Chesterfield’s Dale District will choose a new supervisor in Tuesday primary

One local seat will be up for grabs during Tuesday’s primary voting in Chesterfield County.

The Dale District Board of Supervisors seat is up for a special election after Jim Holland, the district’s former five-term representative, died in October. 

The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary will likely win the seat in November because the local Republican Party didn’t nominate anyone.

Two candidates are running, Kathryn Crosby and LeQuan Hylton. Hylton, who served on the Planning Commission, was appointed to the seat as an interim member last November at Holland’s request.

Both said they’ve spent extensive time campaigning to introduce themselves to voters and hear the area’s concerns before the election. The Dale District is the only district in Chesterfield with a majority-minority population.

It’s Crosby’s first time on this side of politics, and she’s been going door-to-door to chat with neighbors and understand what they’re looking for. She said it’s important to her that she’s the one making contact with people, not a canvasser, because voters should know exactly who’s on the ballot. Also, she said she should be aware of what’s wanted from Dale’s elected official.

“I can’t say I want to advocate for you if I don’t know what it is that you need to be advocated for, right?” Crosby said.

Hylton said he’s keeping an ear to the ground, listening to and learning from his neighbors. This has informed his seven months on the Board of Supervisors and, if elected, he’s looking to maintain this connection with his constituents.

“I am so uniquely connected to the community,” Hylton said. “When you’re knocking doors, when you’re at church and you’re in the grocery lines, and you overhear conversations or people are directly to you, you can pick that up and try to help shape public policy to meet the needs of the people.”

Meet the candidates:

LeQuan Hylton

Hylton is hoping to build on the successes of Holland’s tenure while also breathing fresh air into his district.

“It’s a handoff between the generation that’s in front of us and my generation,” Hylton said. “If we don’t step up, a lot of times I have to ask myself: ‘Who will?’” 

“Everything we touch should be improved. That’s my goal for the Dale District.”

Hylton considered his biggest qualifier as a candidate to be his résumé — particularly his 20 years of experience in the Army Reserve Corps, as well as his education. He has a Ph.D. from VCU, and is also a proud graduate of Virginia State University.

During his time on the planning commission, he and his fellow members participated in a study with VCU’s Wilder School that examined what Chesterfield’s residents want from their community. The resulting data found folks want sit-down restaurants, more medical facilities, more childcare opportunities and gyms. He’s hoping to bring those ideas to life if elected.

“We did a lot of research just to find out what people want,” Hylton said. “We’re working very hard to bring the quality of life for citizens up.”

Beyond his professional background, Hylton said his personal experience lends him an edge. He has three daughters — two of whom are currently enrolled in public schools — as well as an aging mother. 

“I think that’s what uniquely positions me for the job — just the multitude of experiences,” he said. “People want a clean, safe community with good schools. And so that’s my focus.”

This mixture of firsthand and learned experiences will inform his goals if elected. He’s experienced school buses running late because of breakdowns. A house in his neighborhood burned down because the fire station was too far away. Dale schools rely on exterior instructional trailers to accommodate its student population. 

These are all issues he’s eager to tackle — and his ability to do so will be decided Tuesday.

“That’s what I hope that I bring that’s unique: That ability to listen and learn and to implement policy that impacts the root cause of what people are going through.”

Kathryn Crosby

For Kathryn Crosby, running for Dale District supervisor is personal. She’s seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat, saying she wants to make sure her community has a voice in its government and a clear understanding of how it works.

“I have to live here. This is home for me. This is home for my parents. This is home for my daughters,” said Crosby, who’s lived in Dale for 34 years.

“At some point, you’ve got to put some skin in the game.”

While she’s new to campaigning, Crosby isn’t new to government. She was previously the Virginia Department of Health’s first chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer — an experience which shaped her understanding of public service.

“When I think about equity and inclusion, that’s what this is: making sure people have access to resources and opportunity, and sometimes the resources are just knowledge about what’s going on or how something is supposed to go,” Crosby said. “Government is supposed to be as transparent as it can be.”

That theme has been woven throughout her campaign. If elected, Crosby’s number one goal would be to ensure Dale’s residents are educated on exactly what their government is doing and why — something she said is contrary to the status quo.

“I’m so past the siloed approach. I’m so past that, ‘This is how we’ve always done it.’ I am so over the go-along-to-get-along,” Crosby said. “No, it is time for us to start pulling folks in, letting folks know how these things are supposed to work. Government is people.”

To achieve this, Crosby’s aiming to attend HOA meetings and host town halls to bridge the gap between herself and her constituents.

“I really understand community and community needs and what it means to really represent and advocate for communities who either a) don’t know the processes at all or how things are supposed to work, or b) do know them but don’t know how to start going about doing them.”

Crosby already has a few specific goals in mind, most of which she formed while chatting with potential Dale voters. She wants to relieve overcrowding in public schools — particularly Salem Church Middle School, which is at 91% capacity. She’s looking to add sidewalks to help Dale’s aging population. And, Crosby said she hopes to roll out the red carpet for more restaurants to set up shop in her district. 

While Crosby doesn’t yet know which specific processes she’d need to pursue these changes, she described herself as an eager learner who’s ready to tackle the challenge. 

“I actually care about this community in a way that I want them engaged in these processes,” Crosby said. “I don't want them waking up and seeing something is happening to us, versus with us and for us.”

Contact Eleanor Shaw at eshaw@richmonder.org. She is a Report for America corps member. This article has been updated since it was posted.