Marcye Scott, daughter of the late Rep. David Scott, and former Gwinnett County school board chair Everton Blair Jr. are moving to an August 25 runoff to decide who will serve the remaining term of Congressman Scott. This comes after neither candidate secured the 50% required to win outright, as reported by the Associated Press. When the race was called, Scott had 47.5% of the vote and Blair 36.1%, with Republican Caesar Gonzales trailing at 8.5%.
The runoff is for Scott’s term, following his April passing at age 80, but not for the full term starting in January. That position’s primary was held in May, with Democrat Jasmine Clark and Republican Jonathan Chavez set for the November 3 election.
In the special election, regardless of party, all candidates appear together. No candidate reached the 50% threshold, prompting a runoff. Six names were listed, but Democrat Tony Brown was disqualified due to a bounced qualifying fee check, per the Georgia Secretary of State.
Scott’s bid stems from her father’s funeral announcement, where she pledged to complete his work, focusing on federal funding requests. She notes her long involvement in his campaign and community efforts.
Blair, who served as Gwinnett County Board of Education chair, holds degrees in applied mathematics, education leadership, and policy from Harvard and Stanford. His campaign emphasizes his education-policy expertise and previous board service.
Winning the runoff will slightly alter the balance in the House of Representatives. Currently, the Republicans hold 218 seats, while Democrats have 212 seats and four vacancies. The addition of the Georgia winner would raise Democrats to 213 against a Republican-aligned bloc of 219.
The 13th District covers parts of Clayton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Henry, and Newton counties, plus all of Rockdale County. David Scott secured it with 72% of the vote in 2024, similarly reflected in the district’s presidential results with Vice President Kamala Harris securing 71% over Donald Trump’s 28%.