Everton Blair, a former Gwinnett County School Board chairman, defeated Marcye Scott in a runoff election to serve the remainder of the late Rep. David Scott’s term in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District. Blair secured 53% of the vote in the Tuesday runoff, compared to Scott’s 47%, with 84% of ballots tallied.
The special election was called to fill the seat after David Scott, a Democrat who represented the district for over two decades, died on April 22 at age 80. Scott had been seeking a 13th term in Congress but faced a competitive primary challenge before his death. The district, which covers parts of metro Atlanta, has historically leaned heavily Democratic, with Scott winning 72% of the vote in 2024 and then-Vice President Kamala Harris receiving 71% in the 2024 presidential race.
Blair will serve only until early January 2025, when the winner of the November general election takes office. That race will feature Democratic state Rep. Jasmine Clark, who won the May primary, against Republican Jonathan Chavez. Blair had also run in the primary but placed third, behind Clark and Scott.
Scott’s daughter, Marcye Scott, led the July 28 special election primary with 46% of the vote, compared to Blair’s 38%, but fell short of the majority required to win outright. The runoff was triggered as no candidate secured over 50% of the vote in the all-party primary.
Blair campaigned on progressive policies, including a tax on households earning over $50 million, Medicare for All, universal child care, and federal investments in clean energy aligned with the Green New Deal framework. Scott framed her campaign as an extension of her father’s legacy, stating she would “ensure the work already underway” advocating for the district continues.
The 13th District’s next full-term representative will be decided in the November 5 general election, with Clark considered a heavy favorite in the deep-blue district. The outcome will not affect the current balance of power in the narrowly divided U.S. House, where Republicans hold a 218-214 majority with one vacancy pending.