PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — He was a convicted felon who served seven years in prison on federal drug charges.
In January, he will be sworn in as Virginia’s first African American Speaker of the House of Delegates making Portsmouth Del. Don Scott one of the most powerful people in the Commonwealth.
The Don Scott story is a story of redemption — a roller coaster life that finds himself now at the top of the ride.
Next month, he’ll assume a position that his mother said was what God meant to be.
10 On Your Side interviewed Scott, asking him about prison and how far he has come.
“It prepared me to face adversity, deal with it and keep moving,” Scott said. “Thirty years ago, next year — God has an amazing sense of humor.”
What is at the foundation of his leadership creed with constituents and fellow delegates?
“People want people to listen to them and have their issues heard,” Scott said. “It’s not about getting what they want all the time. It’s about having access to someone who will listen, and address the issues when we can, and to be honest with what is doable and what’s not doable.”
There are some who wonder whether Speaker-elect Scott will be fair to Republicans.
We have been told that, as minority leader, he was tough and argumentative with Republicans.
“When I was the minority leader, that’s my job to get us from the minority to the majority,” Scott said. “That I did. Now that I am the Speaker, I am not the Speaker of the Democrats or of the Republicans, I am the Speaker of the House, which is the people’s House.”
What is his political template on how he will lead?
“My mantra will be fairness, inclusivity, making sure everyone feels heard, for Republicans and Democrats, no matter what your political views are,” he said.
As a sign of good faith cooperation, he kept a Republican-appointed Clerk of the House, Paul Nardo.
“We have a lot of Republican leadership that will continue to stay in leadership in their committee assignments that they have,” he said, “and the positions they have in the House.”
And he’s been reaching out to Republican friends to show good faith, too.
“I’ve met with Appropriations Chair Barry Knight one-on-one,” Scott said. “I’ve met with all of those folks. I’ve met with the governor (Glenn Youngkin), so they know what my philosophy is.”
Regionally, he cares about Hampton Roads, but as speaker, he has to care about all regions.
“We want to make sure that Hampton Roads does well, Northern Virginia as well, south and southwest Virginia, central Virginia, to make sure we all do well,” he said. “That’s what makes us a Commonwealth.”
Thirty years ago next year, Don Scott was arrested on federal drug charges and served seven years in prison.
“I don’t recognize that person all these years later,” he said.
In January, he will be sworn in as the first African American Speaker of the House of Delegates.
What a long way he’s come.
“Here’s how I look at it,” Scott said. “I am a speaker who happens to be Black, and my job is to be smart, be competent, be fair and be efficient, and that’s what I will do.”
He gave us a picture of him sitting with former Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder — the first African American governor of a U.S. state since Reconstruction
His mother Helen, 88, will be in the chamber to watch her son sworn in.
“I still remember what she said — “it would have been against the laws of God if you had not done what you’re doing now. This was meant to be.”
When it was determined Scott would become Speaker, his mother told him this:
“The first day — she told me that night: ‘Don’t get too big for your britches now,’ that’s the first thing she told me.”
Scott has dedicated himself to remembering those who came before him, the ones he calls the “ghosts.”
“I see those ghosts who are serving people, emptying spittoons and emptying urine in that place, who had no dignity, who were having their lives and their futures, decided by people in that room who didn’t view them as human,” Scott said. “Now, I get to come in, so I know I stand on the shoulders of all of those people’s hopes and dreams, and I’m not going to let them down.”
Scott said he wants to be a speaker that transcends speakers — to do more to bring people together.
“We need to bring people back out again,” he said. “We need to create a sense of community again, and I don’t think that’s a Republican or Democratic issue. I think that’s something that we can all agree on that we need to work on.”
Scott cares a lot about mental health — the root of a lot of evil.
“I think we need to make sure that we can agree that we can support some of the mental health issues that we have,” he said. “We have a mental health crisis in Virginia. We need to make sure that we deal with the learning loss with our children. I think we can bring our kids up to speed and make sure that they get the extra support that they need.”
Scott doesn’t want to get bogged down in politics, but does want to impress.
“Just to signal to folks this is not about payback,” he said, (but) it is about competence and expertise. You can do the job. You will be able to do the job.”
10 On Your Side also spoke about issues with Scott.
“As they say, some of my best friends are Republicans,” Scott said with a laugh.
Scott said his life is no longer his own. Everyone tugs on him.
“One day, you may have a vice-president of the United States,” he said. “You get a call from a congressman, senator, governor, members on both sides of the aisle.”
With Democrats controlling both the House of Delegates and the Senate, Democrats will push to legally enshrine abortion.
“We want to enshrine…to put it in our constitution to make sure it is followed.”
It will not happen overnight, but Scott says it will happen.
Some issues will be easy, with built in political coalitions.
“I think the number one thing that we can have bipartisanship on is making sure that we deal with our opioid addiction, substance abuse disorder issue in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” he said, “that we can also agree on making sure that we pay our teachers. Right now, we pay our teachers below the national average.”
He doesn’t think education should be partisan, either.
“I don’t think it’s partisan to say that every child should have access to a first-class public-school education,” Scott said. “Those things are mainstream when some folks think that’s partisan, but that is the only thing that we stay focused on, and I think that is why we were elected.”
How partisan will Scott be?
“I don’t think it’s partisan to say that we want to make sure that we address our gun violence epidemic here in the country, and in the Commonwealth,” Scott said. “I don’t think it’s partisan to say that we’re going to trust women to have bodily autonomy. … I don’t think it’s partisan to say that we need to have a minimum wage that treats everybody with dignity. I don’t think it’s partisan when we say that we need to protect our democracy from those that want to take us back on voting. I don’t think those things will pass.
“I think all of those ideas are mainstream and I think that is why we attracted so many Democrats, Republicans and independents to our cause, which is how we got the majority.”