Ben Jones, "Dukes of Hazzard" Star and Former Congressman, Dies at 84
Ben Jones, who charmed audiences for years as the good-natured mechanic Cooter Davenport on The Dukes of Hazzard before going on to serve two terms in Congress, has died at 84.
Jones died Sunday of a massive heart attack at his home in Virginia, according to his wife, Alma Viator, who announced the news on Facebook. "I lost the love of my life today. Ben passed from a massive heart attack," Viator wrote. "He was home resting in his favorite chair waiting for the Braves to come on and whoop the Yankees." She continued, "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."
A Beloved Role That Defined a Generation
Jones was born Benjamin Lewis Jones on Aug. 30, 1941, in Tarboro, North Carolina, and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia, where his father worked for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. He got his start playing a federal agent in the 1975 bootlegger film Moonrunners, written and directed by Gy Waldron. When Waldron reworked the concept into The Dukes of Hazzard, Jones came along for the ride, joining Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Sorrell Booke and James Best as part of the show's beloved ensemble.
The Dukes of Hazzard ran on CBS from 1979 to 1985, with its first three seasons ranking among the top 10 most-watched shows in the country, according to Nielsen Media Research. Jones appeared in all seven seasons as Cooter, the trusty garage mechanic and sidekick to cousins Bo and Luke Duke, and later returned for two reunion television movies, 1997's The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! and 2000's The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood.
From Hazzard County to Capitol Hill
Jones' path into politics began after his time on the original series, eventually winning election to represent Georgia's 10th Congressional District, where he served from January 1989 to January 1993. In an example of art imitating life, the 1997 Dukes of Hazzard reunion film revealed that Cooter himself had gone on to become a congressman.
After relocating to Virginia in 2002, Jones ran for Congress again but lost to Eric Cantor, who would go on to become House majority leader. Years later, political observers pointed to a pointed campaign letter Jones had written criticizing Cantor as a contributing factor in Cantor's shocking primary defeat in 2014.
A Second Act Rooted in Hazzard Nostalgia
Following his time in Congress, Jones returned to acting, taking roles in 1998's Primary Colors and 2000's Joe Gould's Secret, while also appearing in various Dukes of Hazzard specials and reunions over the years. In 1999, Jones and Viator opened Cooter's Place, a museum and shop dedicated to the show, which they operated together in Virginia.
In 2007, Jones published a memoir, Redneck Boy in the Promised Land, in which he candidly discussed his struggles with alcoholism. He remained a devoted friend to his former castmates throughout his life, paying tribute to Rick Hurst, who played Deputy Cletus Hogg, following Hurst's death in 2025. "It doesn't seem right that Rick Hurst passed away this afternoon," Jones wrote at the time. "I have known Rick for over 45 years and there wasn't a minute of that time that he didn't leave me smiling or laughing."
News of Jones' death prompted tributes from his former co-stars, including Tom Wopat, who shared the news in a post on Instagram.
Jones is survived by his wife, Alma Viator.
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