Virginias House of Delegates Will Soon Have Its First Black Speaker

Don Scott was unanimously elected speaker-designee by the House Democratic Caucus. The full House of Delegates will vote to officially confirm him on the first day of the 2024 legislative session.

Richmond, Nov 11 AP: Virginia's House of Delegates will soon have its first Black speaker in its more than 400-year history after the chamber's incoming Democratic majority chose Del. Don Scott to serve in the post.

Scott Elected Speaker-Designee

Scott was unanimously elected speaker-designee by the House Democratic Caucus, the group said in a news release. The full House of Delegates will vote to officially confirm him on the first day of the 2024 legislative session.

Democrats Gain Control

Democrats not only flipped control of the House of Delegates in Tuesday's legislative elections but also held their majority in the state Senate, dashing Gov. Glenn Youngkin and fellow Republicans' hopes of securing a GOP trifecta. The outcome means at least two more years of divided government.

Scott's Priorities

In an interview ahead of the vote, Scott said his election as speaker would show the progress made in Virginia and Richmond — the former capital of the Confederacy — over their long history. He pledged that Democrats would spend the next two years of Youngkin's term advancing progressive priorities to his desk, even though they might face the threat of a veto.

Abortion Rights

As for Youngkin's proposed 15-week abortion ban: "It's dead," Scott said, adding that the clearest message from Tuesday night was that Virginia voters want abortion rights protected.

Other Leaders Elected

House Democrats elected two other leaders on Saturday: Del. Charniele Herring of Alexandria, who will return to the role of majority leader, and Del. Kathy Tran of Fairfax County, who will serve as caucus chair.

Leadership Elections in Other Caucuses

The other General Assembly caucuses will hold leadership elections in the coming days. House Republicans were expected to vote Sunday. Del. Terry Kilgore has made clear he plans to challenge Del. Todd Gilbert, who has served as speaker since January 2022 and has asked the caucus to support him as minority leader. The Senate Democratic and Republican caucuses were expected to vote next week.

Scott's election as speaker-designee marks a historic moment for Virginia and the culmination of a meteoric rise in power for the US Navy veteran and trial lawyer from Portsmouth. As the leader of the House of Delegates, Scott has pledged to advance progressive priorities and protect abortion rights in the state.