ELECTION 2023: McQuinn, Walker vie for Democratic nomination in the 81st District
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After the 2021 redistricting process, the Virginia House of Delegates’ 81st District replaced much of the former 70th District, represented by Democratic Del. Delores McQuinn. As a result, McQuinn is not the only candidate with eyes on the new 81st District seat, as Terrence Walker is also running in the June 20 primary which will determine the Democratic nominee.
The 81st District covers much of Eastern Henrico County, all of Charles City County and a small portion of Chesterfield County just north of Chester. It is a combination of the previous 70th and 74th Districts, and the area is considered heavily Democratic. About 62% of voters in District 81 cast their ballots for Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the 2021 gubernatorial election, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
McQuinn so far has raised about $20,000 more than Walker (about $163,000), with her top donors being Dominion Energy and the Virginia Auto Dealers Association, according to VPAP. Walker has received 72 cash contributions of more than $100 to McQuinn’s 50, and his top donors are Frank G. Callahan and the Clean Virginia Fund.
Delores McQuinn
A life-long resident of the Richmond area, Del. Delores McQuinn is motivated to continue serving her community by the transformational changes, especially to marginalized communities, that she knows she can make as a legislator.
Prior to her election to the General Assembly in 2009, McQuinn served on the Richmond City Council and the Richmond School Board, and she wants to continue serving as a driving force enhancing the quality of life in the district, she said.
“I think that all of the opportunities that have been given me to serve … put me in a place where I can better serve my constituents.” McQuinn said. “I'm not a newcomer to this. I've been around long enough to develop relationships across the aisle and within my own party, and to be able to have some very strong discussions on things that would bring benefits to the 81st District.”
In her most recent term, McQuinn focused on addressing modernization of the transportation system and creating a safer environment for transit workers. She sponsored a bill that made it a Class One misdemeanor for assault and battery against public transportation workers. She also sponsored a bill that created the Transit Ridership Incentive Program, which directs the Commonwealth Transportation Board to improve the accessibility and safety of public bus transportation.
Two issues McQuinn believes continue to affect the community are equity in education and gun violence, and she has been addressing them since the early 1990s, she said. She plans to continue to push for programs that support young people by eliminating idle time and idle minds.
McQuinn supports increasing pay for teachers but believes it is just as important to make educators feel that they are respected and supported, as she considers it one of the noblest professions.
“The mandate is for them to educate,” McQuinn said. “The mandate should not be for them to be the psychiatrist and the social worker and the parent, and all of those [roles] that we are expecting them to have outside of educating our children.”
McQuinn believes there should be more focus on building available and affordable housing in the district, and making sure that working-class (especially Black) families can secure homes to build generational wealth, she said.
Along with former governor and Republican Robert McDonnell, McQuinn is vice president of Virginians for Reconciliation, which is an organization that identifies dividing lines between partisan groups and works to bring people together, she said. McQuinn considers herself a bridge builder, and will work across party lines in order to enhance the quality of life of others, she said.
“[McDonnell and I] are as different as night and day,” McQuinn said, “and partisan, in terms of him being a Republican and me being a Democrat. But I have always worked across party lines for things that I truly believe in for the benefit of the constituents, and I will continue to do that.”
McQuinn enjoys hosting “coffee and conversations,” where she connects with constituents over donuts and coffee in addition to having town hall meetings. She prioritizes communicating with the community through newsletters, phone calls and walking to meet people at the park or along the corridor of Route 5.
McQuinn believes experience matters when it comes to politics in the General Assembly. She served on several committees as senior member of the appropriations committee, chair of transportation committee, as well as on the general laws and education committees.
McQuinn studied at Virginia Union University and Virginia Commonwealth Unviersity, and received Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Virginia Union University in 2021.
Terrence Walker
Terrence Walker, a single father and activist living in the Varina District for more than 20 years, felt as though all of his roles were stretching him thin and decided running for the House of Delegates was his next step toward making more positive change in his community.
“[The redistricting] opened the door for me to simply move my energy toward representing the new district,” Walker said, “because all of the work that I did in all of those other places were things that I'm passionate about and areas that I would like to focus on in the General Assembly.”
Walker served as the vice chair for the Henrico County Democratic Committee, as an at-large member on the Henrico Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and as an at-large member on the Henrico National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He is currently a mental health administrator at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Walker believes he is capable of representing the 81st District well because he knows first-hand the challenges that working families face. In 2019, Walker’s wife died from cancer, so he recognizes the challenges of trying to acquire healthcare resources, childcare, quality education and a safe environment for his son, he said.
Education is a top priority for Walker. He believes funding is important, but also equity and the proper allocation of resources. He wants all children in the district to have the same access to beneficial opportunities in the public school system, such as advanced programs for associate degrees.
“We know that in order to succeed in our economy, [young adults] have to be well educated and trained for a bright future, and we should be focused on that in our public school system,” Walker said.
The next issue on Walker’s agenda is environmental justice. He frequents the Virginia Capital Trail and wants to preserve scenery like it because of risks he believes the environment faces, he said. One measure he supports is making sure landfills are regulated, so as to not spread harmful toxins and pollutants into the environment.
Walker believes it is important, when developing land, to create housing that working families can afford. He supports creating housing grants for families and challenging developers to make sure they are not pricing people out of the market, he said.
As a firearm owner, Walker respects the right to bear arms, he said. However, he believes the community is in a public health epidemic in terms of losing children to gun violence. He grew up in North Philadelphia and believes there is no one solution to the gun violence epidemic but favors more a multi-faceted approach, including restrictions for firearm access.
“I do think a piece of it is sending new people to the General Assembly who bring a different perspective with experience living in communities where there is violence, and then trying to advocate to move our youth away from violence in terms of conflict resolution,” he said.
Walker tells his possible constituents that if he comes back in two years without having made any progress, they should not re-elect him. He wants to go to the General Assembly and be able to return to his community with proof that he made strides in the areas that are important to them, he said.
LEARN MORE
Delores McQuinn's campaign website
Terrence Walker's campaign website
Virginia Department of Elections – Citizen Portal
