Congressman David Scott faces a new wave of Georgia challengers

CONYERS, Ga. — U.S. Rep. David Scott stood watch over his annual health fair, posing for selfies and sharing laughs with doctors and health care providers who over the years have become friends.

He thanked them for “doing God’s work” and quoted Scripture like always. But the wheelchair stored just out of eyesight and the staffers hovering, waiting for any sign that he was growing tired or needed assistance, were unspoken signs of the congressman’s current challenges.

Age and health challenges, primarily a bad back, have slowed 80-year-old Scott down considerably in recent years. He has grown increasingly withdrawn, rarely making public appearances in his district and keeping his activities in Washington to the bare minimum — mainly showing up for votes and committee meetings.

Fellow Democrats grew concerned enough that they stripped Scott of his position as the top-ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, even as fellow senior members defend his right to run for a 13th term in 2026.

A growing number of challengers are lining up to run against Scott, saying they will seek the seat even if the incumbent is on the ballot, although they hope he bows out and creates an open seat.

Scott, who declined to be interviewed for this article, says he is running for reelection. Which means it will ultimately be up to voters in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District to decide whether they believe it’s time to move on from the aging incumbent or if his years in office, and the resources he has brought back to his district, have earned him the right to stick around.

Snellville couple Inwood and Rosalyn Collins drove down to Scott’s health fair at Rockdale County High School after receiving a mailer that prostate screenings would be offered free of charge. After Inwood Collins had his blood drawn, the couple explored the other vendors and agencies set up around the room.

They were impressed by number of doctors and service providers Scott assembled and said it was an example of the good work he still accomplishes.

“He should get another term as long as he is able to do it,” Inwood Collins said. “He’ll know when to stop.”

‘A new bench of fighters’

Georgia’s 13th District has been known for years as a seat based in south metro Atlanta. But new maps approved last year shifted the district to the north, adding Rockdale County and parts of Newton and Gwinnett. Still, Scott easily won reelection in 2024, winning the primary outright and without the need for a runoff despite facing six challengers.

In an effort to introduce himself to voters in the newest part of his district, Scott held a town hall in Snellville in late January. Everton Blair, who had voted for Scott just months prior, showed up because he was curious to hear how Democrats planned to approach President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

But that wasn’t addressed throughout much of the event. When it came time for audience Q&A, Blair was second in line at the microphone. Scott, apparently unaware that Blair was a fellow Democratic elected official who had served as chair of the Gwinnett County School Board, accused him of being a plant.

“And then he proceeded to say, if I had a real question, then I could ask a real question,” Blair said. “And I just walked away so flabbergasted.”

It was this interaction with the congressman that convinced Blair that he should run for the seat in 2026, even if Scott was still on the ballot.

Blair believes that today’s political landscape, highlighted by Trump’s steps toward authoritarianism aided by a compliant Republican Party, calls for a fresh perspective.

“I launched in August, and in that time it has been made even more clear that the leaders who got us into this mess are not the leaders who will get us out of it,” he said. “And we need a new bench of fighters.”

But it is still an uphill battle for Blair and other Democratic challengers for Scott’s seat, like state Sen. Emanuel Jones and state Rep. Jasmine Clark, given the power of the incumbency and high name recognition that benefits Scott.

However, the redrawn district makes Scott vulnerable.

In the May 2024 primary, Scott received a majority of votes in every county in the district except Gwinnett, where he reached just 46%. The newest parts of the district — Gwinnett, Rockdale and Newton counties — have roughly 50% more voters than the counties that are Scott’s strongholds: DeKalb, Clayton and Henry.

There is also the President Joe Biden effect. Democratic voters were forced to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris when Biden abruptly ended his campaign after a disastrous debate performance in June 2024, but well after primary season had concluded.

The reckoning with the party continues to the day, and has led to wider conversations about the aging leadership at the top of the party like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 85, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, 74.

Scott isn’t the only octogenarian in Congress facing calls to step down to allow a younger Democrat to take his place. Eleanor Holmes Norton, 88, who has served as the delegate from Washington, D.C., since 1991, has faced growing calls to step down amid concerns that she isn’t up for the job.

For Scott’s fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus, it’s a touchy topic. Several of them declined interview requests from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for this article. Many of them have publicly backed Scott’s decision to seek another term while privately encouraging him to reconsider.

But CBC members have also pointed out that the only reason many of them became committee leaders is because of their insistence that the House Democratic caucus implement rules based on seniority. For some, it took decades to reach these top positions and they worry that dismantling the system could reduce diversity among the upper ranks.

In December 2020, Scott became the first Black lawmaker to serve as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, a post he reached with the CBC’s backing even after a white rival publicly questioned his abilities to do the job. But he was unable to hold on to the ranking Democrat position as those concerns grew widespread, even among fellow Black House members.

New district, new voices

For the past several election cycles, Scott hasn’t campaigned in person. He declined invitations to debates and town halls and rarely, if ever, shares the stage with challengers.

Instead, Scott has relied on mailers and billboards and the goodwill built up through events like his health fair to keep his name recognition high and voters in his corner. It has paid off, but his potential 2026 challengers are hoping the redrawn district allows them to make inroads with voters who are not as loyal to Scott.

Clark, the state representative whose Lilburn-based district includes key Gwinnett precincts, is the newest candidate to enter the race and is hoping to carve out a position as the only woman in the crowded field.

The best bet for Clark and any of the others is that Scott does not reach the 50% threshold in the May primary and is forced into a runoff. That head-to-head matchup would give voters a binary choice and Scott’s presence on the campaign trail, or lack thereof, would likely draw more attention when they are fewer races on the ballot.

Money could also play an issue. Scott has raised less than $3,000 from individual donors this year; most of his fundraising comes from political committees tied to businesses and special interest groups. Even without access to those PAC dollars, Blair has raised more money that Scott, and Clark is close to matching him.

They say they will have the money and resources to challenge Scott to a degree he hasn’t experienced in recent cycles. But they hope they don’t have to.

“I don’t think there’s any dishonor in (Scott) saying, ‘I have laid the foundation for the next person to come in and finish what I started, but now is my time to rest,’” Clark said.

Marcye Scott, the congressman’s daughter who has worked as a campaign adviser in past elections, said there are different figures beyond fundraising that show his strength.

“Just this past year, Congressman Scott has secured millions in federal funding — from transportation improvements in Henry County, to water infrastructure upgrades in Snellville, to vital community projects in Newton County,” she said. “That’s the kind of leadership and results voters can count on, and that’s the record he will continue to build on in the next term.”

That will be the central theme of this race between young and old, pitting mostly political newcomers against the seasoned veteran. Clark said there are many voters who can acknowledge Scott’s good service but want a change.

“I’ve talked to many people who say, ‘I know Scott; I have supported Scott for a very long time,’” she said. “It’s time.”