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Top News — Government — General Assembly — Election 2025 — Eastern Henrico — 81st District — Alicia Atkins — Education — Henrico School Board — Delores McQuinn

Henrico School Board Chair Atkins announces run for Virginia House of Delegates

,   and  Liana Hardy
2 min read
Alicia Atkins (Courtesy Atkins' campaign)

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Henrico School Board Chair and Varina District representative Alicia Atkins declared her campaign for the Virginia House of Delegates’ 81st District seat, currently held by Del. Delores McQuinn, in a press release Tuesday.

Atkins became the first Black woman to serve on the county's school board when she was elected to the Varina District seat in 2019 and also became the first Black woman to serve as board chair after being elected to the position this past January. In 2023, she won reelection to her school board seat with 73% of the vote, defeating challenger Dominique Pervall.

Atkins said that her campaign for the General Assembly would promote a “laser focus on education, empowerment, and the environment” in Virginia’s 81st District, which covers much of Eastern Henrico, all of Charles City County, and a small portion of Chesterfield County.

“With ‘Putting People First’ as our guiding principle, we will amplify the voices of Henrico County, Charles City, Chesterfield, and beyond,” Atkins wrote in her announcement. “This campaign is about all of us. I have a vision and strategies designed to address our shared priorities, and I eagerly look forward to embarking on this journey with you, putting people first every step of the way.”

Atkins likely will face off against McQuinn for the Democratic nomination of the 81st District seat in June of 2025, prior to the general election in November. McQuinn earned more than 80% of the vote to claim the Democratic nomination in 2023 against challenger Terrence Walker and faced no Republican challenger during that year’s general election.

McQuinn first was elected in 2009 to represent Virginia’s 70th District, which covered parts of Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield before the state’s redistricting process in 2021 created a new 81st District seat. She served as the chair of the House’s Education Committee last year and proposed a bill that led to the establishment of a commission to study the history of state universities uprooting Black communities.

A native of Eastern Henrico, McQuinn previously served on the Richmond City School Board before her tenure in the Virginia House.

Before joining the Henrico School Board, Atkins, who is an alumna of Highland Springs High School, worked in healthcare administration. In her campaign announcement, Atkins highlighted several initiatives she supported while on the school board, including the creation of a new environmental ‘Living Building,’ a new Center for Innovation program at John Rolfe Middle School, and Henrico Schools’ first multipurpose community school, The Oak Avenue Complex.

Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s Report for America Corps member and education reporter. Her position is dependent upon reader support; make a tax-deductible contribution to the Citizen through RFA here.