Scott Flax is the Democratic candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates District 82. His name will appear on the ballot on Nov. 2.
Candidate: Scott Flax
Race: Virginia House of Delegates District 82
Party: Democratic
Website: flaxfordelegate.com
Biography: Scott Flax was raised in the 82nd District, and now he is raising his family in the same community he grew up in. Flax understands Virginia Beach’s challenges and its successes and that’s why he is running to represent the 82nd District in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Flax grew up in Virginia Beach, so when he graduated from the Washington College of Law, in Washington D.C., in 2004, he knew he wasn’t staying there. He came home. He began working for Tavss Fletcher, where he is now a partner, and married Leah, the love of his life, whom he had known since high school. They live in Thalia with their three wonderful boys and their dog.
Community involvement has been an integral part of Flax’s life from a young age. When Flax was in high school, the tragic death of a close friend led him and several classmates to start the D.A. Taylor Charitable Foundation. They’ve raised nearly half a million dollars and have helped 11 young people attend college in the 14 years since they began. He served on the Bay Colony Civic League board and served as the president of the Thalia Civic League. He is the vice president of Jewish Family Services, a premier social service agency that has helped thousands of families and individuals in need in the Hampton Roads area since 1946. As a lawyer, Flax advocates for his clients, and if elected delegate to the 82nd District, he will advocate for his constituents and bring their voices to Richmond.
Why should Virginians elect you to the Virginia House of Delegates?
I grew up in the 82nd District, I’ve lived in the district for most of my adult life, and I’m raising my family here. I know what makes this community great, and I know the challenges it faces. This is the best qualification to represent our area in Richmond. My experience as an attorney is also important. I’ve seen the effect that good laws and bad laws can have on citizens, and I want to take part in carefully considering the laws we put into place for Virginia. I know the law and I can advocate in the legislature for the laws that will do the most for our community.
What do you hope to accomplish, if elected?
Economic recovery and job creation is my main policy priority. We need to help our small businesses and tourism industry recover from the pandemic by fighting for our share of recovery dollars in Richmond. We need to work to encourage job growth in Hampton Roads, especially in emerging sectors like wind energy. We need to listen to the voices of workers and small business owners to get our economy back into shape for the challenges ahead.
I also want to address issues around coastal flooding, such as changes to infrastructure and conservation efforts that ensure we are paying attention to the concerning effects of climate change on Virginia Beach. I want to make education a priority for the legislature, so we can work to increase teacher pay, invest in rebuilding school infrastructure, and get back to providing the best education we can for our students.
What is the most important issue facing your district, and what is your position on it?
The most pressing issue in our district is economic recovery and job creation. Our area, like much of the Commonwealth, is facing and will continue to face serious economic challenges as we recover from the pandemic. We must fight for our share of recovery dollars to aid our small businesses, and I will work to make our area the wind energy hub of the East Coast, creating over 3000 jobs in the Hampton Roads area.
What is your position on Virginia’s overall response to the coronavirus pandemic, and what might you have done differently?
Every state has faced difficulties in their response to the pandemic, and no state’s response has been perfect; however, I believe the Commonwealth of Virginia made the right decisions in regards to economic relief and public safety, all while working hard to reopen the Commonwealth as quickly as possible. I also believe the initial vaccine rollout was not as efficient as possible, and we should continue to push for increased vaccination all across Virginia.
What are the top three issues created by the coronavirus pandemic in your district, and how would you plan to address them?
The top issue in our district is the effect the pandemic had on our local economy. We can address this by prioritizing job creation, listening to small business owners, and providing assistance to workers and businesses that are still struggling due to the effects of the pandemic.
The issues facing schools are also critical. We need to study and address the effect on students of more than a year of remote learning. We can also work to raise teacher pay and invest in school infrastructure, so that students that were struggling before the pandemic don’t continue to fall behind.
The pandemic also highlighted the need for expanded access to broadband internet. Many students and workers alike needed broadband access to get to school and work, and we can ensure that access by passing the plan provided by Gov. Ralph Northam which aims to establish broadband access for all Virginians by 2024.