The political torch in the South is not passed easily; often, it must be taken. Dr. Everton Blair, an educator and policy expert, is attempting to do just that in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District.
For over two decades, the seat has been held by Congressman David Scott, a fixture of the old guard. But as the district transforms, shifting from “Ruby Red Republican” suburbs to one of the most diverse and economically complex regions in the Southeast, the demand for a new type of leadership has reached a fever pitch.
Blair is not merely running against an incumbent; he is running to answer a generational question about who gets to hold power when the rules of the game have changed. “The moment has shifted,” Blair told The Quintessential Gentleman in an exclusive interview. “In this district, not only has the situation changed, the community itself has literally changed… We need new leaders with new ideas who can play by the new rules and honestly anticipate tomorrow’s rules.”
To dismiss Blair as simply a “young challenger” would be a mistake. His resume reads like a blueprint for statesmanship: a Harvard and Stanford graduate, a former Obama administration policy fellow, additionally, the first person of color and and youngest-ever elected to the Gwinnett County Board of Education, and later serving as Board Chair during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During his tenure on the school board, he navigated a partisan divide, often as the lone Democrat, to establish an equity department and raise teacher salaries. It is this track record of operational success that he plans to bring to Washington.
While the national conversation often floats at the altitude of stock markets and GDP, Blair’s campaign is grounded in the kitchen-table realities of working families. He argues that the current leadership has become too cozy with corporate interests, leaving constituents behind.
“The economy, touted for the stock market being at an all time high, doesn’t feel like that when you’re working your one job and your check is not enough to cover all your basic needs,” Blair explained.
He points to the “sprawling neighborhoods” of the 13th District, where private corporations are buying up single-family homes, turning the American dream of ownership into a rental trap.
His vision for change is specific: increase the earned income tax credit, raise the minimum wage, and use the congressional office as a “convener” to connect constituents with capital and re-skilling opportunities daily, not just at an annual job fair.
If elected, Blair would make history as the first millennial, first openly gay member of Congress from Georgia and the only son of immigrants in the state’s delegation. For Blair, this isn’t just about identity politics; it’s about strategic efficacy.
Dr. Blair discusses the economic pressure on Black men, the changing demographics of the suburbs, and why he believes he is the “fighter” the district needs now.
The Quintessential Gentleman: You are running for Congress in Georgia’s 13th District. I know it’s immensely tough. I’m glad that you’re doing it, but the question always has to be: Why?
Dr. Everton Blair: So many people have come to me and asked, why would you want to be a place as broken as Congress is right now? And honestly, that’s a part of the reason why I think we need good people in it. I see this as a moment where so many of us have been looking towards our leadership to respond stronger and better in this moment, and we have been disappointed or discouraged by what’s happening.
And that compels me even more to be the person that can actually shine a light onto the situation, bring some solutions and fresh perspective to something that we know is important, right? Our federal government needs new leadership and new fighters.
QG: Before all of the political side, what were you doing? What were the things you were working towards?
Dr. Blair: I have been in and around public education for my entire life. I was either physically in a school learning or I was in a school teaching. And even after that, I was in a school district developing the leaders and the folks that were doing the teaching and the learning. That’s why I ran for school board, because I saw how important education was in shaping our communities.
And so for me, public service was always about how you increase somebody’s opportunity. And oftentimes that happens through education. I taught 12th-grade math as a 21-year-old coming back to Atlanta after graduating from Harvard, and I realized very quickly how many barriers were in front of my students who had so much potential. They were so smart and so capable, but it was just the cost of college was insurmountable. They lacked access, not potential. That’s who I’m fighting for.
QG: You’re coming up against the incumbent, Mr. David Scott. Can you talk a little bit about what you feel that this previous generation of politicians are missing?
Dr. Blair: Well, in this district, not only has the situation changed, the community itself has literally changed. 24 years ago, when David Scott was first elected, many of these counties were like Ruby Red Republican, mostly white suburbs. And it’s only in the last 10 years that many of them have diversified to the extent of now, flipping seats. David Scott hasn’t represented these new communities before.
But above all of that, we just need somebody who can do the job, and he is no longer able to perform the duties of the office. His staff is doing everything, not him. And that is a huge missed opportunity for real leadership and consistent presence that could be lifting up issues in our community and bringing people together. And our challenges today look very different than it did in 1974 when David Scott was first elected. We have got to proactively realize when it is time to create space for the next generation lead, and that time is now.
QG: When you’re speaking to Black men, what are some of the issues that they are currently speaking about?
Dr. Blair: Honestly, it is so hard to pay the bills right now. When I talk to Black men, it is a conversation that is very similar to when I talk to other folks: an inability to get ahead.
And the economy, touted for the stock market being at an all-time high, doesn’t feel like that when you’re working your one job and your check is not enough to cover all your basic needs when you get home, or it feels like you need three salaries instead of one to support your family.
QG: If you are elected, you will be the first, Georgia’s first, openly gay member of Congress. How do you hold onto that history without it making you fit into a box?
Dr. Blair: I would also be the only person in the Georgia delegation who’s the son of immigrants, the first millennial, and is a lifelong resident who was born and raised in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District. More importantly, there are many social and economical issues that are impacting multiple people, identities, and many communities. Also, we need to have a leader in Washington who can really be unabashed in addressing and confronting them head-on.
In practice, I think it matters when you have somebody of that community who’s in a leadership position, because it is a lot harder to pass anti-LGBTQ or anti-immigrant laws when you have to look me in the eye as your colleague, and you have to try to explain why you’re going to discriminate openly against me.
QG: Why should they vote for you, Dr. Everton?
Dr. Blair: I should be your next member of Congress in the 13th congressional district because we need a fighter who can meet this moment and address the challenges that we’re facing today with solutions for the future. We have leaders who have served past their prime, and we have to change leadership if we want to change course. The frustration that we are all experiencing will not get better if we continue to do the same thing and expect different results. So let’s try something different.
Photo Credit: Everton Blair for Congress
