Two Democrats, Marcye Scott and Everton Blair, advanced to a runoff Tuesday in the special election to fill the final months of the late Rep. David Scott’s seat in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, NBC News projected.
Top two fall short of majority; runoff ordered
The special primary was an all-party contest with five candidates. With roughly 80 percent of the expected vote counted, Marcye Scott led with about 47% of the vote while Everton Blair had about 37%. Because no candidate cleared the 50 percent threshold, state rules require a runoff between the top two vote-getters to determine who will serve out the remainder of David Scott’s term.
David Scott, a Democrat who represented the solidly blue 13th District for two decades, died on April 22. His passing triggered the special election to decide who will occupy the seat for the rest of 2026. Scott won his last full term in 2024 with approximately 72% of the vote in the district.
Who ran and what the results looked like
The five-candidate field included three Democrats and two Republicans. Alongside Marcye Scott and Everton Blair were Democrat Carlos Moore and Republicans Caesar Gonzales and Fayth Park. Voters in the 13th District had previously taken part in a separate contest to choose the representative for the next full congressional term beginning in January; state legislator Jasmine Clark won that Democratic primary earlier this year.
The district encompasses counties across metro Atlanta and the southern suburbs. Historically, the seat has been safely Democratic, reflected in David Scott’s long tenure and the margin he carried in 2024.
| Candidate | Party | Approx. Vote Share |
|---|---|---|
| Marcye Scott | Democrat | 47% (approx.) |
| Everton Blair | Democrat | 37% (approx.) |
| Carlos Moore | Democrat | — |
| Caesar Gonzales | Republican | — |
| Fayth Park | Republican | — |
What’s next for the district
Because the contest was to fill the remainder of the late congressman’s term, the winner of the runoff will serve only through the end of 2026. Meanwhile, the winner of the separate primary for the full term starting in January, Jasmine Clark, will assume the office for the next full term. That means voters in the 13th District could see two different Democrats serve back-to-back, one to close out the current term and another to begin the next full term.
Runoffs typically draw lower turnout than initial elections, and candidates often concentrate on mobilizing core supporters and turning out voters who participated in the first round. In a district that has leaned heavily Democratic, the runoff will be watched for what it suggests about local organizing and intra-party dynamics ahead of the new term.
Local implications and context
Marcye Scott brings a direct personal link to the seat as the daughter of the late representative; Everton Blair, a former school board chair in Gwinnett County, ran on his local government experience. Both candidates will now pivot to a head-to-head campaign aimed at persuading the roughly 16 percent of voters who backed other candidates in the special primary and at sustaining turnout among their existing supporters.
- Runoff trigger: No candidate reached a majority (50%+).
- Leading shares: Marcye Scott ~47%, Everton Blair ~37%.
- Seat context: The contest fills the remainder of David Scott’s 2026 term.
The outcome will determine who represents parts of metro Atlanta and the southern suburbs in Washington for the remainder of this congressional term. As the two Democrats prepare for a runoff, voters will see a compressed campaign focused on turnout and consolidation of support.
Reporting for this article used projections from NBC News and official candidate lists for the special election in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District.
