Democratic Congressman David Scott has represented Georgia’s 13th District since 2003. But this year, he is facing a number of challengers in the May 24 Primary. And his toughest challenge is coming from a familiar face in Democratic political circles – former state Sen. Vincent Fort. While both are in the same political party, there is a strong contrast between the two.
Scott is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition of conservative Democrats, while Fort is progressive Democrat – even having earned the endorsement of US Sen. Bernie Sanders and in 2017 when Fort ran for Mayor of Atlanta. In this race, Fort has received endorsements from Blue America, Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, and Progressive Democrats of America, as well as Sanders.
Fort describes himself as a “legislator-activist” who often shows up to and supports local protests over housing, racism, and other social issues. He says he is running because the district needs someone “who is present and progressive.” He is building a campaign around the “missing David Scott.” In numerous Tweets on Twitter, Fort has posted videos titled “Where in the World is David Scott,” asking people on the streets if they had ever seen Scott.
He also has several posts of endorsements from Sanders. One recent Tweet from Sanders says: “Vincent Fort has a long history of standing up for the values we share. I know he will fight in Congress for working people, and he will be an ally to pass Medicare for all, protect voting rights, raise the minimum wage, and cancel student debt.”
Scott, who chairs the House Committee on Agriculture, has received some criticism from Progressive Democrats for his votes in Congress. They pointed to Scott’s votes for the 2005 law making it harder for households to declare bankruptcy, and for a 2018 bill rolling back some of the Wall Street regulations that former President Barack Obama signed into law.
Scott has come out strong in the past few days on the Roe v. Wade issues. In one recent Tweet, he said, “This apparent draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade represents the most disastrous and significant setback in access to abortion care this nation has seen in 50 years.”
Scott has successfully fended off challengers in the past. In 2020, Scott captured 53 percent of the vote in the Democratic Primary to defeat Keisha Waites (now a member of the Atlanta City Council) and Michael Owens (a current candidate for Georgia Secretary of State). He went on to sail past his Republican opponent with 77 percent of the vote.
“Congressman David Scott is pleased to be back on the ballot for re-election in 2022. Now more than ever, Georgia families need a strong voice advocating for them in Washington. Congressman Scott is proud to be that voice for his constituents,” said Ralph Jones, a spokesperson for the Scott campaign.
Besides chairing the Agriculture Committee, Scott sits on several powerful committees in Congress: The Financial Services Committee where he serves as Chair of the Capital Markets, Securities Subcommittee, and the Investments and Financial Institutions and Consumer Credits Subcommittee. He is the Ranking Member on the Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Derivatives, and Credits. and the Agriculture Committee.
Also running in the Democratic primary are Mark Baker and Shastity Driscoll. Caesar Gonzalez, Dominika Hawkins and Calina Plotky are competing for the Republican party’s nomination.
The 13th District of Georgia includes portions of six counties: Cobb, Clayton, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, and Henry.
