could “squeeze” new provisions into the SAVE America Act and send an amended version to the Senate.
The new provisions in the sweeping voter ID legislation would include banning men in women’s sports and gender-affirming surgery for children.
Johnson said the House is “looking at the mechanisms to do it” and suggested the Senate could vote on the House-passed bill without the provisions and then send it back to the House for a new vote.
“If the Senate were able to move the existing legislation that we’ve already sent over, I suppose it’s possible they could amend it there and send it back to us in a different form, and we pass it then,” Johnson told NBC News’ Scott Wong in a televised interview at the House Republican Conference in Miami.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has said repeatedly that the Senate does not have the votes to pass the SAVE America Act and expressed skepticism about using a talking filibuster to get around the 60 votes required to pass it, which would require some Democratic buy-in. Johnson said garnering support from Democrats or staging a talking filibuster have “real challenges.”
Thune said yesterday that it would “make sense” for the House to pass an amended version first, which could then be taken up by the Senate. Reacting to Thune’s comments, Johnson today said: “All right, be careful what you ask for.”
Candidate seeking to replace MTG has very different view on Iran
Clay Fuller, the Trump-endorsed candidate seeking Greene's seat in today's special election in Georgia, has a far different take on the war in Iran from Greene.
Asked by NBC News about his position on the conflict, Fuller said: "I fully support the president and his efforts in Iran and the Middle East."
"The other thing that I hear from voters, they want to hear people be reminded that the Iranian regime since 1979 has killed or maimed thousands of Americans," he said. "So this is something that President Trump is holding them accountable for, the Americans that they’ve killed since 1979. They understood that the Iranian regime was a national security threat to the United States and the state of Israel."
Greene, who resigned in January, has been an outspoken critic of U.S. actions. "We voted for no more foreign wars, no more regime change, and to stop paying for foreign wars," Greene said on X this week, but after "a year, Trump starts a major war in Iran for Israel, destabilizing the Middle East, costing over $1 billion dollars a day, driving up the cost of gas, and tragically are killing innocent children they claim to be liberating."
State investigators search Jeffrey Epstein’s New Mexico ranch
State investigators in New Mexico yesterday searched a 7,600-acre property that used to belong to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act showed no record of federal investigators ever having searched the property, known as Zorro Ranch, despite a number of years-old civil suits that accused Epstein of sexually assaulting girls there — allegations over which he was never charged.
Speaker Mike Johnson defends two House Republicans after their anti-Muslim remarks
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., today defended two members of his conference who have recently made disparaging comments about Muslims in the U.S.
At the GOP retreat at Trump's golf resort in Miami, a reporter asked Johnson about the comments by Reps. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and Randy Fine, R-Fla., and whether he had spoken to them.
"I've spoken to those members, and all members as I always do, about our tone and our message and what we say," Johnson said.
"There's a lot of energy in the country and a lot of popular sentiment that the demand to impose Sharia law in America is a serious problem. That's what animates this. The language that people use — it's different language than I would use — but I think that's a serious issue. Sharia law and the imposition of Sharia law is contrary to the U.S. Constitution," he continued.
Johnson added: "When you seek to come to a country and not assimilate but impose Sharia law, Sharia law is in conflict with the Constitution. It's not about people as Muslims; it's about those who seek to impose a different belief system that is in direct conflict with the Constitution."
Sharia law stems from the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad and is widely interpreted across Islamic sects. It is a set of principles guiding parts of life, including marriage, finance and religious rituals. Neither it nor any other religious rules have standing over the Constitution or state or federal laws in the U.S.
Ogles faced backlash mainly from Democrats yesterday after he wrote on X that “Muslims don’t belong in American society." Fine spurred calls for his resignation when he made anti-Muslim remarks last month.
Trump has questioned aides about Corey Lewandowski’s role in DHS ad campaign, sources say
Trump has peppered aides in recent days about whether longtime adviser Corey Lewandowski profited personally from a $220 million federal advertising campaign featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was fired last week, according to three people familiar with his conversations.
“He’s mentioned the ads several times,” a senior White House official said, referring to Trump’s asking questions about Lewandowski’s role in the ad contract.
The ads were a repeated focus of lawmakers’ questions at a pair of contentious hearings on Capitol Hill last week that led in part to Trump’s decision to remove Noem as head of DHS and reassign her to a role as special envoy to the newly formed “Shield of the Americas.”
Travelers stuck in TSA lines amid partial government shutdown
Passengers continue to face long lines and hourslong wait times at airports across the U.S. TSA’s funding expired three weeks ago when lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on ICE protocols, triggering a partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown. NBC News’ Tom Costello reports for "TODAY."
Federal judge in Oregon restricts use of tear gas on ICE protesters
A federal judge in Oregon yesterday restricted federal officers from using tear gas at protests at the ICE building in Portland in response to a lawsuit the ACLU of Oregon filed on behalf of protesters and freelance journalists.
U.S. District Judge Michael Simon issued the preliminary injunction after a three-day hearing in which the plaintiffs — including a demonstrator known for wearing a chicken costume, a married couple in their 80s and two freelance journalists — testified about having had chemical or projectile munitions used against them.
Protesters confront law enforcement outside an ICE facility in Portland, Ore., in June. Jan Sonnenmair / Getty Images file
Poll work or jury duty? A bill advancing in Idaho would give people a choice
Idahoans may soon have the opportunity to trade jury duty for election work.
An Idaho Senate committee advanced a bill yesterday that would allow prospective jurors to volunteer as poll workers for elections instead.
If it is passed by the Senate and signed into law, the bill would provide county clerks to make up for shortages of election workers with people who seek exemptions from jury duty.
Longtime Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson faces primary challenge from millennial ex-Senate aide
Longtime Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, 78, is facing a primary challenge today from a much younger candidate, Evan Turnage, in Mississippi.
Turnage, 34, is an antitrust lawyer who was an aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
The race between Thompson and Turnage in the deep-blue 2nd Congressional District, which includes Jackson, is another generational battle for Democrats, who have seen a number of longtime members announce their retirements ahead of the fall midterms.
Thompson has outspent his opponent in the race, and Turnage has focused on the incumbent's age and has taken to the airwaves to accuse him of being ineffective.
Thompson has served in the House since 1993 and is the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee. He previously chaired the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Trump has endorsed all three House Republicans running for re-election in the state.
In the race for Senate, incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., also backed by Trump, faces physician Sarah Adlakha in the primary as she seeks a second full term. Some Democrats have said District Attorney Scott Colom could be a strong candidate, though he faces a steep uphill climb in the traditionally Republican state.
Supreme Court Justices Jackson and Kavanaugh clash over handling of Trump cases
Internal Supreme Court divisions over how the high court has frequently ruled in favor of the Trump administration in emergency situations spilled out into public yesterday evening, with liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh locking horns.
The court’s conservative majority has on a regular basis blocked lower court rulings that have stymied Trump’s agenda, sparking criticism from within and outside the judiciary.
Jackson, often a vocal dissenter in those cases, forcefully aired her critique of the court’s actions in a rare public appearance with Kavanaugh at an event for lawyers and judges held at the federal courthouse in Washington.
Senate Republicans splinter over SAVE America Act’s path as Trump calls for more revisions
The prospects for Trump’s SAVE America Act grew murkier yesterday as divisions deepened among Senate Republicans about how to pass it and whether it’s possible to overcome Democratic opposition.
Some say they’re convinced a “talking filibuster” under current rules could lead to passage of the sweeping election overhaul bill, even though it hasn’t worked before. Another GOP senator proposed a different path with less support. And the Senate’s top Republican emphasized that the path is “unclear” as the 60-vote rule may be too difficult to overcome.
Former news anchor jumps into race against Republican congresswoman in Miami district
A recently retired Miami news anchor announced this morning that he will run as a Democrat against Rep. Maria Elvira Salazár, R-Fla.
Eliott Rodriguez, 69, retired from the local CBS station, WFOR, in December, where he worked for 25 years, giving him considerable name recognition. Salazár is also a former journalist.
Rodriguez's newly launched campaign will focus on lowering the cost of living, restoring accountability in Washington and “bringing people together,” according to a news release.
Florida’s 27th Congressional District, located in Miami-Dade County, is heavily Latino, and residents have been affected by Trump’s immigration policies, with dramatic cases of detentions and deportations.
Following his retirement, Rodriguez appeared in a video criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration policies and calling for more pushback from Salazár and Florida Republican Reps. Carlos Gímenez and Mario Díaz-Balart.
Salazár has criticized Trump’s deportation policies, saying they go beyond just targeting criminals.
Former Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen held the seat for 30 years. After her retiremen0,t Democrat Donna Shalala held the seat for one term before she was defeated by Salazár.
Poll: Majority of voters say risks of AI outweigh the benefits
Voters are worried about AI and don’t trust either political party to handle the rapidly evolving technology, according to a new national NBC News survey.
A majority of registered voters, 57%, said they believe the risks of artificial intelligence outweigh its benefits, compared with 34% who said the opposite. What’s more, a plurality of voters view AI negatively and don’t believe either Democrats or Republicans are doing a good job handling policy related to the rapidly advancing technology.
Just 26% of voters say they have positive feelings about AI, compared with 46% who hold negative views. In fact, the only topics that were less popular than AI in the NBC News survey were the Democratic Party and Iran.
Voters head to the polls for special election in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Georgia district
The Georgia district that sent Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a fierce defender of Trump, to Congress is now deciding how to replace her — and whether to let the president make the pick.
Voters are heading to the polls for a special election today in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District where all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party. Of the 17 Republicans in the race, five unofficially withdrew after the deadline and will still appear on the ballot along with three Democrats. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the top two vote-getters head to a April 7 runoff.
