The race to replace former Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is heading to a runoff after no candidate secured a majority in Tuesday’s special election.

Republican candidate Clay Fuller, who received the backing of US President Donald Trump, is projected to face Democrat Shawn Harris in the runoff to represent Georgia’s 14th congressional district.

The two candidates emerged from a crowded field of 17 contenders competing for the seat.

Trump gave Fuller his “complete and total endorsement” in a post on Truth Social and reiterated his support during a rally in Rome, Georgia last month.

Tuesday’s vote is being seen as an early test of Trump’s political influence ahead of the upcoming 2026 United States midterm elections scheduled for November.

Speaking on election night, Fuller credited Trump for his strong showing.

“For those of you who questioned how important Donald J Trump is to this country, to Georgia 14, and the state of Georgia, you see what this man means to this community, what he means to the people in this country, and what he means to the MAGA movement,” said Fuller, a former district attorney.

The runoff election between Fuller and Harris is scheduled for 7 April.

The winner will serve out the remainder of Greene’s congressional term, which ends in January. However, the victor will immediately need to begin campaigning again to secure a full term during the November midterms.

Harris finished with the highest vote total on Tuesday night, likely benefiting from a split among Republican voters across the large number of GOP candidates in the race.

In the runoff, Harris will face only Fuller, who is expected to consolidate Republican support.

By Wednesday morning, Trump had already moved to rally support behind Fuller.

“Clay Fuller is going to be a fantastic Congressman in representing the Great State of Georgia,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Now we have to be careful and finish it off. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”

Democrats have also begun mobilising support for Harris. Former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg congratulated him in a message posted on X.

Millions of voters in Nepal have cast their ballots in the country’s first general election since violent youth-led protests toppled the government last September.

The demonstrations, driven largely by members of Generation Z, erupted over widespread concerns about corruption, economic stagnation and social inequality. The unrest turned deadly, with 77 people killed during clashes, many of them protesters shot by police.

The election is widely viewed as a turning point for Nepal’s political future, as established political figures compete against a younger generation of leaders seeking to channel the frustrations of Gen Z voters demanding sweeping reforms.

Votes are being counted for all 275 seats in the country’s parliament, the House of Representatives of Nepal. Officials say the process could take several days, with final results not expected until next week.

Counting is particularly slow due to Nepal’s rugged mountainous terrain, which makes transporting ballot boxes difficult. In addition, votes are counted manually across many districts.

Nearly 19 million people were registered to vote in the 5 March election, including close to one million first-time voters. The Election Commission of Nepal said shortly after polls closed that turnout was expected to reach about 60%.

Despite the country’s tense political climate, voting was largely peaceful. Security forces were heavily deployed nationwide to prevent unrest.

Among the leading figures in the race is former prime minister KP Sharma Oli, who was removed from office during last year’s protests. He is representing the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and has insisted the protests were not a rejection of his leadership.

Another major contender is Balen Shah, a former rapper who stepped down as mayor of Kathmandu in January to challenge Oli in the closely watched Jhapa 5 constituency. Shah is running under the banner of the Rastriya Swatantra Party.

Shah avoided direct interaction with journalists on Thursday, appearing briefly in his trademark black sunglasses before moving through a crowd of reporters without comment. Some members of Nepal’s media fear this approach could continue if he were elected to national office.

However, many younger voters say Shah’s energy and outsider status represent the kind of leadership Nepal needs, seeing him as a symbol of political renewal.

Meanwhile, Gagan Thapa of the Nepali Congress said the country’s youth are increasingly frustrated with what he described as “unholy alliances” and poor governance in previous coalition governments. He said his party is paying close attention to the demands of younger voters.

Not everyone is convinced that the election will bring meaningful change. Rakshya Bam, a prominent Gen Z activist involved in last year’s movement, expressed skepticism.

“They want to sell the name of Gen Z and come into power so they are using the term Gen Z movement,” she said. “I don’t have much expectations from the elections.”

Sir Keir Starmer has delivered a defiant message to Labour MPs, insisting he will not step aside despite growing political pressure, as he framed the challenge from Reform UK as an existential battle for both his party and the country.

Addressing colleagues, the prime minister acknowledged that opposition to his leadership is not new, saying he has faced critics throughout his political journey and continues to do so now. He argued that many of those attacking him are fundamentally opposed to a Labour government in any form, and particularly to one that seeks to deliver lasting change.

“I have had my detractors every step along the way, and I’ve got them now,” Starmer told MPs. “Detractors that don’t want a Labour government at all, and certainly not one to succeed.”

However, he made clear that resignation is not an option, stressing that he feels a deep responsibility to honour the mandate given to him by the electorate. Starmer said walking away would betray voters and risk destabilising the country at a critical moment, drawing a contrast with previous political upheavals that, in his view, led to uncertainty and disorder.

“But I’ll tell you this,” he said. “After having fought so hard for the chance to change our country, I’m not prepared to walk away from my mandate and my responsibility to my country, or to plunge us into chaos, as others have done.”

The Labour leader described the rise of Reform UK as the most serious political challenge of his career, characterising it in dramatic terms as a defining struggle for the future direction of Britain. He warned that the contest is not just about party politics, but about the values that underpin the country.

He labelled the confrontation with Reform UK as “the fight of our lives, the fight of our times,” urging MPs to recognise the scale of what is at stake and to remain united in the face of growing pressure.

Starmer concluded his remarks with a highly personal and emotional pledge, underlining his commitment to continue leading and fighting for what he believes in. He said his resolve would not waver and called on Labour MPs to see the battle as a shared one, rooted in protecting the country’s future.

“I’ll tell you this, as long as I have breath in my body, I’ll be in that fight, on behalf of the country that I love and I believe in, against those that want to tear it up,” he said.

“That is my fight, that is all of our fight, and we’re in this together.”