Eva Mae Fleming Scott
| Eva Mae Fleming Scott | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 17th district | |
|
In office January 9, 1980 – January 11, 1984 | |
| Preceded by | James T. Edmunds |
| Succeeded by | Edd Houck |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 31st district | |
|
In office January 12, 1972 – November 1979 | |
| Preceded by | John Warren Cooke |
| Succeeded by | R. Beasley Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Eva Mae Fleming May 6, 1926 Amelia County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Other political affiliations | Independent (1971–1979) |
| Alma mater |
Longwood College Medical College of Virginia |
| Religion | Baptist |
Eva Mae Fleming Scott (born May 6, 1926) is a pharmacist and politician from Virginia. She was the first woman elected to the Virginia State Senate, in 1979.
Life and career
Scott is a native of Amelia County, Virginia, and has lived there for most of her life.[1] From a Republican family – her father was the chairman of the Amelia County Republican Party[2] – she attended Longwood College and the pharmacy school of the Medical College of Virginia before returning to Amelia and opening a pharmacy.[1] She married a local businessman and had five children with him.[1]
Scott first won election to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1971, running as an independent; her predecessor had suffered a stroke, so she decided to run in his stead. She had six weeks to campaign, and won by 121 votes.[2] She was reelected three times, serving a total of four two-year terms. Soon after her first victory, she and her family moved to Dinwiddie County due to redistricting, which had removed her Amelia County residence from the area which she represented.[1] Scott has described herself as "a real conservative. Conservative first. Republican second."[2] She became noted during her time as a delegate for her belief in limited government and free enterprise, and she expressed her opposition to abortion and the Equal Rights Amendment.[1] Scott limited the amounts she would allow people to contribute to her campaigns, fearing that otherwise she might become indebted to those who gave her money and would compromise her beliefs.[2] Over her three terms in the House, Scott served on a number of committees, including Militia and Police, Counties Cities and Towns, Labor and Commerce, and Roads and Internal Navigation.[3][4][5]
Redistricted out of her House of Delegates district again,[2] Scott chose to run for the Virginia State Senate in 1979; she won the Republican nomination, and narrowly defeated the incumbent.[1] She served only one four-year term, choosing not to run for reelection in 1983 when the boundaries of her Senate district were changed.[1] Scott has stated that she was not aware of any discrimination while serving in the Senate, even if it was present.[2] After her time in office she has continued to be active in conservative causes and the local Republican Party, and has worked in her family's lumber business as well;[1] she has stated that she feels she should continue in public service, as the electorate trusted her enough to elect her to office.[2] She has expressed support for the Tea Party movement.[2] She is a Baptist.[3]
Scott was named one of the Virginia Women in History for 2013.[1]
See also
- Sarah Lee Fain and Helen Timmons Henderson, first women elected to the Virginia Legislature, in 1923
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Virginia Women in History 2013 Eva Mae Fleming Scott". virginia.gov. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lydia Freeman. ""Something to Burn For": Interview with Eva Scott" (PDF). Virginia Capital Connections Quarterly. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- 1 2 Legislative profile from the 1972 session of the Virginia House of Delegates
- ↑ Legislative profile from the 1974 session of the Virginia House of Delegates
- ↑ Legislative profile from the 1979 session of the Virginia House of Delegates