Democrat Marcye Scott, daughter of late U.S. Congressman David Scott, celebrates advancing to a runoff in her bid to fill her father’s seat on July 28, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
ATLANTA - Democrat Marcye Scott advanced in Tuesday’s special election to fill the U.S. House seat representing Georgia's 13th Congressional District.
Georgia special election
What we know:
Democrat Marcye Scott secured a spot in an Aug. 25 runoff after taking the lead in a six-candidate field during Tuesday's special election. The election fills the vacant seat left by her father, the late U.S. Rep. David Scott, who died in April at age 80. Speaking to supporters, Marcye Scott expressed excitement about her team's strong showing despite building a campaign in a short timeframe.
"Our message is continuing the term for Congressman Scott, continuing his job, making sure that this $40 million gets back to the district and make sure that these projects get completed," Marcye Scott said. She added that she will hit the ground running with campaign operations starting Wednesday.
Atlanta area runoff
What we don't know:
Election officials have not certified the final vote counts, and it remains unconfirmed if any single candidate reached the outright majority threshold required to avoid an Aug. 25 runoff. Former Gwinnett County School Board Chair Everton Blair, Democrats Tony Brown and Carlos Moore, and Republicans Caesar Gonzales and Fayth Park also appeared on Tuesday's ballot.
The contest directly impacts the balance of power in the U.S. House, where Republicans hold a slim majority. The winner of the special election will serve out the remaining months of the current term ending in January 2027.
District election background
The backstory:
The 13th Congressional District covers areas east and southeast of Atlanta, spanning portions of Clayton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton and Rockdale counties. Gwinnett County accounts for roughly 46% of the district's electorate. State Rep. Jasmine Clark previously won the May primary for the full term starting in January 2027 and will face Republican Jonathan Chavez in November.
The late congressman won his 2024 reelection bid with 72% of the vote. That same night, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris received 71% of the vote in the district, while Republican Donald Trump received 28%.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from an Associated Press report on the election results, a campaign speech transcript from Marcye Scott's watch party.