Democratic Delegate Angelia Williams Graves has represented the 90th District since a special election in January 2021. Prior to her election, Delegate Graves served on the Norfolk City Council for ten years and as vice mayor of Norfolk for three years. She attended Tidewater Community College and Old Dominion University, graduating with a degree in business administration and marketing. She owns her own realty company and has two sons. She’s a member of Grove Baptist Church.

In the General Assembly, Delegate Williams Graves advocates for equitable criminal justice reform. She was chief patron of a bill to strengthen civilian oversight of sheriff’s offices, covering a loophole in previous bills and ensuring all law enforcement officers are held accountable. She introduced legislation to expand an individual’s access to a lawyer to include their first court appearance and bail hearing. She voted to legalize marijuana and wants to ensure that legalization is done equitably to support Black and Brown communities ravaged by the Drug War.

Williams Graves supports making the promise of democracy real for us all by expanding access to the ballot. She was a chief co-patron of legislation that allows localities to expand access to early voting on Sundays. She fought to keep voters safe and healthy during the pandemic by removing the requirement for a witness signature on absentee ballots during an emergency and to establish dropboxes available for voters to leave their ballots. She voted for the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, which prohibits discrimination at the polls.

Serving on the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee, Williams Graves advocates for environmental protections and understands the threat of rising sea levels to her district. She worked with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to ensure Virginia’s rivers and bays were clean and protected from polluters. She voted in favor of a bill that establishes new fuel efficiency standards and mandates car manufacturers produce a certain percentage of low- and zero-emission vehicles, supporting the Commonwealth’s transition to relying on 100% renewable energy.

Williams Graves has also been an advocate for the rights of workers and tenants, ensuring everyone can afford to live and work in Virginia. She voted in favor of a successful bill to establish a housing tax credit for low-income individuals. She voted in favor of expanded legal protections from foreclosures for individuals living in mobile home parks. Williams Graves also received the “Family Friendly Seal of Approval” from the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy for her commitment to expanding options for childcare, eldercare, paid sick days, and family leave.

Delegate Williams Graves is facing Independent candidate Giovanni Dolmo. Dolmo ran in the 2022 District 89 House of Delegates race and lost to Delegate Jackie Glass. While Dolmo is running as an independent in this race, his Facebook page for his run for the House of Delegates listed him as a Republican. When asked about his views on Governor Youngkin’s 15-week abortion ban, he did not explicitly show support for abortion access.

Due to her advocacy for equitable criminal justice reform, working families, the environment, and voting access, Delegate Angelia Williams Graves is the most progressive choice for this race.
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