Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) appeared to receive an olive branch from Delegate Don Scott Jr. (D-Portsmouth), who the Virginia Democrats elected as their Speaker-designee for the Virginia House of Delegates following Republican losses in last week’s elections, after Scott stated he wants “a reset” between the men during a Friday interview.
In Friday remarks to The Washington Post, the Speaker-designee described himself as a “pragmatic progressive” who is ready for “a reset” with Youngkin. The outlet reported Scott believes Democrats and Youngkin “can find common ground on areas such as education, mental health funding and creating good jobs,” and the publication noted Youngkin made similar promises in a press conference shortly after the electoral defeats of November 7.
In a press conference, Youngkin told reporters “we still have a divided government” that he said “means we all have to come together to progress legislation.”
Youngkin said he expects to work with Democrats on education, public safety, and mental health, and called them “areas where over the course of the last two years we have come together on a bipartisan basis. Because that’s what Virginia requires.”
However, the Post reported Scott also intends to push partisan bills seeking to amend Virginia’s constitution to include the right for citizens to have abortions, engage in same sex marriages, and for felons to have their voting rights restored.
As The Virginia Star reported when Democrats elected Scott to a leadership position in 2022, he was arrested in 1994 and served seven years for dealing drugs. He later told The Virginian-Pilot he only picked up money for a drug dealer and “never saw drugs.”
Youngkin’s concerns about passing bipartisan legislation may be lessened, however, should Virginia Democrats lose control of the State Senate due to the residency issues raised against State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield).
Though Hashmi stated on her campaign paperwork that she lives in a North Chesterfield apartment, which is part of Senate District 15, four neighbors filed a complaint stating she lives in Midlothian, which is outside the district she won last week. The neighbors reportedly provided a spreadsheet showing she passed their home 61 times in October to document her residency.
Should Democrats lose control of the Virginia Senate, the governor would find himself with an even more narrowly divided legislature than he had during his first two years in office.
Some Virginia Republicans sought to punish Speaker Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah), an ally of the governor, for refusing to push back on the plans crafted by Youngkin and his allies prior to the Republican defeats. Gilbert ultimately retained his leadership position, and is poised to become the Minority Leader of the Virginia House in January.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
