Candidates to face off for Norfolk seat
Sylvia Bryant, Angelia Williams Graves chosen for Jan. 5 special election
Norfolk Democrats and Republicans have picked their candidates to face off next month for an open state delegate seat.
In a “firehouse primary” on Saturday, Democrats chose Angelia Williams Graves to represent them in a Jan. 5 special election for the seat held since 2014 by Joe Lindsey, a Democrat and longtime lawyer who was recently appointed to a judgeship in Norfolk’s General District Court.
Graves has spent the past decade serving on Norfolk’s City Council and was unchallenged for reelection to the Superward 7 seat earlier this year. If elected to the statehouse, she’d vacate her council seat with three years remaining in the term. She has defeated retired Norfolk detective Richard “Rick” James, who has unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination in District 90 four times, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Republicans on Sunday held their own drive-thru nominating contest and selected Sylvia Bryant, a political newcomer who works as an office administrator. She beat military veteran Mario Portillo.
Lindsey has to step down from his job as a delegate in order to serve as a judge, leaving the 90th District seat vacant for the remaining year of his two-year term.
Both parties decided to hold private events, rather than official primary elections, to choose their candidates.
The parties caucused over the weekend in a process which required a $5,000 entry fee from candidates and a so-called “loyalty oath” from voters who wanted to participate.
In Virginia, people don’t register by political party, meaning anyone can vote in any primary. That’s why parties sometimes hold private events instead to pick their nominees.
Now that Democrats and Republicans have made their picks, voters will have the final say in January’s formal election.
The district leans heavily Democratic, though that lean
was reduced a bit by newly drawn district lines that went into effect in 2019, according to VPAP.
That means that although the Democratic pick will still be favored to win — VPAP rates the district as about 70% Democratic and 30% Republican — the GOP will have a slightly higher chance next year.