Polls have closed in Georgia as voters determined who will succeed the late Rep. David Scott, who died in April at age 80 after serving 12 terms in Congress.
Scott represented Georgia's 13th Congressional District, a heavily Democratic seat encompassing southern and eastern Atlanta suburbs including Stockbridge, Conyers and Snellville. The special election will determine who finishes out Scott's remaining term since the general election ballot was already decided earlier this year.
The late congressman was notably related by marriage to baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, the legendary Braves slugger who died in 2021.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive Democrats have pointed to the succession contest as part of a broader generational shift within the party. Everton Blair, who launched a primary challenge against Scott before his death, argued for new leadership in the district.
"Change can't wait, and Democrats need a new bench of leaders who are committed to solving real problems for working people," Blair said in a previous press release.
Blair had previously told Fox News Digital that frustration with Scott's responses at a Gwinnett County town hall led him to explore his bid. According to Semafor, when Blair pressed Scott on congressional strategy and federal funds, Scott became agitated: "I don't know who sent y'all, but we got these folks here who are providing answers. And I'm doing this. That's what I'm doing."
Scott's daughter has also entered the race, saying she wants to continue her late father's legacy. "That is my thing, is to finish out his year strongly, make sure this money gets down to the district, and just make sure the 13th district is taken care of, constituency-wise," she told the Georgia Recorder.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans have largely acknowledged the seat will remain in Democratic hands. The party has not invested significant resources in the contest, focusing instead on competitive races elsewhere.
The dynamics stand in contrast to Tuesday's South Dakota gubernatorial runoff between incumbent Gov. Larry Rhoden and bitcoin investor Toby Doeden, where Republicans are actively competing for an open seat in a safely red state.
National Republican strategists have noted that while they do not expect to flip Scott's district, the succession race provides an opportunity to gauge Democratic Party unity heading into November elections when the full congressional seat will be on the ballot.
What the Numbers Show
Georgia's 13th Congressional District has voted Democratic in every presidential election since at least 2000. The district's voter registration heavily favors Democrats.
Scott won re-election in 2024 with approximately 73 percent of the vote, according to official returns. He had faced increasing frustration from the party's progressive wing in recent terms.
The late congressman made headlines in late 2025 when he shouted expletives at a Politico photographer as he was wheeled through the Capitol by staff: "Who gave you the right to take my picture, a--hole," Scott told photographer Francis Chung.
Scott's death at age 80 created one of several vacancies in Congress this year, contributing to what analysts have called a wave of generational change among Democratic lawmakers.
The Bottom Line
The winner of Tuesday's special election will serve only until January, when the next Congress is seated. The November general election will determine who serves the full two-year term starting then.
Both Blair and Scott's daughter represent competing visions for the district's future direction. Democrats are expected to hold the seat by a wide margin in November regardless of Tuesday's outcome.
The race marks another chapter in the succession politics following Scott's decades-long tenure representing the Atlanta suburbs.