Don Scott is the Democratic candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates District 80. His name will appear on the ballot on Nov. 2.
Candidate: Don Scott
Race: Virginia House of Delegates District 80.
Party: Democratic
Website: donscott.us
Biography: Don Scott is an attorney practicing law throughout Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Scott is a graduate of Texas A&M University and Louisiana State University Law School. Scott is a former Naval officer having served as a surface warfare officer. Scott was elected in 2019 to the Virginia House of Delegates representing HD-80. Scott serves on the Courts of Justice Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Labor and Commerce Committee. Scott also serves on the Code Commission, the Commission on Alcohol Safety Action Program, the Child Support Panel and the Cannabis Oversight Commission. He resides in Portsmouth with his wife, Mellanda, who has a dental practice in Norfolk. They are the proud parents of a 12-year-old daughter.
Why should Virginians re-elect you to the Virginia House of Delegates?
Virginians should elect me because I have delivered on the issues I ran on when I was elected in 2019. We have expanded access to health care and telehealth. We also raised the minimum wage and invested in broadband for all. We gave teachers a pay raise and provided record investments in early childhood education and historically Black colleges and universities.
What do you hope to accomplish, if elected?
I introduced a bill in my first session to allow the Commonwealth to purchase the tolls in Portsmouth. I will continue to fight for toll relief to reduce the impact that they have on working families in our community.
What is the most important issue facing your district, and what is your position on it?
The most important issue is making sure we do everything we can to keep our children in school and our businesses open by doing what we need to do protect ourselves in this pandemic, and that starts with being vaccinated.
What is your position on Virginia’s overall response to the coronavirus pandemic, and what might you have done differently?
I think Virginia has been the most successful southern states in battling the pandemic. Our population has the highest vaccination rate of any southern state. I think Virginia is lucky to have had a physician as a governor during this time.
What are the top three issues created by the coronavirus pandemic in your district, and how would you plan to address them?
I think the top three issues created by the coronavirus are:
- The unprecedented amount of time our children missed in school and the loss of learning time. I am working to make sure our school system and our teachers have the tools and resources to make sure each child is evaluated and given the time and opportunity to get and stay on track. They may include extra tutorial time, extended hours, and extended summer school. I think this extraordinary pandemic will continue to demand an extraordinary response.
- The anxiety and mental health issues that have been caused and exacerbated by the pandemic, which we are going to have to address. I think we need to encourage everyone who needs help to seek it. We need to remove any stigma around empowering folks to seek mental health services.
- Last, we have to empower parents, our community, and our public safety leaders to address the youth violence that has been increasing this pandemic. I believe we need a multifaceted approach to the issue that involves parents, community based organizations, social services, public safety, and law enforcement.