House Democrats on Thursday voted to elect Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) to be the next Agriculture Committee chairman, making him the first Black lawmaker in the chamber’s history to hold the position.
Scott will take over in January from Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), who chaired the committee for six of his nearly 30 years in Congress but lost reelection last month in a district long targeted by the GOP.
Scott easily prevailed over Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), his only rival for the Agriculture post, by a 144-83 vote, according to a Democratic aide.
The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which determines members’ committee assignments, voted on Tuesday to recommend Scott to hold the Agriculture gavel. The full House Democratic Caucus voted Thursday to ratify the Steering panel’s recommendation.
