Don Scott, a Democrat, local attorney and former naval officer, is one step closer to being the next Delegate for the 80th House District in Virginia.

Scott was the only person to file for candidacy in the Portsmouth area district and is running to replace Del. Matthew James (D-Portsmouth) who stepped down earlier this month after Gov. Ralph Northam appointed him to his economic development team. James is serving as Deputy Director for the Department of General Services.

After James resigned, the Portsmouth Democratic Committee announced it would hold a June 1 caucus for interested candidates and gave them until May 22 to file their paperwork.

Despite whispers that other candidates would file, Wednesday came and went and Scott was declared the party’s nominee.

Scott, who has a remarkable story that includes a tough childhood and a stint in prison, currently sits on the Portsmouth Economic Development Authority. He has also previously represented officials like Portsmouth Councilman Mark Whitaker and NAACP branch President James Boyd.

The 80th district is heavily Democratic and no Republican has filed to run. If a Republican decides to run against Scott, they must file by June 11. Either way, it’s almost certain that Scott will be representing the 80th district following this November’s elections.