Costa will challenge Scott for job leading Democrats on House Agriculture Committee

Senior House Agriculture Committee member Jim Costa (D-Calif.) will challenge ailing ranking member David Scott (D-Ga.) as the leader of the House Agriculture Committee, he told colleagues Wednesday.

Costa informed a group of fellow California Democrats of his plans to challenge Scott during the state delegation lunch, according to three people familiar with the matter who were granted anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting. And he has invited some Democrats to a meeting Thursday to discuss the farm bill — which has been stalled in Congress for over a year.

CNN first reported Costa telling members he would mount a challenge to Scott.

Costa lost out to Scott in the contest for the top Agriculture panel post in 2020. Since then, a number of Democrats on the panel have made several unsuccessful attempts to oust Scott from his role, citing concerns about his health and lack of leadership on the committee. Democrats also pushed earlier this year to replace Scott as the top House Democrat in the negotiations over the $1.5 trillion farm bill.

Democrats, including some frontline members, have been pressing for Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) to challenge Scott. But Thompson has resisted their efforts.

Several panel Democrats knew of Costa’s plans, but his challenge to Scott surprised many other Democrats on the committee. Rather than lining up the votes he’ll need in private before launching his bid, Costa is now scrambling to call and talk to panel Democrats in hallways on Capitol Hill to make his pitch.

Scott, meanwhile, has been absent from Congress since lawmakers returned after the election. He told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was getting treatment for back issues and will return “in full strength” in early December, after Thanksgiving break.

And Scott has maintained that he will vie for the top spot on the panel for the upcoming Congress.

Scott has always enjoyed strong backing from Democratic leaders, despite growing pleas from rank-and-file members to replace him as the agriculture panel’s top Democrat. But Democrats note current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries hasn’t been as vocal in his public backing of Scott as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi was.

Costa’s bid comes as Democrats grapple over the future of their party and its leadership. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) also announced Wednesday morning that he will challenge top House Natural Resources Committee Democrat Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who, like Scott, has faced health concerns and been absent from Congress for extended periods.