NORFOLK, Va. — There are two Superward City Council seats up for grabs in Norfolk on Nov. 5th: Superward 6 and Superward 7.
Neither of the incumbents for those seats are running for re-election, leaving a slate of candidates vying to fill their roles.
Superward 6 wraps around the city of Norfolk, stretching from East Oceanview to the Chelsea neighborhood. Superward 7 covers a wide portion of the center of the city, from Rosemont to Campostella.
Superward 6
There are two people in the running for Superward 6: Jeremy Mason and Jeremy McGee. Both candidates are coincidentally named Jeremy, but each challenger brings something different to the table when it comes to their agendas.
Jeremy Mason
Mason is running under the campaign slogan: “Your Voice, Our Future.” He’s a practicing attorney, and said he’s dedicated to helping people and supporting business owners.
“We want to find other ways to bring more money in, which ultimately will help out businesses to broaden our tax base, but use those funds to invest more into the schools, invest more into our teacher, invest more into our workforce,” said Mason. “When you see these businesses closing, it’s not because they’re bad businesspeople – it’s because the city’s not supporting them.”
He said he sees a lot of room for improvement in the city.
“Norfolk needs help in a lot of ways,” said Mason. “The businesses are struggling – economic development is a major thing on my ticket, education is bad – the students are struggling… and also there’s a lot of food deserts in the area. Those are things I definitely want to see change.”
He wants to bring change by supporting education and small businesses, addressing homelessness and a lack of housing, and mitigating flooding. He's proposing using state and federal incentives to support housing projects and encourage residents to stay in Norfolk.
“I like to look at it as accessible housing for a lot of people. We have military in this area that live in my ward, we have students that live in my ward,” Mason said. “Our goal is to use the C-PACE foundation, which is already set in the laws of Norfolk right now which can be used, where if you use energy-efficient components to help out the environment – such as flooding [resilience], or solar panels, things of that nature – they’ll get funding from the federal government.”
Mason also highlighted a need for better labor practices across the city.
“A major issue right now is collective bargaining. Our city workers are at the point where we know what’s going on, they’re standing outside, they’re striking. We want transparency, we want to create a voice for people,” Mason said. “We really do care about them and we want to have the best for everybody that’s involved – whether you’re the business or the worker. We want to come to the table and make it fair collectively for everybody involved.”
Mason also said he wants to boost tourism and bring a major sports team to Norfolk and the wider Hampton Roads area.
“Tourism is something that’s a big part of my platform. We have the beaches in Oceanview that have been underdeveloped; we have a new casino that’s coming; we have a large, rich history here in the city of Norfolk," he said. "We want to promote that tourism, ultimately to help our businesses grow."
Jeremy McGee
McGee is a small-business owner with experience serving the city in various civic roles. He currently sits on the city’s Planning Commission, and served as a Civic League President and a member of the Visit Norfolk Board and Architectural Review Board.
“I’m running because I believe in this city, I love this city, and I see our city’s potential and I believe that with my 20 years of business and civic potential, I can be a part of moving Norfolk forward,” said McGee. “I felt like there needed to be more small business owner representation on our boards and commissions and ultimately on city council so that’s what leads me here.”
He’s picked up some notable endorsements this election season – among them: incumbent Councilwoman Andria McClellan who’s not seeking re-election, Mayor Kenny Alexander, Vice Mayor Martin Thomas, and Councilmembers Thomas Smigiel, Courtney Doyle and Danica Royster.
As co-owner of Four Eleven York, McGee said he's focused on making the city more business-friendly.
“Making it a place that entrepreneurs can feel comfortable opening a business and expanding a business. As someone who’s gone through some of those processes, we’ve seen firsthand what’s working for business owners and what’s not working in our city for business owners,” he said.
“I’ve gone through and got a conditional use permit, myself. I’ve gone through site plan review, I’ve gone through building permit process. I want to help move some of these large economic development projects forward and I think my background and experience will be helpful in doing that.”
A city that’s business-friendly is more poised for success, McGee said.
“I want to work to make our processes more efficient, more predictable and make Norfolk a place that businesses can open and thrive. I think that’s an important issue whether you’re a businesses owner or not because a city that’s more business-friendly has more restaurants to eat at, more places to shop, more things to do,” McGee said. “A city that’s more business-friendly has more tax revenue that we can put into schools, into neighborhoods, and safety; and a city that’s more business-friendly has more jobs.”
His top issues include addressing the city's housing crisis, "elevating" education with more investment in local schools, and addressing flooding. He also wants to do more to combat crime in the city.
“I think we need to continue making the city safer. I see and feel some of the progress we’ve made in that area but I also see opportunities to keep pushing forward,” McGee said. “Property crime, getting our 911 call center fully staffed, getting our police force back up at full capacity, making sure we’re creating a work environment that allows us to continue to attract and retain the law enforcement officers and the 911 operators that we need to continue making our city safe.”
McGee also has a focus on improving “basic city services” that affect all residents.
“When I think about basic city services, I think about lighting and sidewalks and infrastructure, traffic enforcement, code enforcement, keeping our city clean and well-kept, upkeep of our parks, upkeep of our open spaces, customer service for our taxpayers,” McGee said. “Protecting our city against flooding. I’ve heard consistent concern about these basic city services and how they relate to property values and quality of life. I want to be a council member that’s going to make sure they get the attention and the focus that they deserve.”
Superward 7
Five people are running for the Superward 7 seat on City Council in the Mermaid City: Carlos Clanton, Philip Hawkins Jr, Rodney Jordan, Leon Judge, and Christine Smith.
There are several issues on the table this election. All of the candidates acknowledged crime, affordable housing, and the economy are top issues for voters in Norfolk – and all of the candidates have different ideas to address the issues.
Carlos Clanton
Clanton is a Norfolk school board member. He was the first and youngest African American to serve as the director of the Norfolk Division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.
“I don’t like to call myself a politician, I’m a public servant who has to politic,” Clanton said. “I’m someone who’s not just trying to get a check by their name on the box, but someone who’s going to be direct and honest.”
He’s racked up some notable endorsements this election season – among them: incumbent councilwoman Danica Royster who’s not seeking re-election, and senators Louise Lucas, Aaron Rouse, and Angelia Williams Graves – the latter also served as councilwoman for super ward 7.
“I have the relationships - as you can see within the endorsements from other elected officials at all different levels - I can sit down, I can pick up a phone, I can call because I’ve been there, boots on the ground, advocating,” he said.
Clayton is focused on making Norfolk a more affordable place to live and attracting people to the city. He said supporting small businesses and reducing the city's tax burden on residents are top priorities for him.
“The city of Portsmouth was able to reduce their real estate taxes because they were able to bring in new economic development,” he said. “People want to know: What’s going to happen? What’s going to happen with MacArthur Center, Military Circle, the casino, the airport? The thing that I’ve been trying to make that connection when I talk to individuals in the community is: we all pay taxes but how can we lower your taxes, how can we lower the burden of those who live here in the area?”
Clanton is also focused on revitalizing communities with infrastructure improvements and neighborhood beautification. He also supports creating more affordable housing for Norfolk families.
“Superward 7 is so vast so some issues that Titustown may have versus what’s on the southside are vastly different but the connector all the way across the board is simply this: affordable housing. Individuals are having a challenge in the respect of working in the city of Norfolk but not being able to afford to live in the city of Norfolk,” Clanton said.
“I received the endorsement of YIMBY, which is a housing advocacy group because I’m looking at that. A young individual – a millennial may it be – wants to be a homeowner, as well. But that may look different. That may not be a single-dwelling home, it may be a condo. So looking at a city that’s 97% built out, we’ve got a lot of little small lots and different things down there, or you have families who want to bring in grandma or someone else so ADUs being able to allow and relax some of our policies and ordinances to allow for us to better use the space and better use the things that we have here in the city.”
His other top issues are investing in education and addressing flooding and crime.
“Crime is going down however we’ve got to look at the multi-faceted approach to dealing with crime in our city,” Clanton said. “That’s supporting our youth, supporting mental health awareness within our city, and also the human services component of that so that individuals don’t turn to crime. And then also, when I’ve talked about the mental health component – how are we addressing that in the respect of putting resources to support those individuals who are having a mental crisis, so it’s not necessarily with an armed officer, but a medical professional who can support them.”
Philip Hawkins Jr
Hawkins Jr is a Norfolk educator who’s also served his community as a civic league president and previously as head of the Education Association of Norfolk. According to his website, he also works with the Norfolk Planning Commission on the city's NFK2050 Strategic Planning Advisory Committee to help develop the city's 25-year strategic plan.
“We need to have leadership that will listen to the citizens and who will respond their needs and not just wait or react to problems that we already know are there,” Hawkins Jr said. “We can all point out a problem but we need to have an open door and we willing to listen to different ideas, even though we may not always agree. We can have a better discourse in our politics and in our community because everyone has a voice.”
A lifelong Superward 7 resident, Hawkins said public safety is his top priority. He's focused on recruiting and retaining officers and other public safety employees.
“We need to know that nothing’s going to happen to us because we’re out in a public space or right in our front door,” Hawkins Jr said. “We need to have a renewed focus on our first responders when it comes to calling the 911 services. We’ve heard those stories, I’ve even personally had those experiences where 911 doesn’t answer.”
A longtime educator, Hawkins Jr also wants more resources for public education in the city. That includes more funding, more support for career and technical education opportunities, recruiting teachers, and maintaining school buildings.
“If we can get our education system right, everything else will fall into place,” he said. “The economic engine is education. That’s the most weapon that we can use to fight all of the challenges that we see ahead of us. If we have education, we can figure it out. We can inspire our children to be anything they want to be in spite of their zip code.”
He’s also pushing more economic development in the city and a bigger focus on affordable housing.
“We have opportunities now to change the face of Norfolk and also change it for the better,” Hawkins Jr said. “Affordable, quality, workforce development housing. If we can put that kind of model together for the future of Norfolk. I think we’re going to be much better off. More people will be able to come and – not only - work in Norfolk, but they’ll be able to afford to live in Norfolk.”
Hawkins Jr said he’s known in the community and can bring a fresh perspective to City Council if elected.
“I have been tested. I am a proven and trusted community leader. This is not my first time running. Many people in the city of Norfolk have seen me over the years. I didn’t just arrive and decide to run. I’m running because I believe in Norfolk. I’m running because I believe in the people of Norfolk and I believe in the opportunities that we still have ahead of us,” he said. “Everyone’s voice matters. I want to hear from you… It’s time to turn the page and it’s time to vote for change.”
Rodney Jordan
Jordan is running under the slogan “Our City, Our Turn.” He sits on the city’s school board and has previously served on the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners and the Hampton Roads Workforce Development Board.
“It frustrates me to see people feel like they have to go down to city council and sometimes beg and plead for that, that I believe they deserve by right,” Jordan said. “Equity matters. It’s so interesting to me with all this conversation about some believing equity is a bad thing. But you know what: if you own a house, you want to see your equity rise. I want to see the equity rise not only in property but more importantly in people… So that no matter where you are, no matter where you live, what your zip code is - your talent, your ingenuity is supported. The policies that we’ve had in Norfolk for 50, 70 years to me has been the ‘one-wing policy.’ I believe it’s time for us to have the ‘two-wing policy.’”
He pointed out, there’s a lot of revitalization happening in Norfolk and his focus is ensuring every area - or “both wings” - in the city gets the same opportunities.
“In our city, you have two wings: Superward 6 and Superward 7. When those planes soar, when those birds soar to great heights, both wings are functioning. Both wings are supported. Both wings have lift underneath them to allow the plane to get to the destination. I think for too long in our city, we’re trying to fly with just one strong wing,” Jordan said.
“It starts with consciousness. Until we believe as a city that we truly have two wings that can soar, until we believe as a city that anybody in this city is entitled to have the support of their government and the policies and decisions that come out of City Council to uplift the city as a whole, then we will not be the great city that I know we can be and the great city that we want to be.”
He explained he’s focused on attracting new residents and encouraging current residents to stay on the city by increasing quality of life and making sure everyone has equal access to opportunities and revitalized communities.
“When I visit some cities, I can go to any neighborhood and I can find creative places. I can find shops. I can find entrepreneurs where based upon their talent, have a streamlined process where they can release their business aspirations.”
Leon Judge
Judge is a veteran who served in the Marines and Coast Guard. He mentors at-risk youth and coaches youth basketball.
He said it’s important city leaders invest in citizens to help them reach their fullest potential.
“I know we have to take care of the infrastructure, have to take care of our roads, we have to take care of the city as leadership – we got to make sure the casino brings revenue, and Military Circle,” Judge said. “However, let’s not lose sight of the fact that if we don’t take care of our people first, we won’t even be able to fill these very buildings.”
One of his platforms is working to end homelessness.
“I don’t like to use the word ‘homeless’ – but displacement of our citizens, one of the things I that vow to do is come up with a solution to end that or help with that,” Judge said.
He also wants to reach out to the elderly and create more affordable housing.
“God isn’t going to create any more of this earth, we’ve got all the space – no more is coming. But we do have vacant lots, we do have buildings that have been sitting dormant for the last 20 years. We need to utilize those,” he said. “One thing we can do is look for grants, ask the state for funding as well... Reach out to Habitat For Humanity, make HUD homes, whatever we can do – if we got to knock them down, build quadplexes and that way we can get the most out of our land.”
One of his main focuses is mental health.
“First and foremost on my agenda is mental health. We have a lot of issues, and a lot of the violence comes from mental health,” Judge said. “I want to help people be the best version of themselves for themselves. When they’re allowed to do that, they can be a better father, they can go on to be a mentor, they can overcome some of these obstacles that’s been put in our way.”
He added: “A lot of people don’t even know who they are, they don’t learn to love themselves, a lot of people carry on so much trauma. I believe in the motto that ‘hurt people, hurt people.’ So I created the motto, ‘healed people, heal people.’ One of my mission – not just in campaigning in politics, but it’s a mission from God - I want to help people be the best version of themselves for themselves. When they’re allowed to do that, they can be a better father, they can go on to be a mentor, they can overcome some of these obstacles that’s been put in our way.”
Christine Smith
Smith acknowledges she’s the only woman in the race for Norfolk city council, this election season.
“There are three seats that are open. Two were vacated by women – the incumbents are not running again. Two will be filled by men,” Smith said. “Superward 7, I’m the only female that’s running. I’m definitely not suggesting anyone vote for me simply because I’m a female; I’m a female but I’m also qualified for the position. But it’s an opportunity for us to continue to have diversity on City Council and not just diversity in gender but also diversity in my skill sets.”
She’s served on the city’s planning commission and school board. She’s a Certified Public Accountant who describes herself as “data-driven not emotion-driven.” She's endorsed by Norfolk City Treasurer, Daun Hester.
“My top concerns are housing, code enforcement, as well as public safety…. Housing – I think that’s an issue across the city from an affordability perspective,” Smith said when asked about her top issues. “We can explore implementing changes in zoning that requires developers to set aside a certain portion of their – be it - rental property or homeownership for market rate or below-market rate citizens.”
When it comes to crime, she said public safety is important to her and the city. She wants to ensure emergency services and first responders are staffed and funded.
“Our law enforcement has done a great job with reducing the crime levels – especially violent crimes, last year was a significant decrease - but we still have improvement. When you talk about public safety, it’s not just crime. It’s emergency services. Just the other day, the non-emergency phone number was down,” Smith said. “If you call 911 for an emergency, you want someone on the other end who’s attentive and can address your concerns. So it’s not just the crime part of it, it’s the emergency services, fire and rescue.”
Smith also wants more "fiscal responsibility" in government and more economic development in the city.
Ultimately, she said she wants to keep Norfolk a competitive city and an attractive city for families to move to or families to stay in.
“My background is accounting, and I have over 35 years of experience in government accounting,” she said.
“Every year, the city passes a budget. Not just your annual budget but truthfully every decision that’s made is budget-driven. Any initiative that any candidate says they have, the importance of that initiative is how funding is allocated to it. That’s where my skill set comes in and sets me apart from the other candidates.”
She added: “I’m a good listener and I have no desire or plan to operate solo. I want to hear from the constituents and make sure that what’s done in our neighborhood is done in their best interests and predominantly with their input.”