More Than 20 Candidates Qualify To Run For Northwest Georgia Congressional Seat

By Ross Williams, Georgia Recorder

January 15, 2026

Candidates who have qualified to run for Congress in Georgia’s 14th District

• Star Black, Republican
• Reagan Box. Republican
• Beau Brown, Republican
• James Marty Brown, Republican
• Jared Craig, Republican
• Eric Cunningham, Republican
• Jim Davis, Democrat
• Clayton Fuller, Republican
• Tom Gray, Republican
• Shawn Harris, Democrat
• Larry Hilley, Republican
• Jonathan Hobbs, Democrat
• Christian Hurd, Republican
• Trey Kelly, Republican
• Nicky Lama, Republican
• Colton Moore, Republican
• Rob “Rush” Ruszkowski, Independent
• Brian Stover, Republican
• Meg Strickland, Republican
• James Tully, Republican
• Jenna Turnipseed, Republican
• Andrew Underwood, Libertarian

Nearly two dozen people are hoping to become the next member of Congress to represent northwest Georgia.

Voters in Georgia’s 14th District – which includes Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Walker and Whitfield counties and portions of Cobb County – will head to the polls starting on Monday, Feb. 16 when early voting kicks off.

The three-day candidate qualifying period ended Wednesday afternoon.

All of the candidates will appear on the same ballot regardless of party, and 17 Republicans, three Democrats, one Libertarian and one independent have qualified, according to the secretary of state’s office.

Election Day is set for March 10, and if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, which is likely with so many names on the ballot, a runoff between the top two candidates is scheduled for April 7.

The district is considered the most likely in the state to favor a Republican, according to the Cook Political Report. It was previously represented by firebrand conservative Marjorie Taylor Greene. Greene resigned earlier this month after publicly feuding with President Donald Trump over matters including health insurance subsidies, Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza and the release of the Epstein files.

The winner will only earn the right to serve out the rest of Greene’s term and will have to prepare immediately for a primary in May and a general election in November.

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