The special election to fill the remainder of late Georgia Rep. David Scott’s term has been set for July 28.
Scott, 80, died late last month, and no official cause of death has been disclosed. The Georgia Democrat had suffered from poor health in recent years.
Representing Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, Scott was running for reelection to a 13th term at the time of his death. Scott was first elected to the House in 2002 to represent the 13th District, which includes parts of Atlanta and its suburbs. Overall, between Congress and stints in the Georgia legislature, Scott spent more than 50 years in elective office.
Scott’s daughter, Marcye Scott, has announced she will run in the special election.
“He would have it no other way,” Marcye Scott said Saturday during a funeral for her father. “That would be what I definitely want to do, to make sure that his voters, his constituents, do not miss out on what he was offering.”
Georgia’s 13th District is safely Democratic, with former Vice President Kamala Harris carrying the district by 43 percentage points over President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) announced the special election on Friday, with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R-GA) announcing Tuesday that candidates must file to qualify for the special election May 11 to 13. The qualifying fee is $5,220.
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Scott’s term was set to end in January 2027. The race to succeed him for the next term is in full swing, with primary elections set for May 19 and the general election in November. Six Democrats are vying for the party nomination to face off against Republican Jonathan James Chavez.
David Scott’s name will appear on Georgia primary ballots, as they were printed before his death; however, votes for him will not be counted, according to Kemp.