US Rep. David Scott of Georgia dies at 80 amid campaign for re-election

Scott’s age and reports of health issues had overshadowed his political career in recent years.

U.S. Rep. David Scott, who represents Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, is dead at the age of 80, CBS News reports. Scott’s death came as he was running a campaign for re-election in Georgia’s primary election on May 19. Scott has served in the United States Congress since 2003.

While serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Scott was the first Black chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture and later its ranking member. However, amid growing concerns about his ailing health and missing votes, Scott was removed from the high post.

David Scott, born in 1945 in Aynor, South Carolina, began his political career in 1974 when he successfully ran for the Georgia House of Representatives. He served in the House for more than a decade before he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. In 2003, Scott was elected to represent Georgia’s newly created 13th District.

Scott was a graduate of Florida A&M University and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first and oldest historically Black fraternity in the country. Prior to entering politics, Scott founded and ran a family-owned advertising business.

Scott’s age and reports of health issues had overshadowed his political career in recent years. His health had declined to the point that he was wheelchair bound. Despite calls to step down and challenges from a half dozen people in a Democratic primary, including Everton Blair Jr., former Gwinnett County Board of Education chairman, Georgia State Rep. Jasmine Clark, and “Married to Medicine” star Dr. Heavenly Kimes, Scott campaigned for re-election.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Congressman David Scott. For more than two decades, he answered the call to serve the people of Georgia’s 13th Congressional District with dedication and conviction, and his legacy of public service spans a lifetime of leadership — from the Georgia General Assembly to the halls of the United States Congress,” said Blair, a progressive candidate who graduated from Harvard College and Stanford University.

He continued, “My prayers are with Mrs. Alfredia Aaron Scott, the entire Scott family, and all of Congressman Scott’s loved ones as they mourn this loss. My thoughts are also with his dedicated staff and every resident of the 13th District who called him their Congressman. A community grieves today, and we grieve alongside it.”

In light of Scott’s death, Governor Brian Kemp will likely call a special election to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term. That process will likely be complicated by the upcoming primary race and the November general election to determine who will serve Georgia’s 13th District for the 2027-2029 term.