Petersburg has traditionally been a city where Democrats control local politics, but ahead of the House District 82 election in November, recent efforts by Republicans could influence one of the state’s most competitive races.

The election is viewed by pollsters as a true toss-up: The district, which encompasses Petersburg as well as most of Dinwiddie, Prince George and Surry counties, voted for both Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020 and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2021. 

This story was reported and written by The Virginia Mercury

The candidates — Republican incumbent Kim Taylor, who owns three auto repair shops with her husband in Chesterfield, and Democrat Kimberly Pope Adams, an accountant and auditor at Virginia State University — have fundraised roughly equal amounts, with Taylor reporting $673,104 to Adams’ $666,618 as of Aug. 31.

Over the past year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has championed his administration’s “Partnership for Petersburg,” a package of initiatives that are designed to funnel resources to the city to help community-building efforts while also encouraging economic development, affordable housing and better education.

Taylor may be able to capitalize on the partnership’s success, appearing at a press conference to celebrate its one-year anniversary Sept. 27 with the governor.

“The Partnership for Petersburg is a great coalition of state and local leaders dedicated to revitalizing this beautiful and historic community,” Taylor wrote in emailed responses to questions from the Mercury after declining a formal interview, citing a busy schedule. “Our team is speaking with voters in Petersburg every day, and they are optimistic about the future of Petersburg. Like me, they are proud and want the best for their families, businesses, and town.” 

Local officials have been positive about the investments, but Adams said she wants to make sure credit is also given to the Democrats who have put in work in the city for years.

“I see this partnership more as clever marketing as opposed to an actual new initiative for my community,” she said in an interview with the Mercury.

“I’ve lived here all my life. I see the efforts that were made by those long before Gov. Youngkin. There are federal programs in place. There’s federal funding that was approved by the late Congressman Donald McEachin,” she continued. “I want to make sure that’s not lost, that we remember the true origin of these initiatives. For that reason, I want the voters to know that the Biden administration and Democrats have been working hard for us for generations, and that is still the case.”

Taylor has focused her campaign on economic and public safety issues, downplaying her party affiliation in campaign messages so far.

Voters “want schools and streets to be safe,” Taylor wrote. “They want their taxes cut to keep more of their hard-earned money. In Richmond, we are working to raise tax deductions, promote sustainable job growth, put teachers back in control of their classrooms, and put parents back in the driver’s seat of their children’s education.”

Adams’ approach to public safety, like that of many Democrats in Virginia, instead places more emphasis on funding public institutions as a preventative measure.

“We need to not only talk about the ways to increase law enforcement, but we also need to make sure we have the conversation about preventing that crime from happening in the first place,” she said. “I believe the way you prevent these types of things from happening in the first place is by investing in our public schools, investing in after-school programs, fighting for common-sense gun legislation, and bringing good paying jobs to the district. Because all of those things that collectively add to our quality of life also collectively add to the reduction of crime.”

Adams also believes her party’s desire to preserve access to abortion represents an issue where she can gain ground. Current Virginia law allows abortion in the first and second trimesters with few restrictions and permits it in the third if three doctors determine it poses a severe risk to the mother. Republicans have pushed to narrow that access, with many supporting a proposal to ban the procedure after 15 weeks except in cases of rape, incest and a threat to the life of the mother. 

“When I’m knocking on doors, not only are people passionate about the issue, but what I’m also noticing is that people are a little scared,” Adams said. “The reason people are afraid is because they say, OK, if we allow this right to be taken away, then what’s next?”

Taylor, through a campaign spokesperson, did not offer a statement on her stance on abortion, something she also declined to do when asked by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The state GOP has pushed back against Adams’ messaging on the issue. In a recent TV ad, the Democrat accused Taylor’s family of running and funding “a crisis pregnancy center tricking women into carrying non viable pregnancies.” The Republican Party called that “another flat out lie” in an email. Taylor’s business has previously offered support to the center in question, Grace Home Ministries, and its website lists Taylor’s husband as a member of the board.

Taylor wrote that her track record is one of success over the past two years, and believes that voters will ask her to continue that work.

“What we are seeing is positive,” she said. “The work that we are doing in Richmond is bringing jobs and investment to Petersburg and providing relief to many who are struggling to get by.”

Adams said if elected, she wants to work with housing developers to incentivize them to build more inventory in her district.

“We just don’t have enough affordable housing,” she said. “There are people with housing choice vouchers where they’ve been approved for housing assistance, [but] they just can’t find a place to stay.”

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