RICHMOND, Va. — History is happening in Virginia. Hampton Roads delegate Don Scott will be the next House Speaker in the Commonwealth; the first Black person to serve in the role.
Democrats chose him for the role after taking back the House of Delegates earlier this month.
Wednesday, the Portsmouth delegate sat down with Eugene Daniel to talk about the historic moment and his path moving forward.
"Don Scott. House Speaker," Daniel asked, "...have you gotten used to it yet?"
"Amazing," Scott said.
Scott said he's still getting used to the title, but he's ready for the job. However, he told 13News Now he's not surprised by the moment because he worked hard to get here.
The Virginia General Assembly formed in 1619, the same year the first enslaved Africans arrived in the Commonwealth. More than 400 years later, Scott will be the first Black person to lead the state's House of Delegates.
"I felt the energy of the ancestors," said Scott. "The prayers, the hopes the disappointments, the dreams."
But Scott said he's doesn't want to be known as just the first Black speaker, but as "a good speaker who happens to be Black."
“I’m going to be the Speaker of the House. Not the Speaker of the Democrats. Not the Speaker of the Republicans, but the Speaker of the House, and it’s the people’s House,” Scott said.
With Democrats now holding slim majorities in the House and Senate, along with Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Scott said voters want lawmakers on both sides to work together.
He said Virginians don't want "chaos" as seen in Washington D.C., and believes the governor is willing to work with them on certain issues.
“I think the governor, to his credit, has demonstrated to try to be a grown up when he stays away from the cultural issues. I think we have a lot of things we can work on," he said.
Scott mentioned attacking the opioid crisis, mental health, education and reducing gun violence as issues both sides can come together to solve.
"All the best ideas are on the Democratic side and all the best ideas are not on the Republican side," he said.
However, there are issues where Democrats and Republicans do not see eye-to-eye, and that includes abortion rights.
House Democrats released their list of priorities this week, and among them, they plan to codify Roe v. Wade through a constitutional amendment.
"We don’t want to go any further than Roe," he said. "We want to keep the law as it is right now and make sure that we trust women.”
Restoration of voting rights is another key issue Scott holds dear to his heart. Scott, a lawyer and veteran, once served time in prison for federal drug charges in the 1990s.
In Virginia, anyone convicted of a felony automatically loses their civil rights, including the right to vote. People must petition the governor, who has the sole discretion to restore those rights, per the state's constitution.
Right now, the Virginia NAACP is suing Gov. Youngkin in connection to how he handles restoring rights of convicted felons.
“Unfortunately, Governor Youngkin has taken us backwards. He has the capability right now to move us forward if he so chooses," Scott said.
If the governor doesn't, Scott says Democrats plan to pursue a constitutional amendment for that, too.
Virginia Democrats will also pursue an assault firearm ban.
“These AK-47s, you can look on Facebook any day or Instagram and see these kids with these weapons of mass destruction. These weapons are meant to be used in war zones," said Scott. "We shouldn’t have them here in Portsmouth, in Norfolk, in Hampton, in Newport News.”
Scott shared a photo online of him recently meeting with former Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder, the first Black elected governor in the United States.
He plans to frame the photo in his office.
Scott called Wilder a mentor with valuable advice, and he said the two share similar values and philosophies when it comes to politics.
In a recent interview with 13News Now, Wilder praised Scott and said he will do well in the job.
However, one of Scott's proudest moments was sharing the news with his 88-year-old mother. She used to tell him about the racism she faced growing up in Texas.
“So, to see me become the speaker Designee and potentially the Speaker of the House, in what was the home of the Confederacy, the capital of the Confederacy in Richmond, the foundation location of slavery in America. It’s amazing and it’s a great story," he said.
Scott is expected to officially become speaker when the full House of Delegates votes on the first day of the 2024 legislative session in January.