Senate Republican campaign chair Tim Scott ‘extremely optimistic’ about expanding majority but spotlights ‘difficult’ climate
National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina speaks exclusively with Fox News Digital about the GOP’s chances in the midterm elections.
President Donald Trump took a bow Tuesday night for his 5-0 record for his endorsed candidates in the Republican elections held in Mississippi and Georgia.
"March 10th election update: 5 wins, 0 losses," an election night image posted to Truth Social blared. "President Trump endorsements 100%."
The image hailed a 4-0 record in Mississippi (Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss.; Reps. Mike Ezell, R-Miss.; Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss.; Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss.) and 1-0 in Georgia, albeit with a bullet.
In one of the marquee matchups, an all-party special election for an open House seat, Republican Clay Fuller earned an April 7 runoff against Democrat Shawn Harris for the seat vacated by former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., in Georgia's "solid red" 14th Congressional District.
FORMER FREEDOM CAUCUS CHAIR BOB GOOD BLASTS TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT RECORD: ‘TRUMP IS THE PROBLEM’
GOP House candidate Clay Fuller, R-Ga., is likely to be a heavy favorite in the April 7 runoff in the Georgia's special election to replace jilted former Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., thanks to President Donald Trump's endorsement. (Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS)
"Clay Fuller is going to be a fantastic Congressman in representing the Great State of Georgia," Trump wrote Wednesday morning on Truth Social.
"Now we have to be careful and finish it off. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"
While Fuller did not earn the special election victory, and Harris won the most votes (37.3%) in a 17-candidate field that included nine Republicans, Harris only had to outdistance two Democrats. Fuller trailed Harris by only 3,000 votes at 34.9%. Republican Colton Moore finished third and out of the running at 11.6%, while no other candidate reached 5%.
"I think the Republican Party is going to unite around us because they know that the Democrat is too dangerous," Fuller said Tuesday night. "We can’t have a Democrat representing Georgia 14. That would be a tragedy for our community, a tragedy for Georgia 14 and a tragedy for the MAGA movement."
The total number of votes cast across all candidates in this election result thus far is 115,823, and Republicans outdistanced Democrat votes by nearly 20 points. GOP candidates garnered a total of 59.7%, while Democrats had 39.8% and independents had less than 1%.
"Congratulations to Clay Fuller, of Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, on getting such a high percentage of the vote with 12 Republicans running," Trump wrote Tuesday night on Truth Social. "We want to make the next vote 'TOO BIG TO RIG.' Clay will be a GREAT Congressman — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!"
President Donald Trump is targeting Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has voted against Trump and Republicans during his time in the House. (Win McNamee/Getty Images; Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Fuller was a White House fellow in the first Trump administration and is a lieutenant colonel in the Georgia Air National Guard. He finished fourth in the 2020 Republican primary that Greene won. He credited Trump’s nod for propelling him to the runoff.
"They want to know who President Trump was endorsing in this race," Fuller said. "And that’s why they came out in droves to support him, because they want an America First fighter on Capitol Hill fighting for his policies that are going to make a difference for our community."
TRUMP CONTINUES LAMBASTING INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN THOMAS MASSIE AS CHALLENGER FILES TO ENTER RACE
Harris said he is not worried about further Trump intervention.
"If Donald Trump wants to come and do what he wants to do, that’s his business," he said.
The House GOP majority is a narrow 218-214 right now, making the Fuller-Harris April 7 runoff an important one for upcoming 2026 votes. There are two other vacancies awaiting special elections this year, including blue-state seats formerly held by New Jersey Democrat Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who resigned from the House in November, and the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., who died Jan. 6.
Illinois is next up on the GOP primary schedule Tuesday, March 17, where three Trump-endorsed candidates are incumbents: Reps. Mike Bost, R-Ill., Mary Miller, R-Ill., and Darin LaHood, R-Ill.
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The next big GOP primary challenge forged by Trump is frequent MAGA foil Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on May 19. Trump-backed Ed Gallrein is vying for that seat.
"I predict that 'Representative' Thomas Massie will go down as the WORST Republican Congressman in the long and fabled history of the United States Congress, even worse than Crazy Liz Chaney, Cryin' Adam Kinzinger, and Marjorie 'Traitor' Brown (Remember, Green turns to Brown under stress!)," Trump wrote Wednesday morning on Truth Social.
"They are all misfits and losers, but Massie, who is running against a great American Patriot in the Kentucky Primary, will hopefully lose BIG. I LOVE KENTUCKY!!!"
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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