Georgia Democratic Congressman Dies

April 22, 2026 5:48 pm

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s Democratic congressman David Scott has died at age 80. Scott was the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and was seeking his 13th term in Congress despite challenges from within his party. Scott was the Democrats’ ranking member on the Agriculture Committee, despite most recently representing a metro Atlanta district. The congressman was once a leading voice for Democrats on farm aid policy and food aid for consumers and a prominent Black member of the moderate Blue Dog caucus. But Scott faced criticism and concerns in recent years because of declining health. Scott was born in South Carolina and graduated from Florida A&M University and the University of Pennsylvania.