Va. Democrats tap new House leader

The Democratic caucus in the House of Delegates chose a new leader Wednesday morning.

After leading the charge to overthrow the former leader and Speaker of the House Eileen Filler-Corn in April, Del. Don Scott will now lead the caucus through 2023 as the members of his caucus voted him into the position.

Other contenders for caucus leader were Del. Rip Sullivan and current Caucus Chair Charniele Herring.

Scott was first elected to the House in 2019 to represent the city of Portsmouth.

He will now be tasked with leading House Democrats through the remainder of their two-year term and he will also be the one in charge of trying to flip back the House in next year’s elections.

Caucus leaders are also historically tasked with leading the fundraising charge and helping out as many members and Democratic candidates as they can during election season. Filler-Corn was and continues to be one of the most powerful fundraisers in Virginia’s Democratic Party.

With his new position, however, the donors will likely be much more inclined to work with Scott.

“I’m not afraid to stand up and say it: Youngkin and his party don’t care one bit about effective governance or how their decisions impact everyday Virginians. They are happy to sit back and stoke the flames of the culture war while our constituents struggle to make ends meet. I will never forget the people who have been counted out by those in power, because they are my constituents, my clients, and my community. So, when Youngkin vetoes good bills out of spite or turns our public schools into ideological battlegrounds for his own partisan gain, I will always speak truth to power, and I won’t back down,” Scott said in a statement. “The issues at stake right now are momentous: from abortion rights, gun safety, and criminal justice reform to wages and benefits that aren’t keeping up with the rising cost of housing, health care, and basic necessities. The status quo was working well for the rich and well connected, but it’s not working for everyday Virginians. I am ready to lead our caucus back to the majority so that Democrats can get back to delivering on real, kitchen table issues for the people of Virginia.”

Del. Dan Helmer was voted Vice Chair of Outreach for the House Democratic Caucus during the same election.

Delegate Helmer gave his support to Delegate Scott, saying: “House Democrats are ready for a fresh perspective to move us forward. Don has already proven himself as a unifier by bringing together progressives and moderates in the House to ask for a change. I know he will be the sharp, decisive leader we need to build a stronger and more united caucus.”