Everton Blair, the former chair of the Gwinnett County School Board, won Georgia’s 13th Congressional District special election runoff on August 25, 2026, defeating Marcye Scott, daughter of the late Rep. David Scott, with 53 percent of the vote to Scott’s 47 percent. Blair’s victory is a historic upset—he trailed Scott by 8 percentage points in the first round of voting on July 28, when Scott received 46 percent and Blair finished second with 37 percent.
The special election was called after Rep. David Scott, a Democrat who served 23 years in Congress and chaired the House Agriculture Committee, died on April 22, 2026, at age 80. Scott had represented Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, which includes parts of metro Atlanta, since 2003.
Scott’s death in April was unexpected, occurring just hours after he cast votes on the House floor. He had been seeking his 13th term in Congress and was known as a moderate Democrat representing Atlanta’s southern suburbs.
No candidate in the July 28 primary secured a majority of the vote, triggering the runoff scheduled for August 25. The race drew low voter turnout, with about 20,000 of the district’s roughly 539,000 active voters casting ballots.
Blair, 34, is an educator with a master’s degree in policy, organization, and leadership from Harvard University and a doctorate in education leadership from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. He previously taught high school and worked in the nonprofit sector before his election to the Gwinnett County School Board beginning in 2018.
Blair made history as the first Black member of the Gwinnett County School Board and its youngest member by 30 years. His victory in the congressional runoff makes him the first openly gay Black man elected to Congress, marking a historic milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in the chamber.
The outcome represents a significant shift in the district’s political trajectory, as Blair’s comeback from a first-round deficit defied initial expectations favoring Scott, who had sought to continue her father’s legacy. Blair will be sworn in early next week and will serve the remainder of David Scott’s term, which runs through the end of 2026.
A full general election will be held in November 2026 for the seat, in which Blair is expected to face a Republican challenger. His brief time in Congress will set the stage for what many observers expect to be a competitive race to represent the district for a full two-year term.
Sources
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Blair’s victory margin, voter turnout, background information, and future election plans
- NBC News — First-round results and comeback margin in the runoff
- Roll Call — Blair’s historic status as first openly gay Black man elected to Congress
- New York Times — Election results and runoff details
- USA Today — Blair’s victory and district composition
- Ballotpedia — Election results and candidate background information
- PBS NewsHour — Election coverage and candidate information
