Everton Blair, the former Gwinnett County School Board chairman, has won the special election to complete the late Rep. David Scott’s term in Georgia’s 13th District, NBC News projects, defeating the congressman’s daughter in a runoff. The victory is an upset, as Blair trailed Marcye Scott by eight points in the first round of voting last month.
The two candidates advanced from a crowded all-party special primary in July after no one secured a majority. In Tuesday’s runoff, Blair led 53% to 47% with most of the expected vote tallied.
Blair’s platform included a series of progressive policies, such as a tax on households making over $50 million, “Medicare for All,” universal childcare, and massive federal investments in clean energy synonymous with the Green New Deal push.
Marcye Scott tried to frame her campaign as an extension of her father’s legacy, saying she would “ensure the work already underway” advocating for the district continues. David Scott died on April 22 at age 80, after more than two decades in Congress. He was previously the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.
Blair’s stay in Washington won’t be long. State Rep. Jasmine Clark, who didn’t run in the special election, won the regularly scheduled primary for the seat and is the heavy favorite to win the November election in this deep-blue district in the Atlanta suburbs. Blair also ran in that primary but lost to Clark.
Marcye Scott had hoped to become the second daughter in recent memory to succeed her late father in Congress. Last year, Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva won a special election for the seat that had been held by her father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva. She is running again this fall for a full two-year term.
Once Blair and Democrat Aisha Wahab, who won a special election last week to replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell in California, are sworn in, the Republican House majority will stand at 218-214, with one independent and two vacancies.
