Kim Sudderth

My name is Kim Sudderth and I’m running for the House of Delegates, District 92. This race is about values, community and hard work. We are here to serve The People and the progressive policies that we stand for so we can all get to the good part.

The importance of this year cannot be overstated. All the districts are new, all the seats are up for election and the current administration has ambitiously oppressive goals. The make-up of the next General Assembly will have impacts that will last for generations to come. I am running for delegate because Virginians want a plain-spoken, strong, and capable leader. As a proven community champion, I’ll lead with my values to put the people in our community first.

I currently serve the people of Norfolk as the first Black woman Vice-chair of the Planning Commission ensuring that our city’s future is inclusive for all. From this position, I have faced down developers who tried to undermine our city’s equitable goals for affordable housing. I have worked and will continue to work on the ground with the folks of St. Paul’s- like my dear friend Ms. Michelle Cook- to ensure that the promises made by our elected officials are honored.

I have advocated for small businesses facing conflict and confrontation from the city. There is a clear disparity in the businesses that are being targeted and business owners like Steve Johnson and Nancy Domond are caught in the fray while other businesses with violent, toxic histories have gone unaccounted.

I currently serve and fight for justice as an executive-level member of the Norfolk chapter of the NAACP. I lead the Environmental and Climate Justice Committee in lifting the voices of community members and leaders like Monét Johnson and Carl Poole III and received an award this past September for those efforts to highlight coal dust in Lambert’s Point and climate driven gentrification in our city.

As an organizer, I’ve advocated tirelessly on behalf of our most vulnerable communities. I’ve taken on industrial tyrants and out-of-touch politicians. And as a proven community champion, I have won.

When a dangerous proposed pipeline threatened to put the Southside in an Incineration zone, I partnered with community leaders like Pastor Tyree of First Baptist Berkley, Norfolk and Chesapeake residents and a few national environmental justice organizations. We worked until the pipeline was ultimately canceled.

When I found out that children were walking through thigh-high water just to get to and from school, often attending school soaking wet, or missing days of education, and nutrition- I partnered with residents of Tidewater Gardens, the principal and city school administrators until we got safe transportation for OUR children.

I have also worked with partners across the state to elevate our communities.

I’ve worked with ethical solar partners, to ensure that ALL communities have access to the growing clean energy movement. This work is the reason there is the first ground mounted solar array at a historical Black church in Old Huntersville, Wesley Union AME Zion and Pastor Brandon Praileau presiding. I advocated for the Virginia Clean Economy Act that was not only passed, but also included more pathways to affordable solar for residents like my neighbor and friend, Jack Daniels, who received the very first solar array in the state under that new law.

This work is part of the reason why Virginian children will have electric school buses, a project I worked on with Delegate Mark Keam and our new Congresswoman- Rep. Jennifer McClellan.

That work also includes Mayor Alexander signing the Global Covenant of Mayors, the largest global alliance for city-level climate leadership in 2017.

I’ve lived in Hampton Roads my whole life and I live in Norfolk because I choose Norfolk, every day. And I’m going to keep on choosing it. I live a stone’s throw away from the people of South Norfolk and Northeastern Chesapeake. And you best believe that it will be The people of the 92nd who I will protect, elevate and carry in my heart when I go to Richmond. I will lead with my values and I will put the people in our community first. As your Delegate for District 92, I will continue to advocate tirelessly for the places where we live, work, learn and pray. As a proven community champion, I will DO. THE. WORK. that needs to be done for our community.