QAnon supporter in Georgia heads into tight GOP runoff

Georgia House candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene is coming under renewed scrutiny for her past racist rhetoric and embrace of conspiracy theories as she heads into Tuesday's Republican primary runoff. Greene, who faces neurosurgeon John Cowan in the 14th Congressional District to replace retiring Rep. Tom Graves (R), has made a number of bigoted remarks, such as calling African Americans "slaves to the Democratic Party." She has also embraced QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory that claims among other things the so-called deep state is plotting against President Trump. If Greene wins on Tuesday and in November, she would be the first open QAnon supporter elected to Congress. And while House GOP leaders have condemned videos showing Greene making racist and Islamophobic remarks, most of the party's leadership have stayed neutral in a runoff whose victor is almost certain to win in November. Several nonpartisan political forecasters rate the seat as "solid or safe Republican."

Greene has shored up significant support in the district, winning 40.3 percent of the vote in the June primary compared to Cowan's 21 percent. A recent poll from Cowan's campaign showed a much tighter race heading into the runoff, with the two candidates tied at 38 percent in late July. But strategists say Cowan should be way ahead given the controversy surrounding Greene. "If she ends up winning, it's more of a reflection of John Cowan's bad campaign than it is of her being a much better candidate," said a Georgia-based Republican strategist. "I don't know how he could not have put her away already." "He's a doctor," the strategist said. "Don't underestimate being a doctor in a pandemic - that's a big deal. And the fact is, he was only able to generate 20 percent of the vote." Greene came under intense scrutiny in June after Politico unearthed a trove of videos in which she compared Democratic mega-donor George Soros to a Nazi and said the 2018 midterms were like an "Islamic invasion of our government," among other inflammatory statements. Republican lawmakers were quick to condemn her comments, which surfaced after the primary. Among them was Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), who played a role in getting Greene to run for the seat. "I find Marjorie Taylor Greene's statements appalling and deeply troubling, and I can no longer support her candidacy in Georgia's 14th Congressional District," Hice said in a June 18 statement on Facebook. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) also condemned Greene's remarks, calling them "disgusting." He is backing Cowan's bid.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/511419-qanon-supporter-in-georgia-heads-into-tight-gop-runoff