VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia's newly drawn 99th House District encompasses the northeast corner of Virginia Beach.
The Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) lists the district as "leans Republican."
The incumbent is Republican Anne Ferrell Tata, the wife of a retired Naval officer; she has served one, two-year term in Richmond.
Her late father-in-law was former delegate and local high school football coach Bob Tata.
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"We used to always tell our children, you know, as we raised them, your name matters and when you go out in the world, it's not just about you. It's the name you carry. So, I was very aware of that in Richmond. I wanted him to be proud. Even if he'd passed away, I thought maybe in Heaven he knows what I'm doing," she said.
In an interview with 13News Now, Tata listed her top legislative achievements as bills on foster care, human trafficking, and the military.
The challenger in this race is Democrat Cat Porterfield, a Navy wife, realtor, and former print journalist. She also ran previously for City Council.
"What drives me is the same thing that drove me as a journalist. I'm a watchdog. And there's literally nothing I can do about my curious nature. and my need to dig in and get to the bottom of something. And that was an asset for the publications I worked for. And I think that would be a real asset to the residents of the 99th District to have somebody in Richmond. And when I get there and I find out what's going on, I'm going to tell everybody. That's in my nature, too," she said.
This is Virginia's first election under new state legislative maps that were drawn following the 2020 redistricting cycle.
The new 99th District is largely what used to be the old 82nd House District.