The special election to fill the remainder of the late Rep. David Scott’s (D-Ga.) term in the U.S. House of Representatives is headed to a runoff, according to Decision Desk HQ.

None of the five candidates vying for the vacant seat in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District received more than 50 percent of the vote. The top two finishers, Scott’s daughter Marcye Scott and Gwinnett County School Board chair Everton Blair II, will face off in a runoff election scheduled for next month.

Marcye Scott garnered 48.01 percent of the vote, while Blair received 35.59 percent. Both Scott and Blair previously ran in the primary for a full term. They were among three Democrats on the ballot, including former judge Carlos Moore. Two Republicans, Caesar Gonzales and Fayth Park, also ran. A fourth Democrat, Tony Brown, appeared on the ballot but was disqualified.

David Scott, who served in Congress for over two decades and was the first Black chair of the House Agriculture Committee, passed away in April, creating the vacancy. Marcye Scott told The Atlanta Journal Constitution that she had been considering a political bid before her father’s passing and viewed the special election as a way to continue his legacy.

If Marcye Scott wins, it would not be the first instance of a family member succeeding a lawmaker after their death. Recently, Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) passed away, and his sibling was sworn in to replace him, marking the first time a sibling has taken over a Senate seat under such circumstances.

Sources