Everton Blair Wins District 13 Race, Makes LGBT+ History: He Becomes The First Openly Gay Black Man To Represent Georgia, The South In Congress

Former Gwinnett County School Board Chairman Everton Blair Jr. has won a special election runoff for Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, securing a historic victory as the first openly gay Black man elected to Congress from the American South.

This isn’t the first time Blair made history: When he was elected in 2018, he became the first Black American to sit on Gwinnett’s school board. He was also the youngest: Blair was 26 years old at the time of his election.

Three years later, the Gwinnett school board unanimously voted him in as chairman for the year during their meeting on January 21, 2021.

In the district 13 race, Blair defeated opponent Marcye Scott—the daughter of the late Representative David Scott, whose passing created the vacancy—to claim the seat for the remainder of the current term ending in January 2027.

Blair’s victory marks a significant shift in the political landscape of the region. While several openly LGBTQ+ individuals have served in Congress from other parts of the United States, Blair becomes the first openly gay Black person to represent Georgia, and the first openly gay Black man from any Southern state.

However, Blair’s time in the seat will be brief, as he placed third in the race for the full two-year term. State Representative Jasmine Clark has already secured the Democratic nomination for the November general election, which will determine who holds the seat starting in 2027.