Voters in Georgia and South Carolina will participate in runoff elections this Tuesday to determine representation in the U.S. House and Senate. In Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, a special election runoff will decide who fills the seat left vacant by the death of Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), who died in April at age 80. The race features Marcye Scott (D), the late congressman's daughter, and Everton Blair Jr. (D), a former school board chair. In South Carolina, interim Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) faces Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) in a Republican primary runoff for a full Senate term.
The Georgia runoff follows a July primary where Marcye Scott received approximately 48% of the vote and Blair received 35.6%. In South Carolina, Darline Graham was appointed to the Senate following the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). During a debate last week, Darline Graham stated she was "not that informed on national security," a comment Rep. Norman described as "serious." Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Darline Graham, while Norman has the support of Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and former Gov. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.).
Separately, U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein indicated he expects to rule by Friday on Donald Trump’s request to move his New York hush money conviction appeal to federal court. Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. His legal team seeks the move to argue for dismissal based on presidential immunity. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit previously ruled in November that a lower court needed to reconsider Trump’s arguments for the transfer.
Voters and taxpayers will notice the impact of these decisions through changes in congressional representation and potential shifts in legislative priorities. Both Georgia candidates have focused on affordability, citing rising costs for groceries and gasoline, which affects the monthly budgets of all households in the district. South Carolina voters are weighing the experience of a sitting House member against a Trump-endorsed incumbent, with the outcome potentially signaling the direction of the state's Republican party and its influence on future federal fiscal policy and national security debates.
The judicial ruling regarding Donald Trump will set a precedent for whether state criminal convictions of a former president can be moved to federal court under immunity claims. If the appeal is moved, it would change the legal venue and potentially the timeline for the final resolution of the 34-count conviction. The outcome of the Georgia and South Carolina runoffs will be known following the close of polls on Tuesday, August 25. Judge Hellerstein is expected to issue his decision on the venue transfer by Friday.