Don Scott (Virginia politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Scott
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Scott in 2023
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| 58th Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates | |
| Assumed office January 10, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Todd Gilbert |
| Minority Leader of the Virginia House of Delegates | |
| In office June 1, 2022 – January 10, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Eileen Filler-Corn |
| Succeeded by | Todd Gilbert |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Matthew James |
| Constituency | 80th district (2020–2024) 88th district (since 2024) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 5, 1965 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mellanda Colson |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Texas A&M University (BA) Louisiana State University (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1986–1991 |
Don Leonard Scott Jr. was born on March 5, 1965. He is an American lawyer and politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Scott serves in the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 88th district.
From 2022 to 2024, he was the minority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates. On January 10, 2024, he became the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. This made him the first Black speaker in Virginia's history.
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Early Life and Education
Don Scott was born in Houston, Texas, on March 5, 1965. He grew up in Houston with his single mother and five siblings. Scott went to a special high school that focused on aerodynamics.
After high school, he attended Texas A&M University. He earned a degree in agriculture from there.
Scott then joined the U.S. Navy as an officer. He served until 1991 and received an honorable discharge. He was on a destroyer ship called the USS John Hancock. After his time in the Navy, Scott went to law school. He earned his law degree from Louisiana State University Law School in 1994.
Career in Public Service
Legal Work
In 2002, Scott started working at KRA Corporation. This company helps people find jobs and improve their skills. Scott moved to Portsmouth, Virginia, and later became a senior leader at the company.
In 2015, Scott became a licensed lawyer. He opened his own law firm. There, he helped people with different types of legal cases. In 2022, he joined another law firm, Breit Biniazan Trial Lawyers, as a partner.
Political Journey
Scott decided to run for office in 2019. He wanted to represent the 80th district in the Virginia House of Delegates. The previous representative, Matthew James, had left his position. Scott ran without any opponents in the first round of voting.
In the main election, he won with 66.01% of the votes. He defeated a Republican and an Independent candidate. In March 2020, Scott supported Joe Biden for president.
Scott ran for re-election and won again. He defeated Republican Deanna Stanton with 66.07% of the votes.
In the 2021 elections, Democrats lost some seats in the House of Delegates. They also lost control of the House. Scott, along with other delegates, worked to change the party's leadership. On June 1, he was elected as the House Minority Leader. This meant he was the main leader for the Democratic Party in the House.
Speaker of the Virginia House
Democrats won the majority of seats in the 2023 Virginia House of Delegates election. This meant they would control the House again. Scott was chosen by all the Democrats to become the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.
He officially became Speaker on January 10, 2024. This was a historic moment because he is the first Black person to hold this important position in Virginia's history.
Personal Life
In 2021, Don Scott made a very kind gesture. He donated one of his kidneys to his next-door neighbor. His neighbor was Judge Johnny E. Morrison.
