David Scott obit

David Scott, longtime Georgia Democrat, dies at 80

 He was not on the list.

Rep. David Scott (Ga.), a groundbreaking Democrat who served in Congress for more than two decades, has passed away, according to members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

First elected in 2002, Scott, 80, rose to prominence in 2021 when he became the first Black lawmaker to serve as chair of the House Agriculture Committee.

He was immediately hailed by members of the CBC, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who characterized Scott as “a trailblazer” on Capitol Hill.

“David Scott was a trailblazer who served the district that he served admirably,” Jeffries told reporters in the Capitol shortly after the news broke.

“[He] rose up from humble beginnings to become the first African American ever to chair the House Ag 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.”

Scott, the founder of a small advertising business in the Atlanta area, served in Georgia’s state House and Senate before arriving in Washington in 2003. He rose through the ranks on the Agricultural Committee, a powerful panel with a broad jurisdiction, before rising to lead the committee in 2021 under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Four years later, however, Scott was pushed out of the top Democratic seat on the committee, replaced by the younger Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.). The shift was widely viewed as part of a larger trend of generational change within the House Democratic Caucus. Yet the larger concern was Scott’s failing health, as evidenced by the fact that virtually all of the other old-guard committee heads kept their seats in that cycle.

Craig on Wednesday quickly issued a statement praising Scott as “a strong voice for Georgia’s farmers, hungry 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 said.

Scott, who used a wheelchair in recent years, was in the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon, when he voted for what would be the last time.