GA Rep. David Scott Dies After 50 Years Service
- U.S. Rep. David Scott, a longtime Georgia congressman, has died at age 80 after five decades of public service. - Scott represented six metro Atlanta counties, advocating for children, veterans, and economic issues throughout his career. - His death comes ahead of the 2026 primary season, leaving a significant gap in state Democratic leadership. (patch.com)
U.S. Rep. David Scott of Georgia has died at 80 after nearly 50 years in elected office. (ajc.com) Scott, a Democrat from Atlanta, served 28 years in the Georgia House and Senate before winning election to Congress in 2002. He was in his 12th term in the U.S. House. (ajc.com) He represented Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, which includes parts of Clayton, Henry, Rockdale, Newton, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. His district office was in Stockbridge. (davidscott.house.gov ) (davidscott.house.gov) In Congress, Scott became the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, a post that shapes farm programs, nutrition policy and rural lending. He was also identified by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one of the last remaining Blue Dog Democrats, the party’s centrist bloc in the House. (ajc.com) His death lands as House turnover is already running high in the 2026 cycle. The Associated Press reported on March 27 that 58 House members had announced they would not run again, and Scott’s seat now opens unexpectedly in metro Atlanta. (apnews.com) Scott had been under renewed political pressure well before his death. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in August 2025 that multiple Georgia Democrats were preparing challenges as concerns about his age and health grew during his bid for a 13th term. (ajc.com) His official House biography says he first won office in 1974, beginning a public career that stretched from the Georgia General Assembly to Capitol Hill. His congressional office was still posting official statements in late March, including a March 27 release seeking nearly $32 million in community project funding for the district. (davidscott.house.gov 1) (davidscott.house.gov 2) The immediate question is who moves to replace him in a safely Democratic seat that has long anchored Black political power in Atlanta’s southern and eastern suburbs. Scott’s office and the House clerk still listed him as Georgia’s 13th District representative this week. (clerk.house.gov) (davidscott.house.gov)
