Voters in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District went to the polls Tuesday for a special election runoff to determine who will complete the term of the late Rep. David Scott (D). The two candidates in the runoff, Marcye Scott and Everton Blair, are both Democrats seeking to represent the district through the end of the year.
The runoff was triggered after no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote during the initial special election held on July 28. Marcye Scott is the daughter of the late congressman, while Everton Blair previously served as a member of the Gwinnett County Board of Education.
A separate primary for the full congressional term was previously held, which state lawmaker Jasmine Clark won for the Democratic Party. Clark is scheduled to face Republican candidate Jonathan Chavez in the November general election. Polling locations for Tuesday's runoff were scheduled to close at 7 p.m. EDT.
A resident of the district will notice a change in who handles their federal constituent services, such as assistance with Social Security benefits or veterans' affairs, for the next several months. The winner will also cast votes on federal legislation and participate in House business until the new term begins in January. Because both candidates in this runoff are Democrats, the party affiliation of the seat will remain unchanged regardless of the outcome, maintaining the current balance of power in the House.
The immediate next step is the certification of these runoff results. Once a winner is sworn in, they will hold the seat until the winner of the November general election takes office in January 2027. Jasmine Clark and Jonathan Chavez remain the candidates for that full two-year term. Exact dates for the swearing-in of the runoff winner and the general election results certification were not reported.