Full Breakdown
Georgia’s 13th District Special Election Runoff: Candidates, Results and Congressional Impact
8/25/2026, 4:19:10 AM
Election Overview
On July 28, a special election runoff was held in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District to fill the seat left vacant after the death of Rep. David Scott on April 22. The contest featured two Democrats—Everton Blair, former Gwinnett County School Board chair, and Marcye Scott, daughter of the late congressman. The Associated Press reported that Scott captured roughly 46 % of the vote while Blair earned about 38 %, eliminating the Republican challenger from the race and setting the stage for a Democratic winner to serve the remainder of Scott’s term.
Candidate Performance by County
Blair’s strongest showing came in his home base of Gwinnett County, where he secured 56 % of the local vote. In contrast, Scott carried the district’s other five counties, posting her highest totals in DeKalb, Clayton and Henry. Gwinnett County accounts for about 46 % of the district’s electorate, according to the PBS coverage, making Blair’s county-level advantage a notable factor despite his overall deficit.
Turnout and Voting Mechanics
The district contains roughly 585,000 registered voters. Only 20,510 ballots were cast in the July 28 special election, reflecting the typically lower participation in runoff contests. Early-in-person and mail voting comprised about 47 % of the total, with the bulk of those early ballots originating from Gwinnett County, followed by Clayton and Rockdale. The Associated Press began reporting results at 7:05 p.m. ET, five minutes after polls closed, and had 99.9 % of votes tallied by 10:05 p.m. ET.
Implications for the U.S. House
Because the seat was previously held by a Democrat, the runoff’s outcome will not alter the narrow Republican majority in the House. However, the victory of either candidate will extend Democratic representation in a district that voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates in recent elections—David Scott won re-election with about 72 % of the vote, and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris received roughly 71 % of the district’s presidential vote.
Procedural Next Steps
Georgia law does not mandate an automatic recount, but a losing candidate may request one if the margin is 0.5 % or less of the total vote. The Associated Press indicated it will declare a winner only when no plausible scenario remains for the trailing candidate to close the gap. The winner will serve until the term ends on Jan. 3, 2027, with the next full-term election slated for the 2026 midterms, roughly 70 days after the runoff.
