Democrats Everton Blair and Marcye Scott are headed to a runoff in the special election in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District that was held on July 28.
Eliminated in the primary were Democrat Carlos Moore and Republicans Caesar Gonzales and Fayth Park.
Given that both runoff candidates are Democrats, whoever wins the Aug. 25 general election will narrow the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. That person will serve the remainder of Rep. David Scott’s (D-Ga.) term. David Scott died in April at the age of 80. Marcye Scott is David Scott’s daughter.
Blair, an educator, is the only candidate running in the special election who also ran in May for the congressional term beginning in January 2027.
In the primary, he finished third after earning roughly 12 percent of the vote.
State Rep. Jasmine Clark won the race with 56 percent and will face Republican Jonathan Chavez in the November general election.
Chavez, who got the Republican nod without a challenger, previously took on David Scott in the 2024 election, receiving about 28 percent of the vote.
Clark declined to run in the special election because doing so would have required her to give up her seat in the Georgia legislature.
At the time, Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, was expected to call a special legislative session to consider redrawing congressional district boundaries ahead of the 2028 elections.
In accordance with Georgia’s constitution, state officeholders cannot seek another office if the new term begins more than 30 days before their current term ends.
While the special session was held, Republican lawmakers elected not to pursue redistricting.
Blair ran on Medicare for All, investing in affordable housing, implementing a Green New Deal, protecting abortion access, and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Marcye Scott campaigned on improving infrastructure, supporting law enforcement and first responders, expanding access to transportation, creating and preserving parks and community spaces, helping seniors and veterans, and investing in neighborhoods.
During the final years of his career, David Scott came under fire over his age and health. He would have faced Clark and other challengers had he been alive during the primary.
Located east and southeast of Atlanta, Georgia’s 13th Congressional District consists of parts of heavily Democratic counties Clayton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton, and Rockdale.
Gwinnett County has the largest share of voters and made up about 46 percent of the district’s electorate in the 2024 general election.
David Scott easily won reelection in 2024 with about 72 percent of the vote.
In the same election, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris got about 71 percent of the district’s vote, while President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, received roughly 28 percent.
President Donald Trump’s strongest showing in the district came in Gwinnett County, where he earned about 35 percent of the vote.
