The office of Georgia Rep. David Scott (D-13) announced on Wednesday that the 12-term congressman has died at the age of 80. Rep. Scott was seeking a 13th term in November. Scott’s cause of death was not immediately known.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8) released a statement, according to the NY Post story linked above, saying, “The news of Congressman Scott’s passing is deeply sad.” It continued:
“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.”
While presiding in the House, Rep. @virginiafoxx (R-NC) announces the death of Rep. David Scott (D-GA) and that the whole number of the House is now 430. pic.twitter.com/au7QDcY5i3
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 22, 2026
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Originally from South Carolina, Scott represented the 13th congressional district in Georgia. The district is a majority-black district that covers Atlanta’s southeastern suburbs and neighboring areas. Despite representing a largely urban district, Scott served as the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee and was outspoken within his party about farm and food aid policies. He was also a member of the Blue Dog Caucus. He was a former advertising executive, and was first elected to Congress in 2002.
But as seems to be a trend with aging lawmakers, questions about Scott’s health and mental acuity began to surface. After being reelected in 2024, he missed votes due to treatment for back problems, and in February, it was reported that Scott would often read from a script during meetings and seemed to have trouble having normal conversations about agriculture and food policies. One of Scott’s fellow Democrats said, “David Scott is Exhibit A for term limits. He was a respected, talented member who has become diminished. And it’s painful for people to watch.”
David Scott voted last night on the House floor. https://t.co/5lTLRjkcNW
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) April 22, 2026
The problem of Washington, D.C., becoming a glorified old folks’ home has brought the issue of Members of both parties of the House and Senate not knowing when to call it quits and pass the baton on to the next generation. One of the more outrageous incidents of this was the story of Texas Rep. Kay Granger. Granger last voted in July of 2024, then was not seen in Congress for six months. A local newspaper ultimately found Granger, who was a resident of a memory care/assisted living facility. But despite stories like these, several members of Congress of both parties who are well over 80 are running for reelection in 2026.
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Besides Scott, California Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-1) passed away in January of this year, Texas Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-18) in March of 2025, Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-7), also in March of 2025, and Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) in May of 2025.
Currently, the balance of power in the House stands at 217 Republicans and 212 Democrats, and one independent who is aligned with Republicans for a total of five vacancies.
We are all deeply saddened by the news of Rep. David Scott’s passing. 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. We are lifting up David’s wife Alfredia, his two…
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) April 22, 2026
We are all deeply saddened by the news of Rep. David Scott’s passing. 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. We are lifting up David’s wife Alfredia, his two daughters, and his grandchildren in prayer as they mourn.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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