A Farewell to Representative David Scott

IN MEMORIAM

April 25, 2026

It is with a heavy heart that I join the people of Georgia in mourning the passing of United States Representative David Scott, who died on April 22, 2026, at the age of 80. His death, described by his office as unexpected, has left a profound void — not only in the halls of Congress, but in the communities of Georgia's 13th Congressional District that he served with distinction for more than two decades.

Representative Scott's life was a testament to the enduring promise of public service. Born on a farm in Aynor, South Carolina, during the era of segregation, he rose to become the first African American to chair the powerful House Agriculture Committee — a milestone he carried with him not as a personal trophy, but as a tribute to every Black farmer, every sharecropper, and every family who worked the land long before such recognition was possible. As someone who lives and works in Georgia, I have long admired how Rep. Scott understood that his position was inseparable from the history that preceded it.

For those of us in Georgia, his legacy is tangible and lasting. He secured $80 million in the 2018 Farm Bill for Historically Black Land-Grant Colleges and Universities, championed veterans' access to nutrition assistance, and fought to make healthcare more accessible to working families across the district. He did not merely legislate from a distance — he was present, hosting annual health fairs and remaining connected to the constituents who sent him to Washington year after year.

He served for more than 50 years in elected office in total — first in the Georgia General Assembly, then in Congress for nearly a quarter-century. That kind of sustained commitment to public life is rare, and it deserves to be honored on its own terms. Whatever debates surrounded his final years in office, what remains undeniable is the depth of his dedication and the sincerity with which he represented this community.

On a personal note, as a Georgian, I am grateful for a representative who understood the intersection of agriculture, equity, and community development — issues that define life across so much of this state. His voice in Washington was one that reflected the full complexity of Georgia: its farmers and its cities, its history and its aspirations.

Gerald Griggs, Civil Rights Attorney and Georgia Native

My sincere condolences go to his wife, Alfredia — the sister of the late Hank Aaron — his daughters Dayna and Marcye, his grandchildren, and the entire Scott family. May they find comfort in knowing that the life he led mattered deeply to the people of this state. Georgia is better for his service, and his memory will endure in the work he leaves behind.