Meet SD NYC 2021 Candidate Debra Gardner

Image description: A portrait of Debra Gardner, a Black woman with shoulder length, curled hair and a warm smile, taken against a grey backdrop. She is wearing a bright white collared blouse with contrasting black and silver necklaces.

Image description: A portrait of Debra Gardner, a Black woman with shoulder length, curled hair and a warm smile, taken against a grey backdrop. She is wearing a bright white collared blouse with contrasting black and silver necklaces.

On May 3, Sister District NYC was delighted to host a candidate forum for Debra Gardner and hear about why she decided to run and how we can help her flip her seat. 


Debra comes to this race with 30 years of public service experience. She’s running because she cares about community and people and feels she can make a difference.  She’s served at the Chief Deputy level of Virginia's Office of Human Services, Criminal Justice Services and Department of Corrections. Her community activities involve board memberships and committees focused on helping seniors, domestic violence and folks struggling with substance abuse. Her grandmother once said of her,  “She’ll give out before she’ll give up.”


She’s realistic about the challenges Virginia will face in these difficult years--these are issues Debra will focus on:

  • Covid 19 Recovery

  • Quality Education for All

  • Public Safety Reform

  • Protecting Our Environment

  • Access to Affordable Health Care


Debra’s Republican opponent sounds moderate on the stump, but he is anti-choice and follows the party line of Virginia’s increasingly extremist GOP. We are delighted to help Debra flip this seat.


Danielle Dowler