Kecia Evans is no stranger to politics, a wife and mother of four children with more than 22 years of experience in criminal justice.
She's got experience on the local level serving as Secretary of the Stafford County Board of Zoning Appeals and the former chair of the Special Education Advisory Committee for the Stafford County School Board.
"I decided to run again in order to give the Fighting 88th a new voice," Evans, a Democrat, told Potomac Local News.
Originally from New Jersey, Evans came to Virginia in 1992 with her family while her father served in the U.S. Air Force. Evans would graduate from Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge in 1996 and later earn degrees in criminal justice and cybersecurity from the University of Maryland-University College and Regent School of Law. Evans has spent the last 16 years working for an agency that provides advocacy and legal representation to indigent adults and teenagers.
This isn't Evans' first time around in the 88th District, which includes portions of Stafford, Fauquier, Spotsylvania counties, and Fredericksburg. She also ran in a Democratic Primary for the seat in 2019 but lost to Jessica Foster. With the winner of that race, Delegate Mark Cole retiring after more than 20 years in the seat, the field has become open for Evans to take another shot.
She's running against Republican Phillip Scott, another New Jersey native who works as a background investigator for the Federal Government.
Each jurisdiction within the district will have its own issues and goals, Evans says. Her experience working on those committees and boards has prepared her for the challenge, she adds.
"Working on those committees gave me the ability to learn how to work across those party lines, to work with everyone, and to be a voice for all. I want to make sure we're looking at the whole pie instead of just pieces of the pie," Evans told Potomac Local News.
When sitting on the Stafford County Parks and Recreation Committee, Evans voted to recommend the closure of the Historic Port of Falmouth Park, a popular beach on the banks of the Rappahannock River, when it was considered not safe due to flooding. However, The County Board of Supervisors kept the beach open.
"At first, I was disappointed, but I learned that it's not going to go your way. But I also learned that you have to take many things into account, and I just didn't take into account how many people go there for swimming, cooking out, fishing, or spending time with family. I took the environment perspective instead of what the constituents wanted, so I learned that you have to take everything into perspective," she said.
Evans believes that she can build bridges between the parties and work as a go-between to bring both sides together. Evans also wants to be seen as the person while she may not be able to solve all the problems.
Evans wants to focus on areas such as agriculture, healthcare, and education. She also wants to help small businesses that have been hit hard by the pandemic get back on their feet.
"If they vote for me, the district will have someone with integrity who will fight for them. Someone who will advocate for them. I want to be someone who, regardless of whether they're a Democrat or Republican, will fight for them," said Evans.
Evans says the state needs more social programs but adds, "I will be conservative with the pocketbook as well. We can't throw money at everything, but we need to make sure that we are funding the programs that are needed, that we continue the surplus."
The General Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. Early voting begins Friday, September 17.
