In Virginia's 100th House District, Democrats choose their fighter
Democrats in part of Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore were preparing for a firehouse primary this month to select a nominee to challenge Del. Rob Bloxom in November.
But now, one candidate says he's dropping out of the House District 100 race and endorsing the other, eliminating the need for the planned caucus vote on May 31.
Rocco DeBellis, a New York native who serves as personal chef to Judge Judy, announced Tuesday he was stepping down from the race. If no other Democrats throw a hat in the ring by 5 p.m. Saturday, that would make Liz Richardson, of the Eastern Shore, the Democratic nominee.
'I'm incredibly grateful for (DeBellis') support and excited to see what we can accomplish together as a unified community,' Richardson said.
DeBellis said he stepped into the race to run to ensure Democrats had a candidate running in all 100 of Virginia's House districts.
'We had 99% of all the districts covered, except for out here in our little town,' he said. 'I'm a native New Yorker that lives here on the shore, and I own a catering company and travel quite a bit now because we're in wedding season and back and forth to New York. And so when (Richardson) jumped in, she's a local here, and I think she would definitely be a better candidate.'
The district includes a portion of Virginia Beach, around where the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel comes ashore, as well as Northampton and Accomack counties on the Eastern Shore. Bloxom, first elected in 2014, has fended off several challenges from well-financed Democrats over the years. President Donald Trump won the district by about 5 percentage points in 2024.
Richardson, who describes herself as a rural advocate, educator and chaplain, announced her candidacy earlier this week.
'Too often, rural voices are left out of policy conversations that directly impact their lives,' Richardson said in the announcement. 'I'm running to make sure we are not only heard, but that we are shaping the future of Virginia in a way that uplifts all of our people — especially those who've been overlooked for too long.'
757 Votes: The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press 2025 primary election guide
In a video posted to social media Tuesday, DeBellis and Richardson staged a boxing training session — DeBellis also teaches boxing at a gym on the shore.
'Check. Check. One-two. One-two,' DeBellis said as Richardson threw punches into his training paddles.
'Alright you got the Roc and Liz and we're mixing it up on the Shore,' he said, turning to the camera. 'For those of you that don't know us, we were both running for the 100th District here in Virginia. And as much as some of you would like a fight, we've decided we're going to unite instead, like the country should.'
Kate Seltzer, 757-713-7881, kate.seltzer@virginiamedia.com
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