Ben Jones, the actor best known for playing the lovable mechanic Cooter on “The Dukes of Hazzard” before launching an unlikely career in Congress, has died. He was 84.
Jones suffered a heart attack Sunday at his Virginia home, according to his wife, Alma Viator, who announced his death in a Facebook post.
“I lost the love of my life today. Ben passed from a massive heart attack,” Viator wrote Sunday evening. “He was home resting in his favorite chair waiting for the Braves to come on and whoop the Yankees.”
Viator reflected on her husband’s life, adding, “Ben had the most amazing rich full life. He loved and was loved by so many. He will be missed. I loved him so so much.”
Tributes quickly poured in from those who worked alongside Jones during his television career. Fellow “The Dukes of Hazzard” star Tom Wopat remembered his longtime friend in an Instagram post.
“The Dukes of Hazzard lost another integral part of their cast today,” Wopat said. “Ben Jones was a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business. He will be sorely missed…”
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Jones became a household name after joining the hit CBS series in the late 1970s as Cooter Davenport, the wisecracking mechanic who was a trusted ally of Bo and Luke Duke. He remained with the show’s main cast until it wrapped in 1985.
When the series ended, Jones shifted from Hollywood to politics, entering the race for Georgia’s 4th Congressional District as a Democrat. He challenged Republican Rep. Pat Swindall in 1986 but narrowly came up short.
Two years later, Jones sought a rematch after Swindall was indicted on perjury charges. The second campaign ended differently, with Jones winning the seat in 1988.
Jones secured re-election in 1990 and served two terms in the U.S. House. His congressional career came to an end after redistricting reshaped his district, setting up a 1994 showdown with Republican Newt Gingrich, who defeated him.
Remembered for both his television fame and his years in public office, Ben Jones built a career that stretched far beyond the garage of Hazzard County.
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