Representative David Scott, long-serving Georgia congressman, dead at 80

WASHINGTON (CN) — Georgia Representative David Scott, longtime congressman for the Peach State’s 13th Congressional District, has died at 80, a House database confirmed on Wednesday.

Scott, a 12-term lawmaker who has served in the lower chamber since 2003, is the fourth House Democrat to die in office during this session of Congress. The Georgia congressman had long dismissed concerns about his age and health, opting to run for reelection in November’s midterms.

As of early Wednesday afternoon, Scott’s office had yet to put out a formal statement announcing his death. But an official House “casualty list” that tracks members of Congress who have resigned, retired or died has been updated with the congressman’s name.

Scott, a businessman and former Georgia state lawmaker, in 2021 became the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. After Republicans retook the House in 2022, the congressman served as the panel’s Democratic ranking member.

The long-serving lawmaker, however, faced questions in recent years about his mental acuity and fitness to lead Democrats on the Agriculture Committee. Colleagues reportedly worried about his ability to maintain order during panel hearings and noted that he exhibited memory problems and frequently trailed off while speaking.

But Scott was defiant, telling Politico at the time that his critics were attempting to sabotage his leadership of the House agriculture panel. Nonetheless, Democrats in 2024 removed Scott from the committee helm and replaced him with Minnesota Representative Angie Craig.

The Georgia lawmaker has also clashed with media in recent years. During one instance in 2024, Scott snapped at a press photographer outside the U.S. Capitol as he was being pushed into the building in a wheelchair. The congressman called the photographer an “asshole,” and a staffer later demanded no photos be taken of Scott as he entered the Capitol.

Despite mounting concerns about his health, Scott had long refused to resign from Congress. His reelection bid attracted a raft of Democratic primary challengers, who were set to face off against the incumbent congressman in May.

In a statement Wednesday, Craig said her Agriculture Committee predecessor was a “strong voice” for farmers, veterans and young people. “The House Agriculture Committee will remember him for his strong faith, kindness and dedication to our nation’s farmers and working people,” she added.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a separate statement that he was “deeply saddened” by Scott’s death.

“For more than two decades, David faithfully served the people of Georgia’s 13th Congressional District and spent the majority of his life in service to others,” said the top House Republican.

Scott is the fourth congressional Democrat to die in office during the 119th Congress. Texas Representative Sylvester Turner and Arizona Representative Raul Grijalva both died in March 2025, shortly after the start of the new session. Virginia Representative Gerry Connolly died in May of that year.

Just one Republican lawmaker, California Representative Doug LaMalfa, has died during this Congress.

And the Georgia congressman’s death also comes as members of Congress from both parties have left the chamber in disgrace amid a cascade of ethics scandals. Florida Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress on Tuesday, facing accusations that she stole $5 million in disaster relief funds to finance her campaign.

Last week, both California Representative Eric Swalwell and Texas Representative Tony Gonzales stepped down over claims of sexual assault and harassment. Swalwell has been accused of sexually assaulting a former staffer — charges he denies. Gonzales, meanwhile, has admitted to soliciting explicit photographs from one of his own former employees.

Florida Representative Cory Mills, a Republican, is also facing a potential expulsion resolution over his own sexual misconduct scandal. Mills, however, has resisted calls to resign.

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