ATLANTA (AP) — U.S. Rep. David Scott, a Georgia Democrat, has died at age 80.

Scott was serving his 12th term in Congress and was vying for another despite challenges from within his party. Scott was Democrats’ ranking member on the House Agriculture Committee, despite most recently representing a metro Atlanta district.

Scott was once a leading voice for his party on issues related to farm aid policy and food aid for consumers and a prominent Black member of the party’s moderate Blue Dog caucus. But Scott faced criticism and concerns in recent years because of declining health, enduring a primary challenge in 2024 and facing another one at the time of his death.