It Begins: Rep. Darryl Scott to Retire

Filed in Delaware by on March 6, 2014

It usually starts as spring dawns in an election year. The retirements. Always there is a surprise. Last time, the surprise was Terry Schooley. This year, this might be it:

I have decided not to run for reelection this year.

The obligations of my family and career outside the General Assembly have changed, and it is apparent to me that I will not be able to provide my constituents with the level of service they require and deserve beyond the end of my term this year. If you do this right, it is the fullest part-time job you will ever have.

This is a decision that was not reached easily. I count my time in the legislature as some of the most rewarding of my professional career. It’s truly been an honor and a privilege and I thank the citizens of the 31st District for giving me the opportunity to serve them for the last six years.

I owe a great debt to my family for supporting my career in public service and want to thank my wife Carol and my sons Mason and Devin for allowing me to serve. It would not have been possible without their sacrifices and their help. I also want to thank my mother and siblings for their love, encouragement and financial support over the years, and the friends, neighbors and the countless volunteers who helped me campaign and serve.

I’ve always believed public service is about making positive changes that affect the lives of the citizens in my community and across our state. It is my simple hope that my constituents believe I was successful in that regard. I’m humbled to have been given this opportunity and I look forward to other opportunities to serve in the future.

Scott was first elected in 2008 after defeating longtime Rep. Nancy Wagner (R) in their Kent County district. So it is a surprise that he is leaving so early, but it seems family and career obligations are the reason. Thank you for your service, Mr. Scott.

About the Author ()

Comments (24)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Rep. Scott has been an outstanding representative, one of the best, from a progressive perspective.

    One of the few legislators we can’t afford to lose. And we’re losing him.

    I mean, if you can get elected with THAT bow-tie, you gotta be good.

  2. Mitch Crane says:

    Darryl Scott is an excellent legislator. He is a champion of causes he believes in. He fights to advance those causes, even when they are seemingly unpopular. He is also great at constituent services. In the six years he has served, he has represented his district and his principles well. Darryl and his wife, Carol, are good people and my husband and I count them among the people we call “friends”.

    That friendship will certainly continue, but his service will be missed, though I am certain he will return to elective office in a few years.

  3. John Young says:

    His record on education was abysmal. Furthered the charter agenda (HB165) and carried Markellian water for inequality in our schools through bad, evidence-less and generally uninformed policy regarding teacher prep, teacher placement, and competitive grants to drive outcomes which perverts the incentives in our schools. Idly watched testing and teacher punishing become bloodsport and rose up to do nothing about it. (SB51)

    I have no doubt he was revered by his constituents as he was re-elected twice and he clearly would have won again. That said, not as many tears here.

  4. Yeah, John, that Inspire Scholarship bill was a TERRIBLE blow to the hopes of students wishing to go to college.

    Oh, wait…

  5. John Young says:

    Ah yes, defending the decision of our Sec Ed to join a right wing education think tank run by Jeb Bush http://wp.me/pwqHK-3fN

    If that’s your definition of progressive, then OK I guess.

  6. puck says:

    Yeah, John, that Inspire Scholarship bill was a TERRIBLE blow to the hopes of students wishing to go to college.

    Support for college is nice but you’ve got to get there first.

  7. HB 165, HB 165, Benghazi, Benghazi.

    I get it for the, like, thousandth time, John.

    Voting for HB 165 renders someone unfit for public service.

    In your mind.

  8. liberalgeek says:

    It looks like the mantle will be picked up by Sean Lynn, running for Scott’s seat.

  9. Whaddayaknow about him, LG?

  10. Tim Bakerman says:

    John,

    Are you running for re-election? Filing date is tomorrow.

  11. AustinA says:

    Sean Lynn is a very nice guy who is a lawyer and Dover City Councilman. I hope he does win, but in all honesty I think Mrs. Wagner may try and get her seat back….

  12. John Manifold says:

    The Lynn name is magic in Dover. Pat Lynn Sr. was the well-liked principal of Dover High School. [Wasn’t he a city councilman or levy court member afterwards? ] Pat Lynn Jr. is an equally popular fixture in the community.

  13. pandora says:

    You know, I really resent HB165 “fighters” being dismissed as Benghazi-ites. That bill mattered and will extend its reach farther than 95% of the bills passed in Delaware. So yeah, I’d ask him to explain that vote. So far, the people who voted for this bill appear to fall into two categories – 1) they support tax payer funding for non-taxpayer owned buildings (even though that means screwing over taxpayers when a charter goes under), or 2) they didn’t bother to read the flippin’ bill – which seems to apply to most of them. That hardly inspires confidence.

    Comparing those of us who fought tirelessly against this bill, and actually, you know, knew what was in it, to the Benghazi contingent is extremely unfair.

    I, respectfully, ask that you walk this back. And that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t support Sean Lynn. It means that dismissing people who did all of heavy lifting over HB165 as Benghazi-ites is unfair. And I get that being in the Brandywine School District insulates you, but there are other districts that will be taking a huge hit… and it’s only a matter of time before BSD (and your property values) take the hit, as well. HB165 made this a reality.

  14. SussexWatcher says:

    The Bhengazi crowd has one note, and they sing it loud. Like John Young and his relentless barrage about 165. It’s a very apt comparison.

    We get it, it was a bad bill, but John, you lost. Unless you’re taking active steps to repeal it and swing it back the other way, y’all need to realize that you lost and deal with the stages of grief in an appropriate manner.

    Let it go or get fucking even – I don’t care. But singing the same tune day after day with no end in sight just kills your credibility in the same way it’s killed the Bhengazi-ites’.

  15. SussexWatcher says:

    Also, Sean Lynn is a really good guy, one of the few voices of sanity on the Dover council. He’s an attorney, young, energetic and smart. I hope it’s true that he’s running.

  16. Jason330 says:

    young? 50’s is young now?

  17. SussexWatcher says:

    He’s in his late 30s.

  18. Jason330 says:

    Sorry. I must have been thinking of an older brother.

  19. Delaware Dem says:

    Sean Lynn is in.

    I received a very unusual call yesterday afternoon from my friend and colleague Darryl Scott. What I thought was to be a fairly routine conversation about a common issue facing the City of Dover or a project that Mr. Scott was working on and needed assistance with, was actually the disheartening news that he had decided not to seek reelection.

    Darryl informed me that my name had been circulated as a potential candidate for his vacant seat.

    I was too stunned at the time to say what I ought to have said, which was simply “thank you” for the thought, the call, and the confidence he had placed in me by including me in a small group of individuals that he felt comfortable carrying on the hard work he has performed for our district over the last several years. I rectified my omission last night by calling back and leaving him a voice mail simply expressing my gratitude.

    After some long conversations with my wife, Alexis Richardson Lynn, and my family, together with my friends and colleagues at Baird Mandalas Brockstedt, I’ve decided to take up the challenge and run for Representative Scott’s seat, representing the 31st Legislative District.

    I am very excited about this opportunity. Candidly, I didn’t sleep a wink last night trying to determine if this was the right path for my family and I. I think it is, and I hope you agree.

    I would ask all of my neighbors and friends for their support in this endeavor. I could use a hand!

    Thanks!

  20. Pandora: SW expressed my views better than I did. No diss intended, I have all the respect in the world for what you do.

    Just got tired of the John Young one-note that HB 165 should be the sole determinant as to whether someone is a good legislator or not.

    This Sean Lynn seems like a real good successor to Scott. Thanks, Paul, for the link.

    BTW, this looks like a rock-solid D district, 7331 D’s; 3491 R’s; and 3405 I’s. A Democratic registration majority.

  21. puck says:

    “Just got tired of the John Young one-note that HB 165 should be the sole determinant as to whether someone is a good legislator or not.”

    @El Som: It seems to have escaped mention here that Scott is chairman of the House Education committee. It is reasonable to put more weight on his handling of HB 165, which is easily the most important education bill this session. Also, what Pandora said.

  22. Hmmm says:

    Hmmm… if SW likes Sean Lynn, can he actually be a good guy?

  23. Kent County Progressives says:

    Depending where the Councilman stands on certain issues, we will back him for 31st District Rep