Georgia Democratic Rep. David Scott died at the age of 80 on Tuesday night, shortly after filing paperwork to seek a 13th term in office.
The Democratic representative, who served in the Georgia General Assembly before becoming a House member, unexpectedly died after 50 years in elected office and became the fifth incumbent lawmaker in the lower chamber to die in the past 13 months, according to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution (AJC) and other outlets. His death was confirmed by his office to the AJC on Wednesday.
“It is with deep sorrow that we share the unexpected passing of Congressman David Scott,” a post shared on X from his official account read in part, adding that more information would be shared within the next few days.
Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle expressed their grief for the lawmaker’s passing.
“Congressman Scott’s passing is deeply sad,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters, according to NBC News. “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.”
Democratic colleagues, Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer and New York Rep. Grace Meng, also sent their condolences.
“We are all deeply saddened by the news of Rep. David Scott’s passing,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X, “We are lifting up David’s wife Alfredia, his two daughters, and his grandchildren in prayer as they mourn.”
Scott was facing a strong primary field for Georgia’s 13th congressional district, including challenges from State Rep. Jasmine Clarke and State Sen. Emmanuel Jones, according to GPB.
The primary challenges followed concerns about his health and voting record, CBS News reported in November 2025. Voters had also expressed their discomfort about his age and whether they represented his ideals in Congress, the outlet reported at the time.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the seat will remain vacant until the next session of Congress or if a special election would be held.
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