Don L. Scott, Jr. (born March 5, 1965) is an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, he is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 80th district. He was minority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates from 2022 to 2024. On January 10, 2024, he became Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, making history as the first Black speaker in Virginia’s history.
Don Scott was born on March 5, 1965. He was raised in Houston, Texas, by a single mother of six children. Scott attended a magnet high school for aerodynamics before attending and graduating from Texas A&M University with a degree in agriculture. Following his undergraduate education, Scott served as a naval officer until 1991 when he received an honorable discharge. Later, he obtained a JD from Louisiana State University Law School in 1994.
In 1994, Scott was arrested on federal drug charges and served seven years in prison. However, he acknowledged his mistakes and said that the experience motivated him and showed him injustices of the legal system. In 2002, after his release, Scott took an entry-level position at KRA Corporation, a workforce development company. During his time at KRA, Scott relocated to Portsmouth, Virginia, and eventually became senior vice president at the firm.
In 2015, Scott was admitted to the bar and opened his own firm, where he practiced criminal defense, family law, and civil cases. In 2022, Scott joined Breit Biniazan Trial Lawyers as a partner. Notably, in 2021, Scott donated a kidney to his next-door neighbor, Virginia Circuit Court Judge Johnny E. Morrison.
Political Career:
- 2019: Scott filed to run to represent the 80th district in the 2019 Virginia House of Delegates election after the resignation of Matthew James, who was appointed by Governor Ralph Northam to an executive position. Scott was unopposed in the primaries and won the general election with 66.01% of the vote.
- 2020: In March 2020, Scott endorsed former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic Primary.
- 2021: Scott was unopposed in the primaries and won the general election, defeating Republican Deanna Stanton with 66.07% of the vote.
On January 10, 2024, Scott was sworn in as the first Black state speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. His election was without opposition and greeted with rousing cheers and standing ovations.
