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Attica Scott

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Attica Scott
Scott in 2011
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
from the 41st district
In office
January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2023
Preceded byTom Riner
Succeeded byJosie Raymond
Member of Louisville Metro Council
from the 1st district
In office
October 13, 2011 – January 1, 2015
Preceded byJudy Green
Succeeded byJessica Green
Personal details
Born (1972-01-30) January 30, 1972 (age 52)
Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Socialists of America[1]
EducationKnoxville College (BA)
University of Tennessee (MA)
WebsiteCampaign website

Attica Woodson Scott (born January 30, 1972)[2][3] is an American politician who served as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from the 41st district from 2017 to 2023.

Early life and education

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Scott was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and attended duPont Manual High School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Knoxville College and a Master of Arts in communications from the University of Tennessee.[4]

Career

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Activism

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Before her appointment to Louisville Metro Council, Scott was a community organizer for 15 years and worked as a coordinator for Kentucky Jobs with Justice, working on migrant rights, health care, and racial inequality.[5]

Louisville Metro Council

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The Louisville Metro Council selected Scott to replace Judy Green, who was removed from the council for ethics violations, in 2011. She won a special election to fill the remainder of Green's term in 2012,[6] but lost her reelection in 2014 to Jessica Green, Judy's daughter.[7]

Kentucky House

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In 2016, Scott ran for the Kentucky House, defeating Democratic incumbent Tom Riner in the primary election. She was unopposed in the general election on November 8, 2016, and became the first African American woman to serve in the Kentucky General Assembly since 2000.[4] Her committee assignments include Elections, Constitutional Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs, Judiciary, Natural Resources & Energy, and Education.

In 2020, Scott supported the Maternal Care Access and Reducing Emergencies Act, a bill to improve maternal health.[8] She sponsored House Bill 54, which would remove the tax on certain baby products, such as diapers, wipes, baby bottles, nipples for the bottles, and bottle liners.[9]

U.S. House

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On July 7, 2021, Scott announced her candidacy for U.S. representative for Kentucky's 3rd congressional district, a seat held by Kentucky's sole Democratic U.S. representative, John Yarmuth.[10] On October 12, Yarmuth announced his decision to retire.[11] Consequently, Kentucky Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey entered the race.[12]

Breonna Taylor protests

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In late May and June 2020, Scott marched during protests in Louisville after the shooting of Breonna Taylor.[13] During the protest she made accusations of excessive use of force against protesters by law enforcement. Scott claimed that she and her daughter, along with other protesters, were sprayed with tear gas without warning by police during the protest.[13][14] She was critical of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear's decision to send in the Kentucky National Guard to support Louisville Metro Police in controlling protesters;[15] called for Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer's resignation, claiming that the public had lost confidence in his ability to address police brutality; and demanded that Louisville police be held accountable in the shooting deaths of Breonna Taylor and David McAtee.[16][17]

On September 24, 2020, Scott was arrested in Louisville during protests, but before the start of the curfew, and spent the night in jail. With 17 others, Scott was charged with felony first-degree rioting, misdemeanor failure to disperse and misdemeanor unlawful assembly.[18][19] The charge of rioting was dismissed on October 6 and the misdemeanor charges were dropped on November 16.[18] On June 14, 2021, Scott filed a lawsuit against Louisville Metro Police alleging her arrest violated her constitutional rights to due process and equal protection and inflicted "severe emotional distress."[20]

Personal life

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Scott is a single mother and has two children,[4][21] one of whom was arrested with her at a protest in Louisville in late 2020 and later cleared of all charges.[18]

Electoral history

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Louisville Metro Council District 1 Democratic Primary Election, 2012[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Attica Scott (incumbent) 1,232 48.77
Democratic Ray Barker 622 24.62
Democratic Steve Colston 248 9.82
Democratic Janis Carter Miller 219 8.67
Democratic Rosa Macklin 205 8.12
Total votes 2,526 100.0
Louisville Metro Council District 1 Democratic Primary Election, 2014[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jessica Green 1,711 55
Democratic Attica Scott (incumbent) 1,400 45
Total votes 3,111 100.0
Kentucky House of Representatives District 41 Democratic Primary Election, 2016[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Attica Scott 3,504 54.23
Democratic Tom Riner (incumbent) 2,005 31.03
Democratic Phillip Baker 952 14.74
Total votes 6,461 100.0
Kentucky House of Representatives District 41 General Election, 2016[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Attica Scott 13,257 100
Total votes 13,257 100.0
Kentucky House of Representatives District 41 General Election, 2018[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Attica Scott (incumbent) 10,933 100
Total votes 10,933 100.0
Kentucky House of Representatives District 41 General Election, 2020[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Attica Scott (incumbent) 13,993 100
Total votes 13,993 100.0
Kentucky 3rd Congressional District Democratic Primary, 2022[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Morgan McGarvey 52,157 63.34%
Democratic Attica Scott 30,183 36.66%
Total votes 82,340 100.0%
Kentucky Senate District 33 Democratic Primary, 2024[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gerald Neal 4,854 55.31%
Democratic Attica Scott 3,460 39.43%
Democratic Michael W. Churchill Jr. 462 5.26%
Total votes 8,776 100.0%

References

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  1. ^ @dsa_louisville (March 19, 2024). "Attica Scott is a longtime organizer who has served on Louisville Metro Council and as KY State Representative. We are proud to endorse Attica as a DSA member and a venerable champion of Kentucky's working class" (Tweet). Retrieved June 25, 2024 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ "Legislator-Profile". Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  3. ^ "A Q&A with Attica Scott". June 29, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c "Kentucky Elects First African American Woman to State Legislature in 20 Years". NBC News. May 18, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  5. ^ "First day on the job for Judy Green's replacement". WDRB. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  6. ^ "Attica Scott loses, other incumbents coast to wins in Metro Council primaries". WDRB. May 20, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  7. ^ Anna-Lysa Gayle (May 21, 2014). "Attica Scott loses race to daughter of former councilwoman". WLKY. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  8. ^ "Rep. Attica Scott in Lexington rallying support for a bill to improve maternal healthcare in Kentucky". WLEX. January 5, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  9. ^ Ansari, Maira (February 26, 2020). "Proposed bill would mean savings for Kentucky families with small children". wave3.com. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  10. ^ "Kentucky State Rep. Attica Scott announces congressional run for Yarmuth seat". WDRB. July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  11. ^ "House Budget Chair John Yarmuth announces retirement". POLITICO. October 12, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  12. ^ Watkins, Morgan. "On heels of Yarmuth retirement announcement, Kentucky Democratic leader says he's running". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "'Love, Support For One Another, Resistance': What Protests Look Like In Louisville". NPR.org. NPR. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  14. ^ "Rep. Attica Scott Upset with LMPD Protest Response". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  15. ^ Smith, Marcus Green and Lawrence (June 10, 2020). "National Guard leader predicts probe will show 'measured response' in David McAtee shooting". WDRB. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  16. ^ Elahi, Amina (June 11, 2020). "Support For Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer Wanes As Protests Continue". 89.3 WFPL News Louisville. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  17. ^ Loosemore, Bailey. "After nights of protest, Louisville is hurting. Where does the city go from here?". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  18. ^ a b c Cummings, Darron (November 17, 2020). "All protest charges dropped against Kentucky lawmaker". Across America. The Philadelphia Tribune. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  19. ^ Jaclyn Peiser (September 25, 2020). "Kentucky's only Black female legislator arrested on felony rioting charge at Breonna Taylor protest". The Washington Post.
  20. ^ "State Rep. Attica Scott sues LMPD officers over arrests during Breonna Taylor protest". WDRB. June 14, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  21. ^ Scott, Attica (August 11, 2014). "A mother's fear for her black son". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  22. ^ "May 23, 2012 (Page A8 MT)." Courier-Journal (2008-), May 23, 2012, pp. 1.
  23. ^ "Primary Election May 20, 2014 Jefferson County, KY Statement of Votes Cast Official Results" (PDF). Jefferson County Clerk. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  24. ^ "2016 Primary Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  25. ^ "2016 General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  26. ^ "2018 General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  27. ^ "2020 General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  28. ^ "Election Night Reporting". vrsws.sos.ky.gov. Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  29. ^ "STATE SENATOR 33rd Senatorial District". Election Night Reporting. Kentucky State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
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