Veteran Democratic U.S. Congressman David Scott, who represented Georgia’s 13th Congressional District for over 20 years, has passed away at the age of 80, just one day after he cast his last vote on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. At the time of his death, Scott was actively campaigning for a 13th consecutive term in the Democratic primary election scheduled for next month, having repeatedly rejected calls to step down amid growing public questions about his declining health. No official cause of death has been announced by his office or family as of Wednesday.
Born in rural South Carolina in 1945, Scott built a long legacy of public service that culminated in a groundbreaking milestone in 2020, when he became the first Black lawmaker to chair the powerful House Agriculture Committee. He remained steadfast in his commitment to serving his constituents even amid health speculation, telling reporters in 2024 that he was “in good health, moving and doing the people’s work” and had no plans to retire. His final act in Congress came on Tuesday, when he voted in favor of a bipartisan bill advancing new hydropower infrastructure projects across the U.S.
Scott’s passing marks the fifth time a sitting member of Congress has died in office since last year, a string of vacancies that has upended the already fragile balance of power in the lower chamber. Before Scott’s death, Republicans held a razor-thin 218-213 majority in the House, with one independent legislator caucusing with the GOP. Following the vacancy created by Scott’s death, the new breakdown stands at 217 Republicans, 212 Democrats and one Republican-aligned independent, giving Republicans an even narrower working advantage as they fight to defend their slim majority in November’s upcoming midterm elections.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democratic leader in the chamber, released a formal statement honoring Scott’s legacy on Wednesday. “David Scott was a trailblazer who served a district that he represented admirably, rose up from humble beginnings to become the first African American ever to chair the House Ag Committee,” Jeffries said. “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.”
The four other sitting House members who have died since last year include three fellow Democrats: Sylvester Turner of Texas, Raúl Grijalva of Arizona and Gerry Connolly of Virginia. Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa of California also passed away earlier in 2025.
Under Georgia state election law, Governor Brian Kemp is required to formally declare a special election to fill Scott’s vacant seat within 10 days of the vacancy. The special election must be held no fewer than 30 days after the governor’s declaration, setting up an early contest that could further reshape the House’s partisan balance ahead of November’s general election.