Ben Jones, Actor Turned Politician Who Played Cooter Davenport in ‘The Dukes of Hazzard,’ Dies at 84 — SkimNews
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- Ben Jones died Sunday at age 84 from a massive heart attack, according to his wife Alma Viator, who announced his death in a Facebook post
- Jones passed away at home in his favorite chair, waiting to watch the Braves play the Yankees, per Viator's post, which said he 'had the most amazing, rich, full life'
- Cooter Davenport, the Hazzard County mechanic Jones played on 'The Dukes of Hazzard,' appeared in 142 episodes alongside Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle, Sorrell Brooke, and Waylon Jennings
- Tom Wopat paid tribute on Instagram, calling Jones 'a fine friend and a fierce advocate' and recalling Denver Pyle's running joke: 'I'm not your Uncle Jesse!'
- Jones won Georgia's Fourth Congressional District seat in 1988 by 20 points and was reelected in 1990
- Redistricting eliminated Jones's seat after his second term, and he lost his next race to Newt Gingrich
Why it matters: Jones bridged two worlds — Hollywood and Washington — and his dual career made him a rare crossover figure. A 142-episode run on a top-rated CBS show gave him the name recognition to flip a Georgia district by 20 points, before redistricting and a loss to Newt Gingrich ended his three-year political career.
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