City of Chesapeake

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Nadarius Clark was born in Norfolk and attended I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth and obtained his bachelor’s from Virginia Union University. Delegate Clark co-founded the Generation Now Network, an organization committed to faith based activism, advocacy, and education. In 2017, he lobbied in Congress for comprehensive expansion of Medicaid and Medicare. He is currently a radio host on 94.7 The Link and is one of the youngest Delegates in Virginia.

As a native of the Tidewater region, Delegate Clark has witnessed the effects of climate change and rising sea level. He believes the government must take urgent action to address the climate crisis. He opposes the Mountain Valley Pipeline and if elected, will support legislation to stop the construction of new pipelines. He also supports a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects and has vowed not to take campaign contributions from fossil fuel companies.

Del. Clark wants to hold police accountable for the violence enacted on communities. He believes in using police alternatives to community dispute resolution to nonviolent and mental health-related crises. He supports ending qualified immunity, a practice that shields police officers from lawsuits for committing civil rights violations. Clark advocates for racial justice by promoting reparations to the descendants of enslaved people. He also believes in bringing equity to communities ravaged by the drug war by directing revenue from the sale of legalized marijuana to Black and Brown communities.

As a candidate, Delegate Clark pledged to bring access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Virginians. He also wants to focus on inequities in our healthcare system by improving disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia and disparities in the mortality rate of Black and Indigenous mothers. As Delegate, he voted against HB 212, which would have reinstated the mandatory 24 hour waiting period for individuals seeking an abortion prior to the procedure.

Delegate Clark has been a staunch advocate for diversity and equality. He voted against HB 1387, which limits participation in women's sports on the basis of sex assigned at birth and also voted against HB 2432, which requires schools to out trans kids to their parents. He voted against HB 753, which allows religious schools to discriminate against faculty and students and voted against HB 127, which makes it illegal for Governor’s Schools to factor diversity into admission processes.

Delegate Clark’s opponent in this race is Mike Dillender, a member of the Board of Directors for the Stonebridge School. In this role, he has hidden behind rhetoric to forward an agenda to blatantly indoctrinate children into the belief that America is inherently and historically a Christian nation. He has pledged to sponsor legislation defunding Planned Parenthood. He wants to put armed guards in every school rather than pass common sense gun violence prevention legislation. He proudly touts an endorsement from Gov. Youngkin.

Due to his support of the environment, racial justice, access to affordable healthcare, and criminal justice reform, Del. Nadarius Clark is the most progressive choice in this race. Close Window

Karen Jenkins is a lifelong resident of the City of Suffolk and currently serves on the Suffolk School Board. Jenkins is a champion for education, public safety, and mental health. During her first term on Suffolk School Board, Jenkins participated in training and workshops to improve policies and procedures for Suffolk Public Schools. She was instrumental in developing business partnerships and programs to enhance student academic achievement and worked closely with state legislatures to gain funding for SPS.

As a mental health professional, Jenkins understands the importance of mental health resources. She pledges to advocate for legislation and funding to bring mental health awareness and resources to the district. Education is also a top priority for Jenkins. Working on the Suffolk School Board and with Suffolk Public Schools, she has a proven track record of prioritizing and putting students at the focus of our education system. In tandem with her focus on education, Jenkins believes that we all deserve to feel safe and have public safety resources available to us in our time of need. She plans to assess and modernize public safety systems in our district to meet our current and future needs. She has also received an endorsement from Planned Parenthood of Virginia.

Jenkins has the opportunity to make Virginia history. She is running for this seat at the same time as her husband, Delegate, Clint Jenkins, seeks the newly created seat in SD 17. If both were to win their respective seats, they would be the first married couple to serve contemporaneously in the state’s history.

Jenkin’s opponent is Republican City Councilman Baxter Ennis, a veteran. Councilman Ennis wants to provide unchecked funding to police. He supports a near-total abortion ban and repeats GOP lies about activists’ positions. He will do nothing about gun violence.

Despite limited available information on Karen Jenkins, the positions that she does advocate and the work she has done for public schools make her the progressive choice in this race. Close Window

Jeremy Rodden is a Democratic candidate with a Master's degree in Education. He has experience as an educator with the School District of Philadelphia, JobCorps, and Together We Can Foundation. Rodden is also experienced in community service, committing time to volunteering in the City of Chesapeake as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children, soft skills educator for disconnected youth, and coach in Chesapeake Little League. Rodden is the co-founder of Pride in the 'Peake, Chesapeake's first annual Pride event.

Rodden believes in a science-driven, issues-focused approach. He plans to vote in favor of issues ranging from protection of abortion access to increased mental health awareness to LGBTQIA+ acceptance to public health emergencies. He wholeheartedly believes that experts should be consulted and trusted for the most up-to-date and accurate advice. He has been endorsed by VA LGBT+ Democrats, the Center for Freethought Equality, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, Roe Your Vote Virginia, and Equality Virginia.

Protecting the environment is also at the top of his priority list. He believes that “climate change is real and it is caused by human actions”. He argues that “we must responsibly take all measures we can to conserve our natural resources, prepare for the results of our actions (such as rising sea levels), and protect our environment for future generations.” His policy stances have earned him endorsements from Eric Holder and the NRDC, Save the Dismal, and Sierra Club.

Rodden is a staunch advocate for public education. He argues that “The most important resources we can provide for our children are the best teachers and staff. By paying them well, listening to their needs as the front-line contacts with our students, and striving for the best working conditions possible for them, we can offer our students the best education.” He is opposed to book banning efforts and calls out Republicans for demonizing teachers.

Rodden believes that government is not meant to be run in the shadows. He wants government transparency across the board and says that “all official activity by members of elected office should be easily available for public scrutiny and participation.” He believes that the Commonwealth is in dire need of campaign finance reform.

Rodden is challenging incumbent Republican Delegate Jay Leftwich, an attorney who has represented the 78th district in the House of Delegates since 2014. Since his election, Leftwich has voted against expanding Medicaid insurance coverage, raising the minimum wage, protecting insurance coverage of abortions, legalizing marijuana, and abolishing the death penalty. He also opposes keeping our communities safe by passing common sense measures to prevent gun violence.

Given his positions on public education, environmental stewardship, civil rights protection, and government transparency, Jeremy Rodden is the progressive choice in this race. Close Window

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Cliff Hayes was born in Chesapeake and has represented the 77th District in the House of Delegates since 2016. With the redrawn district lines, he will now run for the 91st District. He attended Norfolk State University, where he played basketball and completed post-graduate studies at multiple institutes of higher education. He spent his professional career working in information technology and technology policy. He also served as a member of the Chesapeake City Council from 2004 to 2012. He has two college-aged daughters and lives with his wife in Chesapeake.

Serving as the chair of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science, Del. Hayes is a strong advocate for technological developments that boost the economy and protect the environment. He introduced and successfully passed legislation that created a major offshore wind generation facility. His work on this project led him to receive a certificate of appreciation from the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. Delegate Hayes also voted in favor of the passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which will transition Virginia’s energy grid to 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Delegate Hayes has worked to make healthcare affordable and accessible to all Virginians. He voted in favor of Medicaid expansion in 2018, which granted access to affordable healthcare to 400,000 Virginians. Del. Hayes was chief co-patron of a bill that expanded telemedicine services and ensured Virginians could safely see their doctors during the pandemic and beyond. He also voted to make abortion coverage available on the state health insurance exchange. He voted to cap insulin prices at $50, and he introduced and passed a bill to make it easier for pharmacies to distribute marijuana and CBD-based products. He voted no on HB 212, which would have reinstated mandatory waiting periods before a person can have an abortion and voted yes on SB 1276, which repeals the abortion prohibition in Virginia health insurance plans.

Delegate Hayes has supported increased school funding at all levels. He voted in favor of a budget which gave teachers a 5% raise, increased funding for school counselors and nurses, and additional money to ensure schools can safely reopen during the pandemic. Del. Hayes also worked to make higher education more affordable by voting for the Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back (G3) program, which makes community college tuition-free for low-and middle-income students who study in certain fields.

As a member of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, Del. Hayes has supported bills to ensure racial equity in Virginia. He voted to recognize racism as a public health crisis in the Commonwealth. The caucus also worked to ensure that the tax dollars received from the legalization of marijuana went to the Black and Brown communities that were disproportionately affected by drug enforcement. Del. Hayes also fought for the historical preservation and funding for the maintenance of Black cemeteries in Chesapeake.

Delegate Hayes’ opponent is Republican Thomas Powell. We could not find any information on him at the time of research.

Due to his support of the environment, access to affordable healthcare, public education, and racial justice, Delegate Cliff Hayes is the most progressive choice for the 91st District. Close Window

Bonita Anthony is a university administrator for the College of Engineering and Technology at Virginia State University. She received an engineering degree from Old Dominion University. She has also previously worked for the Federal Aviation Administration, taught both in public K-12 schools and at the university level and has been a community advocate as a minister. She believes her varied background will be key in tackling the issues facing Virginians on a day-to-day basis.

Anthony lists abortion access as a top priority. The dismantling of abortion rights via the Dobbs decision was a key factor in her decision to run, and she has called for a constitutional amendment to ensure that Virginia remains a haven for abortion access. She has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Virginia and was given a 100% rating by Repro Rising. She has also been endorsed by Emily’s List.

Protecting the environment is also a top priority. Her positions on good governance, environmental justice, and clean energy earned her an endorsement and funding from Clean Virginia in 2022.

After winning her primary against Kim Sudderth, Anthony told the Virginian-Pilot, “(As) a legislator, I believe that people want someone who is going to make sure that they have a voice and that makes sure that they are well informed and that someone’s going to fight for them and their rights and protections.” She said that gun violence is another big issue and requires a broader “overarching” view of what leads to it. She understands that handling the issue will require innovative thinking and argues that some ways to target the root causes could include legislation that addresses rent stabilization and tenant rights, livable wages, and transportation infrastructure.

Anthony is also a strong advocate for public education. She said her top statewide priority would be to fight against dismantling public education. She argues that democracy exists and flourishes with an informed and engaged population and pledges to push against legislation seeking to defund, disinvest, and undermine public education. She says that “we need well-funded public schools where Virginia provides more per student investment than ever.” She wants to require schools to offer free meals to all students universally.

Anthony’s opponent is Republican Michael Durig. We could not find any information on him at the time of research.

Because of her stances on gun violence prevention, the environment, and abortion access, Anthony is the clear progressive choice in this race. Close Window