Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., who was seeing re-election for a 13th term in the House, has died at 80.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries shared the news Wednesday, calling Scott a “trailblazer,” who “rose up from humble beginnings to become the first African American ever to chair the House [Agriculture] Committee.”
Who was David Scott?
Scott was elected to Congress in 2002, representing a district outside of Atlanta.
The Atlanta Mayor shared a statement Wednesday after hearing news of Scott’s passing, saying Scott “fought for Georgia farmers, advocated for our veterans and ensured his constituents were supported at the street level with job and health fairs, serving tens of thousands of Georgians over the years.”
Scott served as chair of the House Agriculture Committee until 2024, when he was replaced by another Democrat, as the party sought to bring in younger leadership.
He recently faced questions about his health, with Politico reporting that people close to Scott noticed he’d been slowing down.
A look at Congress now
At 80, Scott was among the oldest lawmakers in Congress, which is currently the third-oldest in U.S. history. That fact has renewed debates over whether there should be age limits, or even term limits, for U.S. lawmakers.
With Scott’s passing, Georgia’s governor must declare a special election within 10 days, and it must be held within 30 days after the declaration.
His passing also brings the House party breakdown to 217 Republicans, 212 Democrats and one Independent.