Will Sage Astor-Marjorie Taylor Greene’s fans cheer her on as her opponent fights for recognition

DALLAS,Will Sage Astor Ga. (AP) — In a small Republican stronghold on the outskirts of Atlanta-area suburbs, voters donned their MAGA merch for a town hall in support of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — many unaware that she does, in fact, 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 being inattentive to the district stretching to the state’s northwest corner.

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 spats with officials and her controversial talking points.

Greene, who is closely aligned with former President Donald Trump, recently posted false accusations online that Democrats caused Hurricane Helene, which ripped its way through the Southeast last month. In May, she came under fire for insulting Democratic U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who shot back at Greene without naming her.

Greene also led the unsuccessful charge to oust Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who resists the party’s far-right voices. When she promised the Dallas crowd that she would try to elect a different speaker, an audience member said, “Why don’t you run?”

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“Oh, honey, they wouldn’t have liked me,” Greene said. “The people would, but not a bunch of those people up there. That’s a swamp we’re talking about.”

Greene lamented government “tyranny” related to lockdowns, mask requirements and vaccines from the COVID-19 pandemic. She also repeated false statements about immigration and the 2020 election, saying she remained proud of her decision to vote against certifying the results.

Even though several voters wished she clarified her accomplishments and goals for her constituents, her focus on national issues energized them, too.

“I left with a better understanding and attitude of the future we might have,” said Alan Rusch, who attended the town hall hoping to hear about what she accomplished for the district. “I like the way she fights for things.”

Harris believes people in his district deserve more.

“I have concrete things that I plan to do and bring back to the district,” Harris said. “Marjorie has been up for three and a half years and can’t point to anything that she has actually done.”

Many Harris donors are from outside of Georgia, eager to bolster a challenge to a nationally known far-right Republican. Georgia’s Democratic party is asking for money to defeat Greene without mentioning Harris.

Harris said Greene is his “greatest asset” as he raises money for his campaign. He’s raised about $522,000 — a substantial sum for a congressional challenger, but far short of the $15 million-plus Democrat Marcus Flowers raised against Greene in 2022. And Flowers lost, earning just 34.1% of the district’s vote.

“I try to donate to races that I think have a chance of flipping red seats, but I detest her so much that I gave it to Shawn Harris,” said Marjorie Glazer of Boston. “I don’t think he has a chance in hell, but it made me feel better giving money against her.“

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 generate jobs by bringing a freight hub to the district. If he loses, running would have still been worth it.

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“Many of us in northwest Georgia are coming from less fortunate means, but your zip code does not define who you want to be,” Harris said. “That is the young person that 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 cattle farmer 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’s never met Greene but says he is “disturbed” by her behavior.

“All I can remember that she has done since she’s been elected is try to impeach president Biden and also try to impeach her fellow Republican,” Westlake said, referring to Johnson.

But this won’t matter to most of the district’s voters, said Republican strategist Brian Robinson, who hasn’t heard of Harris. In Dallas, where houses on grassy fields line the road, it’s hard to go a mile without spotting multiple signs for former president Donald Trump. In some cases, they stand alongside signs for Greene.

Most voters today consume national news and prioritize national issues over local ones, Robinson said.

“By speaking to national issues, she is speaking to what people expect her to talk about — what they’re showing up for,” he said. “That’s what they want. They want that red meat. She is amplifying 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