Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., has died at the age of 80, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Wednesday.
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“Congressman Scott’s passing is deeply sad,” Jeffries told reporters. “David Scott was a trailblazer who served the district that he represented admirably, rose up from humble beginnings to become the first African American ever to chair the House [Agriculture] Committee. He cared about the people that he represented. He was fiercely committed to getting things done for the people of the great state of Georgia, and he’ll be deeply missed.”
NBC News reached out to Scott’s office for comment.
Scott was first elected to Congress, representing a district near Atlanta, in 2002. He was running for re-election for a 13th term in the House. Earlier this month, NBC News reported that Scott was outraised in fundraising by four of his primary opponents in the first quarter.
Scott voted on the floor as recently as Tuesday afternoon, according to the clerk’s records.
The first Black chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, he was replaced as the committee’s top Democrat by Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., in 2024 as the party looked to bring in younger committee leadership.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens mourned Scott’s death in a statement, calling the congressman “a tireless advocate for the people he served.”
“For decades, he 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,” Dickens said in the statement. “His legacy is one of service, perseverance and deep commitment to this state.”
Scott had in recent years faced questions about his health. In 2022, Politico reported that people close to Scott felt he slowed noticeably in recent years. Two years later, he lashed out at a photographer taking a photo of him being pushed in a wheelchair, yelling, “Who gave you the right to take my picture, asshole?”
This Congress is the third-oldest in U.S. history, according to an NBC News tally. As of January, more than a dozen House lawmakers age 80 and older were running for re-election, including Scott.
Scott’s death also follows several other lawmakers who have died in recent years. Last year, Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas; Rep. RaĂşl Grijalva, D-Ariz.; and Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., died last year. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., died earlier this year as well.
His death brings the party breakdown in the House to 217 Republicans, 212 Democrats and one independent — Rep. Kevin Kiley, who caucuses with Republicans.
Under Georgia election law, the governor must declare a special election within 10 days of a vacancy, and the special election must be at least 30 days after that declaration.
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