Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), a longtime pro-Israel congressman, died at the age of 80, his office said on Wednesday.
The announcement described the death of Scott, who was serving his 12th term in the House and was seeking another, as “unexpected” and did not give a cause of death.
Scott was a firm backer of the Jewish state in the House who opposed the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, backed military assistance packages to Israel after Oct. 7 and repeatedly affirmed Israel’s right to self-defense.
“Israel has every right to defend its people and sovereignty against this existential threat,” he wrote during Israeli airstrikes on Iran in June 2025. “I am calling on President Trump to place America’s full support behind Israel during these trying times.”
Scott was elected to the House in 2002 and was noted for his selection as the first black chairman of the Agriculture Committee in 2020 but was removed as ranking member in 2024 as he showed signs of aging.
His difficulty in answering constituent questions without assistance at a townhall in January prompted a primary challenge from Everton Blair, 34, the former chair of a local school board in Scott’s 13th Congressional District, Semafor reported.
The anti-Israel group Track AIPAC touted Blair as Scott’s potential successor on Wednesday, calling Blair the “anti-genocide” candidate.
Blair has made a point of rejecting money from AIPAC and Democratic Majority for Israel, a group that supports pro-Israel politicians within the Democratic party.
“My Democratic opponent David Scott votes to use our tax dollars to fund ICE at home and genocide abroad,” Blair wrote in February.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) criticized the anti-Israel group for trying to take advantage of Scott’s death.
“The so-called ‘AIPAC Tracker’ is attacking a Congress member who just passed away,” Torres wrote. “Truly beyond the pale.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, has said that he would call a special election to fill Scott’s seat but has not named a date for the election.
According to Kemp’s office, Scott’s name will remain on the ballot in the May 19 primary as it is too late to remove him from the ballot, local media reported. Any votes for Scott will not be counted.
Georgia state representative Jasmine Clark, state senator Emanuel Jones and reality star Heavenly Kimes are also running in the Democratic primary.It’s not clear who among Scott’s challengers might run in the special election. Clark is willing to resign her seat to run, while Blair and Kimes have not made a decision, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Georgia’s 13th Congressional District is overwhelmingly Democratic, and Scott won his last election with nearly 72% of the vote.
