Earlier this week, the steady flow of voters casting ballots at City Hall in Dalton, Georgia, offered a glimpse of how fortunes could turn for Democrats in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s former congressional district.
The district has not elected a Democrat since it was created following the 2010 census. But party nominee Shawn Harris received the most votes across the district on Tuesday — about 37% — and now faces Trump-backed former prosecutor Clay Fuller as his opponent in the April runoff election. The winner will end Greene’s term until November, when a new election will be held.
Dalton, one of the district’s largest cities and the seat of Whitfield County, is where a handful of precincts saw double-digit increases in Democratic votes this week compared to the 2024 presidential election, according to an analysis by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The special election also gave a glimpse of what was on voters’ minds during a heated midterm election year in which Democrats are seeking to take back control of Congress.
The war in Iran, and perhaps its real impact on most people in America to this day – increasing gas prices – was on the minds of many people, but it did not seem to sway them from their core beliefs.
There were staunch MAGA voters, as might be expected in a deep red district. There were also white voters who voted Democrat, but were so concerned about what their neighbors or fellow churchgoers might say about their views that they preferred to be quoted using only their first names. Then there were Latinos – who make up about 55% of Dalton’s population – both older people who contributed to the “carpet capital of the world” decades ago by working in textile factories, and their children, who were born and raised in northwest Georgia.
Yvonne Oates, 85, said, “The war doesn’t affect me at all – it’s a very short-term thing, something that needs to be done.”
At age 61, Juan Escudero has lived in Dalton for 23 years and became a U.S. citizen in June. This was his first time voting. He voted for local GOP candidate Nikki Lama of Dalton. “The president is doing a good job,” he said. “Even though I’m Latino, I support him – if you’re a hard-working person, nothing bad will happen to you,” he said, referring to the current administration’s mass deportation effort.
Luis Linares, the 24-year-old son of Salvadoran immigrants born in Dalton, also voted for Lama. He voted for Biden in 2020, but supports Trump in 2024. He saw the local GOP candidate as a continuation of Trump’s policies. “I think America is stronger under Trump’s leadership,” he said. “I think the war in Iran is to liberate their people.”
Misty, who asked that her last name not be used, said she wanted to elect “someone who will stand up to Trump”. They voted for Harris.
The 47-year-old woman, who has lived in Dalton her entire life, said she was concerned about Trump’s “curtailment of legal immigration.” This is madness. She views the war in Iran as “troubling – we didn’t go to war for Iran; we did it for Israel”. He also said he feels the number of people who hold such beliefs is small in northwest Georgia.
Larry and Debra, who are both in their 70s, said they were “not Trumpers” and did not want their surnames used. Larry said he “didn’t care” about the price of gas, and he found it more worrying that “Trump only cares about himself”.
Hannah Fleming and Laura Bishop also endorsed Harris. “Right now our government is ‘Israel First,'” Fleming said, referring to the war in Iran.
Nicholas Perez, a 27-year-old 5th grade teacher, voted for Harris, he said, “because at least he came and listened to Latinos. The Republican candidates didn’t do that.” As far as war in Iran is concerned, he said, “Harris will provide some nuance, and not just be a rubber stamp.”
“The price of gas hits me,” said Axel Morales, 35, who has three jobs — including landscaping.
“As an immigrant,” he said, “we helped build this city. Other candidates targeted immigrants. Shawn Harris did not.”
Finally, according to the AJC, turnout this week was low, in many places less than 50% compared to 2024 — so it’s hard to know what to expect in the runoff. Still, in a volatile situation where former Congresswoman Taylor Greene raved about putting America first and distancing the country from foreign wars, Tuesday’s voter turnout and the results may offer clues about what to expect in November.
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