Two Democratic candidates are headed to a runoff election on August 25 to fill the House seat vacated by the death of Rep. David Scott, D-Ga. Marcye Scott, the daughter of the late congressman, and Everton Blair, chair of the Gwinnett County School Board, did not secure the 51% of the vote required to win outright in Tuesday's special election.
Their runoff will determine which Democrat takes the seat in the narrowly divided House of Representatives, where Republicans currently hold 218 seats to Democrats' 212. The addition of another Democratic member could increase pressure on Republicans to maintain party unity on legislative matters.
A third candidate, Republican Caesar Gonzales, received 8.7% of the vote and did not advance.
The special election was triggered by the death of David Scott, an 80-year-old Democrat, in April. His cause of death was not disclosed by his office.
Marcye Scott announced her candidacy shortly after her father's passing, positioning herself as the successor to his legacy. Her campaign priorities include roads and infrastructure, public safety, and transportation, emphasizing her constituent outreach work for her father.
Everton Blair has focused his campaign on opposing actions he views as detrimental to education, such as proposed cuts by the Trump administration to the Department of Education. He has stated that such cuts harm students in the district.
Blair's platform includes support for Medicare-for-all, increasing the minimum wage, and raising teacher pay.
David Scott, who represented Georgia's 13th Congressional District, was last re-elected in 2024 with 71.8% of the vote against Republican challenger Jonathan Chavez. The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of Scott's term and must also win the general election in November to secure a full term in the House.
