Rep. David Scott, Georgia Democrat, dies at 80

David Scott, a Georgia Democrat and the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, died on Wednesday at age 80, the Associated Press reported April 22, citing remarks made at the start of the Congressional Black Caucus’ weekly luncheon on Capitol Hill. The House flag practice followed the news: the White House lowered its flags to half-staff after Scott’s death.

Scott had been seeking what would have been his 13th term in Congress while facing challenges from within his party. In recent years, Democrats and others pointed to his health as a factor in internal Democratic concerns, including criticism tied to his declining health and his absence from parts of the campaign trail in 2024 and 2026.

On Capitol Hill, Jeffries said the news was “deeply sad” and praised Scott as “a trailblazer” who represented his district “admirably.” Jeffries also said Scott “rose up from humble beginnings” and became the first African American to chair the House Agriculture Committee, adding that Scott “cared about the people that he represented” and was “fiercely committed to getting things done” in Georgia.

The Associated Press reported that the Congressional Black Caucus’ chair, Rep. Yvette Clarke, told members at the luncheon that Scott had died. The death came as Democrats on Capitol Hill reflected on Scott’s long service, and as Scott’s party faced continued political pressure in a midterm election year.

Scott’s death also widened Republicans’ narrow House margin going into the thick of the election season. The GOP began the current Congress with a 220-215 advantage, and the AP reported that the margin has fluctuated since then. The report also said Scott was the fourth House Democrat to die in office during this Congress.

Election and vacancy logistics are expected to follow standard House scheduling. The AP reported that state officials will have to schedule a special election to fill out the rest of Scott’s term, which could overlap with elections to choose a representative for the next two-year term. The Associated Press also reported that early in-person voting starts Monday for May 19 party primaries for the next full term.

The AP described Scott, whose full name was David Albert Scott, as a pioneering Black lawmaker who was born June 27, 1945, in rural Aynor, South Carolina, in the Jim Crow segregation era. It said he spent part of his childhood in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and had stints in New York and Florida, later graduating from Florida A&M University and earning an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1969.

After settling in Atlanta, Scott opened an advertising business and entered politics as a staffer on Andrew Young’s 1972 congressional campaign. The AP reported that Young, a future Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador, and baseball legend Henry “Hank” Aaron, described as Scott’s wife’s brother, helped launch Scott into Congress in 2002, according to Democratic state Sen. Emanuel Jones. The report also said Jones was opposing Scott in the May 19 primary at the time, while calling Scott “a good friend.”

In Congress, Scott built a long record in areas that included agriculture, historically Black schools, and foreign policy. The AP said he secured $80 million for historically Black land-grant schools as part of the 2018 Farm Bill, with funds steered to agriculture-related scholarships at 19 campuses, and that he helped author housing and mortgage aid measures while pushing for better health care and benefits for veterans and their families. The AP also said Scott advocated for NATO and post-World War II American alliances.

In 2024, fellow Democrats removed Scott from a leadership role on the Agriculture Committee ranking minority member, the AP reported, citing concerns about his age and health. The Associated Press said Scott is survived by his wife, Alfredia Scott, their two adult daughters, and grandchildren.

The AP report also included recent comments attributed to Scott and his wife, Alfredia Scott, on his health and plans around retirement. In 2024, the AP reported that Scott said, “Thank God I’m in good health, moving and doing the people’s work,” and that Alfredia Scott said, “When the congressman decides to leave, he won’t be pushed out,” adding, “He will bow out.”