Ben Jones, 'Dukes of Hazzard' Actor and Former Congressman Dies at 84

While serving in Congress, Jones joined Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and John Miller (R-Wash.) on a 1991 human rights delegation to Beijing.

Kelly McBride Ni

Published: 8/10/2026, 5:54:37 PM EDT

Ben Jones, 'Dukes of Hazzard' Actor and Former Congressman Dies at 84 — Cooter, actor Ben Jones, sits atop one of the 229 hotrods, named the General Lee, used in the show "Dukes of Hazzard" as ecstatic fan, Aliceson Johnson, of Charlottesville, Va., sits in the drivers seat in front of his store in Sperryville, Va., on Aug. 10, 1999. (Steve Helber/AP Photo)

Ben Jones, the actor known for playing mechanic Cooter Davenport on “The Dukes of Hazzard” before serving two terms in Congress, died Sunday after suffering a heart attack at his Virginia home, his wife said. He was 84.

His wife, Alma Viator, announced his death in a Facebook post Sunday.

“I lost the love of my life today,” Viator wrote. “Ben passed from a massive heart attack. He was home resting in his favorite chair waiting for the Braves to come on and whoop the Yankees.”

“Ben had the most amazing rich full life,” she said. “He loved and was loved by so many. He will be missed. I loved him so so much.”

Jones became widely recognized as Cooter, the mechanic and tow-truck driver who helped cousins Bo and Luke Duke on the CBS action-comedy series “The Dukes of Hazzard.” The show ran from 1979 to 1985, and Jones appeared throughout its seven-season run.

Jones also appeared in the films “Primary Colors” and “The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings,” along with television projects including “CBS Summer Playhouse.”

After his television success, Jones entered politics as a Democrat in Georgia. He ran for the U.S. House in 1986 and lost, but he won the state’s 4th Congressional District seat two years later. Voters reelected him in 1990. He served from Jan. 3, 1989, until Jan. 3, 1993. Jones later ran unsuccessfully for Congress in Virginia in 2002.

While serving in Congress, Jones joined Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and John Miller (R-Wash.) on a 1991 human rights delegation to Beijing. At Tiananmen Square, the group unfurled a banner honoring those killed during the 1989 massacre. Jones held a smaller banner that read: "To those who died for democracy in China."

In June 1989, the Chinese Communist Party used tanks against protesters in Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds, possibly thousands.

Jones also spoke openly about his decades-long struggle with alcohol. He told Indy Week in a 2008 interview that a five-week period of nearly continuous drinking in 1977 led him to enter treatment. Jones said he stopped drinking on Sept. 26, 1977. About a year later, he began filming “The Dukes of Hazzard,” the role that transformed his career.

Away from Washington, Jones and his wife built businesses centered on the enduring popularity of "The Dukes of Hazzard." They operated Cooter's Place museums and stores in Virginia and Tennessee that featured memorabilia from the series. Jones also performed with Cooter's Garage Band and appeared at fan events.

He was born Benjamin Lewis Jones on Aug. 30, 1941, in Tarboro, North Carolina, and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before pursuing entertainment professionally.