Everton Blair sworn in as Georgia’s first openly gay congressman

Dr. Everton Blair Jr. has been sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Georgia’s 13th Congressional District. His election follows a special election runoff to fill the vacancy left by the late Representative David Scott. Blair secured 53.2 percent of the vote in the August 25 runoff, defeating Marcye Scott.

Blair’s victory is a historic milestone, as he is the first openly gay member of Congress from Georgia and the second Black openly gay man elected to Congress in the United States. He will serve the remainder of the unexpired term through January 2027, though he is not running in the November general election for a full term.

A progressive candidate, Blair has joined the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and serves as a co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. His platform includes support for Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, raising the minimum wage, and universal gun background checks. Previously, Blair served on the Gwinnett County Board of Education.