Three candidates vie for Democratic nomination in House of Delegates firehouse primary

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Former Richmond City Councilor Michelle Mosby, Richmond Community Legal Fund President Charlie Schmidt and carpenter Greg Powers are running to be the Democratic nominee in a House of Delegates district race.

The firehouse primary for the 77th House District, which covers parts of Richmond and Chesterfield County, took place on Sunday, Dec. 14. The election was organized by the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA) as opposed to the state.

The race comes after current Del. Mike Jones (D-Richmond) announced his resignation from the House of Delegates after earning the Democratic Party's nomination in the Virginia Senate District 15 race.

Jones's nomination came after he won a previous firehouse primary held on Sunday, Dec. 7. Voters will choose between him and Republican John Thomas in the special general election.

8News spoke with voters at the polls who provided insights into why they cast their ballots.

"Years, decades, people have been fighting for their right to vote. So, it's my civic duty to do it as well," voter Alicia Cole said.

Among all issues important to the candidates, Mosby said she's running on excellent education, among other goals.

"The organization that I founded — Help Me Help You — (which) works to provide navigation continuum of care to those who've been incarcerated is still moving and shaking," Mosby said.

At the same time, Schmidt's advocacy centered on state protections after federal rollbacks, and Powers said he wants to pay teachers a "fair, livable wage."

"My background is with civil rights and union organization. Win or lose, I'll be down there at the General Assembly putting in the work," Schmidt said.

Regardless of the outcomes, all three candidates want to offer a hand to help Virginians thrive.

"I volunteer for an organization: giving kids the opportunity to have pride in a position or a volunteer job instead of having pride in the pistol in their hip," Powers said.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project, a Republican nominee has not been announced. The special general election is Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.