Sheriff Irving beats back challenger with decisive re-election victory
11/4/2021, 6 p.m.
Richmond Sheriff Antionette V. Irving breezed past her opponent Tuesday to win re-election to another four-year term.
Sheriff Irving, who has served in the office since January 2018, received 54,090 votes, or 76.2 percent, compared with 16,182 votes, or 22.8 percent, received by challenger Michael R. Dickinson, the owner and chief executive officer of BlackCat Events.
The sheriff is chiefly responsible for overseeing the Richmond City Justice Center, maintaining the safety of the city’s courthouses, transporting inmates to court and other appointments and serving civil warrants and other court papers.
Sheriff Irving won a close Democratic primary race in June, with her opponent claiming her lack of leadership was contributing to deputies leaving the department and a resulting staff shortage that created unsafe conditions and low morale.
At the time, she acknowledged the high number of vacancies, noting they were due to the pandemic, retirements and staff leaving for higher paying positions in other jurisdictions.
During the pandemic, she gained kudos from the Richmond Health District for managing the jail’s COVID-19 response. She also has focused on restorative justice measures and made efforts to give inmates the resources they need for successful re-entry into society.
