Five Members Of 119th Congress Have Died In Office As House Ages
Rep. David Scott, an 80-year-old Georgia Democrat, died in office while seeking a 13th term in Congress.
Scott built a decades-long political career, first winning a seat in the Georgia House in 1974 and the state Senate in 1982 before his election to the U.S. House. He chaired the House Agriculture Committee in the first two years of the Biden administration and later served as the committee's ranking member. Reports say he had faced health concerns that led to his removal as top Democrat on the committee in 2024, and he had been largely inactive on the 2026 campaign trail while still insisting he was fit to serve. Details about the cause and timing of his death have not been released, and public officials including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens offered public praise for his service to farmers, veterans and his district.
News outlets reported Scott was the fifth member of the 119th Congress to die in office, and the House formally acknowledged his passing on the floor. One report noted the chamber's whole number is now 430 and offered updated partisan counts, while other reporting gave slightly different tallies as outlets reconciled a GOP-leaning independent and party math. Contextual data underscore why his death drew broader attention: at the start of the 119th Congress, 117 members were over 70 and 19 were over 80, a demographic profile that analysts and newsrooms flagged when comparing recent in-office deaths to the prior Congress.
Early stories focused narrowly on Scott's death and biography; later coverage shifted to a wider conversation about the age of congressional leaders and institutional implications. That narrative shift was driven especially by reporting that placed Scott's death alongside other recent in-office deaths and cited Pew Research Center age breakdowns, prompting outlets to explore succession, floor recognition and the political arithmetic of a slightly smaller House. Several outlets also noted that procedural details about filling the vacancy were not yet available, leaving the practical next steps to be clarified by House officials.
📌 Key Facts
- Rep. David Scott, a Democratic congressman from Georgia, has died at age 80; news outlets say the cause and exact timing of his death have not yet been released.
- Scott was seeking a 13th term and facing a May 19 primary challenge; reports say he had been largely inactive on the 2026 campaign trail but had publicly dismissed pressure to retire, saying in 2024 he was in good health.
- Scott's political career began in the Georgia House (first elected 1974), continued in the Georgia Senate (elected 1982), and included more than two decades of service in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- He chaired the House Agriculture Committee during the first two years of the Biden administration, later became the committee's ranking member, and has been described by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as the first Black person to chair that committee; reporting also says he was removed as the panel's top Democrat in 2024 amid concerns about his health.
- The House formally acknowledged Scott's passing on the floor; his death reduces the whole number of the House to 430 and, according to later reports, adjusts the chamber's partisan balance to 218 Republicans (including a GOP-leaning independent) and 212 Democrats.
- News outlets report Scott is the fifth member of the 119th Congress to die in office; one roundup listed four other deceased members in the current Congress as Doug LaMalfa (65), Gerry Connolly (75), Raúl Grijalva (77) and Sylvester Turner (70).
- Broader context reported by outlets: at the start of the 119th Congress, 117 members were over 70 and 19 were over 80 (Pew Research Center), and in the previous 118th Congress four members also died in office, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
- Public reaction included praise from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and extended remarks from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who lauded Scott's advocacy for Georgia farmers and veterans and his rise from humble beginnings.
📰 Source Timeline (8)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- PBS news wrap notes that Democratic Rep. David Scott of Georgia has died, aligning with existing multi-source reporting on his death.
- The wrap does not add cause of death, timing, or procedural details about the vacancy beyond confirming his passing.
- Confirms Scott is the fifth member of the 119th Congress to die in office.
- Lists the other four deceased members: Doug LaMalfa (65), Gerry Connolly (75), Raúl Grijalva (77), and Sylvester Turner (70), with basic biographical context.
- Provides updated partisan balance as 218 Republicans (including one GOP-leaning independent) to 212 Democrats.
- Adds broader age context: at the start of the 119th Congress, 117 members were over 70 and 19 were over 80, per Pew Research Center.
- Notes that in the 118th Congress four members also died in office, all between 65 and 90, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
- Confirms and elaborates on the death of Rep. David Scott at age 80 as previously reported.
- Provides additional biographical and political-career detail beyond the initial wire-style death notice (not fully accessible due to paywall/CAPTCHA).
- Associated Press/PBS report emphasizes Scott was seeking a 13th term in Congress and facing a primary challenge at the time of his death.
- Article highlights that Scott was a prominent member of the moderate Blue Dog caucus and a leading party voice on farm and food-aid policy.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is quoted at greater length, praising Scott's rise from humble beginnings and his service to Georgia.
- Story notes that Scott had been largely inactive on the 2026 campaign trail but had publicly dismissed pressure to retire, saying in 2024 he was in good health and doing the people's work.
- CBS reiterates that Rep. David Scott, an 80-year-old Democrat from Georgia, has died after serving more than two decades in the House.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries confirmed Scott's death to MS NOW and called him the first African American to chair the House Agriculture Committee.
- The House formally acknowledged Scott's passing on the floor and announced the whole number of the House is now 430.
- The updated partisan breakdown is now 217 Republicans, 212 Democrats and 1 independent.
- Article reiterates prior reporting that Scott was removed as top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee in 2024 amid concerns about his health, citing Politico descriptions of his declining ability to speak and focus.
- Confirms Scott was running for a 13th term in the May 19 primaries when he died.
- Clarifies he first won office in the Georgia House in 1974 and then the state Senate in 1982 before election to Congress.
- Notes that he chaired the House Agriculture Committee for the first two years of the Biden administration before becoming ranking member.
- Includes public reaction quote from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens praising his advocacy for Georgia farmers and veterans.
- Specifies that details about cause and timing of death have not yet been released.