He has worked with Democrats on key agriculture and military measures. He voted to certify President Joe Biden’s victory. And he condemned the pro-Donald Trump mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as “disgraceful.”

“For so many people, politics goes to their head. But he hasn’t forgotten where he came from,” said Republican state Rep. Penny Houston, who has known Scott for decades.

She added: “Just because you’re from Georgia doesn’t mean you have to be Marjorie Taylor Greene. He’s not like that at all.”

He’s also worked as an important go-between for state leaders and an ever-changing Washington establishment.

“Austin is a good friend and has been a longtime conservative champion and a fighter for Georgia,” Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican who has close ties to Scott, said shortly before the vote. “The House needs to get their act together, elect a speaker and get to work for the American people.”

Scott entered the race facing steep odds against Jordan, a co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus. Several other Georgia U.S. House members quickly announced they would back Jordan over Scott. Still, Scott said Republicans deserve an alternative.

“When I woke up this morning, I had no intention of doing this,” Scott said before his defeat, adding: “But I believe if we as Republicans are going to make the majority, we have to do the right things the right way. And we’re not doing that right now.”

‘Stuck with it’

An insurance broker from the rural town of Tifton, Scott was first elected to the state Legislature in 1996 at the age of 26 and quickly became known as an up-and-comer with a maverick tendency.

He was the lone Republican who backed an effort by then-Gov. Roy Barnes, a Democrat, to minimize the Confederate battle emblem on the Georgia flag, one of several votes that irritated his fellow Republicans.

Credit: Bob Andres, bandres@ajc.com

Credit: Bob Andres, bandres@ajc.com

“That caused some grief with so many of his Republican colleagues. But Austin stuck with it. He held to his principles,” said former U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, a longtime friend.

Impatient in the Legislature, Scott launched an outsider-tinged campaign for governor in 2009 against Casey Cagle, Nathan Deal and other party heavyweights.

Less-known and less-funded than other Republicans, he centered his campaign on a 1,050-mile walk across Georgia — to show, he said, that he’s wiling to go the extra mile for voters.

He dropped out of the race before the primary, switching to compete against U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, a moderate Democrat with deep support in the region.

Riding a wave of discontent over then-President Barack Obama’s policies, Scott pulled off an upset victory and then quickly emerged as a leading voice on rural and military issues.

He was one of the most outspoken advocates for Southeastern farmers after Hurricane Michael devastated his rural district, which stretched from Macon’s northern suburbs to Valdosta, when the storm ravaged Georgia in 2018.

Allies say Scott, a longtime member of the House Armed Services Committee, would have brought extensive international expertise to the job as the U.S. is navigating dangerous conflicts in Israel and Ukraine that have the potential to spiral into broader wars.

Credit: handout

Credit: handout

His friends point to his bipartisan work. After fellow Republicans blocked disaster relief aid that he and Democratic U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop sponsored, Scott was one of the few GOP leaders to publicly criticize the Trump administration.

“He’s conservative. But he’s also reasonable. He will listen to all sides — no matter which side of the aisle they’re on,” said Tifton Mayor Julie Smith, another longtime ally. “He’s not someone who is always out there drawing attention to himself. He wants the attention on the issues.”

That’s not to say he lacks ambition. Scott has long been seen as a potential statewide candidate, and he is a key player in internal GOP politics, including a 2014 push opposing a powerful new post for Kevin McCarthy, who would ultimately rise to speaker.

His close allies have long seen him as a potential national figure, though they admit they were stunned to learn he sought to be the first U.S. House speaker from Georgia since Newt Gingrich.

“I’ll tell you what — Austin has matured so much during his time in Congress,” Westmoreland said. “He would do great. He’s got a very conservative temperament, but he also understands you have to have moderation with your conservative values sometimes.”

U.S. Rep. Austin Scott

U.S. Rep. Austin Scott announced a bid Friday to become speaker of the House, and was soon defeated in a private vote.

The Republican from Tifton is in his seventh term as a member of the House, representing Georgia’s 8th Congressional District.

He serves as vice chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and is also a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Intelligence Committee.

Scott, 53, is a graduate of the University of Georgia, and he owned and operated an insurance brokerage firm for nearly 20 years.

He is a conservative but is known to work closely with U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, on issues involving South Georgia and U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Atlanta, as a fellow member of the Agriculture Committee.

On key issues:

Jan. 6

Scott voted to certify the results of the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021 — saying that neither Congress nor the vice president had the authority to overturn a state’s electoral votes — and he described the attack that day on the Capitol as “disgraceful.”

Immigration

Scott has pressed President Joe Biden to do more to stop illegal immigration.

“The president has the ability; he should be building a wall right now,” Scott said during an April visit to the border with Mexico. “He should be stopping this. When we have somebody who is caught illegally entering the United States of America, they should be turned back to their country of origin, period. It doesn’t matter if it’s China, if it’s Mexico, if it’s Chile, whether it’s the Middle East, or whether it’s Central America.”

But in 2018, Scott was one of four Georgia Republicans in the House to vote in favor of a plan that would have created a path to citizenship for “Dreamers,” immigrants who were brought to the country as children by their parents without authorization. The same bill also would have strengthened border security and dealt with the family separation crisis.

Food stamps

Scott has called for changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as food stamps, including work requirements for childless adults who don’t have disabilities that would prevent them from holding a job.

“We have plenty of money in this country to take care of people who can’t work,” Scott said. “We don’t have enough money in this country to take care of people who simply choose not to work.”

Student debt

Scott was a co-sponsor of legislation that U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-The Rock, proposed in 2022 to block President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 of student loan debt for millions of Americans.