With no incumbents, Norfolk candidates compete in wide open primaries for Districts 92 and 94

For one Virginia House seat that includes parts of Norfolk and Chesapeake in District 92, the Democratic primary election in June will determine the presumptive winner of the open seat later this year.

In District 94, which covers northern Norfolk, including the Ocean View neighborhood, three Republicans are facing off in a primary for the chance to represent a district that has leaned Democrat in prior years.

Neither seat has an incumbent.

Early voting is underway and runs through June 17, with the election set for June 20.

[ 2023 Virginian-Pilot Primary Election Guide ]

House District 92

Two Democrats from Norfolk — Bonita Anthony and Kim Sudderth — are vying to represent the newly drawn House District 92, which includes areas around Old Dominion University, downtown Norfolk, Berkley and South Norfolk. No Republicans are on the ballot in that race, and the district leans heavily Democrat, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. That means whoever wins the race is all but assured victory in the November general election.

Both Anthony and Sudderth told The Virginian-Pilot that protecting public education, the environment and access to abortion are among the biggest priorities for the district.

Anthony, 55, is a university administrator for the College of Engineering and Technology at Virginia State University and received engineering degrees from Old Dominion University. She said she also previously worked for the Federal Aviation Administration, has taught K-12 and higher education and has been involved in community advocacy as a minister.

Anthony said she was inspired to run particularly because of the dismantling of abortion rights, and calls for a constitutional amendment to ensure Virginia remains a haven for abortion access. She also wants to ensure lawmakers don’t divest in public education or dilute any educational opportunities. And as a caregiver to her mother, she would like to see expanded support for families who are looking after their own as they work to make ends meet.

“(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 for their rights and protections,” Anthony said.

Gun violence is another big issue and requires a broader “overarching” view of what leads to it, she added. Ways to target some of the root causes could include legislation that addresses rent stabilization and tenant rights, livable wages and transportation infrastructure, she said.

Anthony said her varied background is ideal for tackling a lot of issues that impact Virginians every day.

“Our lives are too complex to be ‘single-issue folks,’ and everything is interrelated,” she said.

Anthony previously sought a seat on the Norfolk School Board during a crowded race in 2018. She lives in the Ingleside neighborhood of Norfolk with her mother.

Sudderth, 51, is a political newcomer with experience in community advocacy. She helped organize the Hampton Roads chapter of a group called Mothers Out Front, which works to amplify the voices of mothers and women with children in the climate movement. Through Mothers Out Front, Sudderth said she and others have worked to advocate for electric buses and additional school bus routes for those plagued with flooding on Tidewater Drive.

Sudderth said those experiences showed her how different issues like environmental justice, housing and access to health care intersect.

“(What) I know is that when I’ve worked with communities that are trying to take care of themselves, more often than not, we won,” Sudderth said. “And so I want to keep that going. That’s what I want to take with me to the General Assembly.”

Sudderth said House District 92 includes a diverse demographic with concerns that are just as diverse, but that many want the same things for their lives: clean air and water, access to food, and safety from flooding and gun violence. Equity must be top of mind for lawmakers, she added.

“We all want a roof over our heads and meaningful jobs and to have the autonomy to make decisions about ourselves without involving politicians,” she said. “I think we can all agree to that.”

On the issue of reproductive healthcare, Sudderth said she would seek to preserve Virginia’s current rules on abortion and push for “passage of an amendment to guarantee access to abortion without restrictions.”

Sudderth is a strategic planning consultant and has a bachelor’s degree in sociology, with a specialization in diversity and inequality, from Saint Leo University. She lives in the Berkley neighborhood of Norfolk and has three adult children.

Anthony and Sudderth are neck-and-neck on money raised for their campaigns. Data from the Virginia Public Access Project shows Anthony received $17,579 in donations by the end of March, leaving her with $5,149 cash on hand. Sudderth has raised $16,737, leaving her with $2,852 cash on hand.

House District 94

Taxes, education and crime in Norfolk emerged as major issues for three candidates — Amy Chudzinski, Ken O’Brien and Andy Pittman — running in the Republican primary for the District 94 House of Delegates seat. The winner of the primary will face Democrat Phil Hernandez in the November general election.

Amy Chudzinski, 53, is a civil defense attorney and former public defender who calls Ocean View home. Originally from Ohio, Chudzinski said public safety and education go hand in hand.

She wants to address learning loss from the coronavirus pandemic in schools and see math, science and reading scores improve, in addition to providing students with pathways into college or trade career options after high school.

“Let’s get them in school, keep them in school and set them up for success so that they don’t end up committing crimes and ending up in the criminal justice system,” Chudzinski said.

As for public safety, she wants to make sure certain violent offenses aren’t eligible for bail. Chudzinski also said the criminal justice system doesn’t adequately handle mental health problems, and wants to see more resources for mental health in criminal justice and the community at large.

Ken O’Brien, 63, is a retired Navy officer who spent 16 years stationed in Italy before returning to Norfolk six years ago. This is his first time running for office.

“We desperately need to fix our school systems and our taxes. And I think if you fix those, that will have an effect on crime,” O’Brien said.

He pointed to the higher school dropout rates in Norfolk as an example of the problem.

“Once kids drop out of school, there’s not much left for them except crime,” he said. “So that’s one of the issues to help cut down crime, is to keep these kids in school (and) get them an education.”

O’Brien wants to use surplus state tax revenue to provide tax breaks to citizens and use funds to address community issues.

Andy Pittman, 53, is a second generation Norfolk native with deep familial ties to the city. He said he’s running for office because he wants his children, ages 5 and 9, to “grow up in the same America I grew up in.”

Pittman, a civil litigation attorney, described himself as a fighter for families, focusing on crime, tax reform and parents’ rights.

In the statehouse, he’d like to undo recent changes in state law that prevent police from pulling over drivers solely for a broken tail light or expired inspection that he says limited police effectiveness. Pittman also wants to see commonwealth’s attorneys offices fully funded and staffed so they, rather than police, are prosecuting misdemeanors in addition to major crimes.

Pittman hopes to reform the tax code to mitigate the effects of inflation and hopes to adjust business taxes in a way that brings more jobs to the area.

In education, Pittman wants to address pandemic learning loss and literacy and proposed merit pay for exceptional teachers who work long hours. But he said parents must come first.

“We need to remember that children belong to the parents, not the government,” he said.

Pittman leads fundraising efforts in the race, raising $45,649 as of March 31, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Chudzinski has raised $16,332, followed by O’Brien with $9,625.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

Cianna Morales, 757-957-1304, cianna.morales@virginiamedia.com