Georgia Rep. David Scott dies at 80

BREAKING NEWSUpdated a minute agoCongressCongressRep. David Scott, a Georgia Democrat, dies at 80Scott, the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, was first elected to Congress in 2002 and was facing a competitive primary.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., during a House Financial Services Committee hearing, in Washington, D.C., in 2021.Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 22, 2026, 1:07 PM EDT / Updated April 22, 2026, 1:23 PM EDTBy Scott Wong, Kyle Stewart and Megan LebowitzRep. David Scott, D-Ga., has died at the age of 80, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Wednesday.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.“Congressman Scott’s passing is deeply sad,” Jeffries told reporters. “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.” NBC News reached out to Scott’s office for comment. Scott was first elected to Congress, representing a district near Atlanta, in 2002. He was running for re-election for a 13th term in the House. Earlier this month, NBC News reported that Scott was outraised in fundraising by four of his primary opponents in the first quarter. Scott voted on the floor as recently as Tuesday afternoon, according to the clerk’s records.The first Black chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, he was replaced as the committee's top Democrat by Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., in 2024 as the party looked to bring in younger committee leadership. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens mourned Scott's death in a statement, calling the congressman "a tireless advocate for the people...