Three candidates have been knocking on thousands of doors and sending out mailers in pitching to represent the House of Delegates 7th District.

Next Tuesday, June 20, voters will choose from Rae Cousins, Ann-Frances Lambert and Richard W. Walker as the Democratic nominee and the odds-on favorite to win in the November general election.

The winner would take on independent Kyle Sundberg, a graphic artist, who is regarded as a long-shot in the district rated predominantly Democratic.

While Richmond has three House districts, this is the only one where there is competition. City Council President Michael J. Jones is unchallenged in his bid to represent the 77th House District. Incumbent Delegate Betsy B. Carr also is unchallenged in her bid for the 78th House District. Based on interviews and their remarks, whichever one of the candidates win will be supporting a progressive agenda that matters to Democrats. All are strong supporters of women’s reproductive and abortion rights, public schools, restrictions on firearms and restoration of voting rights for felons.

If money matters, Ms. Cousins, a 43-year- old attorney and fourth-generation Richmond, is the clear leader in fundraising.

Making her first run for public office, she has received more than $500,000 in donations, almost 10 times the amount her rivals have raised.

Still, money might not matter as much in a contest where turning out the vote is a challenge in the district wholly within the city that includes the 6th and 7th Council districts and portions of the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 8th districts.

More than 61,000 people in the district are currently registered to vote, according to the Virginia Department of Elections but the most optimistic estimate suggests that 15 percent or fewer of them will cast ballots.

According to the Virginia Voter Access Project, fewer than 1,500 voters had voted early as of Tuesday.

Ms. Lambert, 47, shrugs off the money issue and believes she can pull ahead based on her experience.

“It matters,” said Ms. Lambert, the only one of the candidates to have won elective office. She is in her first term representing the 3rd District on City Council.

She also may have greater name recognition as the daughter of the late Gilpin Court optometrist Dr. Benjamin J. Lambert III, who represented Richmond for 31 years in the General Assembly.

Ms. Lambert, who also has worked as a legislative aide for elected officials at the city, state and federal levels, is hop- ing voters will allow her to follow in her father’s footsteps.

For her, this a free shot as she will keep her council seat should she lose this contest.

Mr. Walker, 65, believes he has a chance to win, though his campaign has raised only about $7,000.

The leader of a non-profit that focuses on helping felons succeed after release, he said, “I’m hoping and believing these two women cancel each other out and I squeeze through.”

For example, Mr. Walker, who has served time in prison and had his rights restored, puts the most stress on the need for criminal justice reforms and pushing for environmental reforms.

He has been most notable in starting the first program in the city to train people for employment for solar energy installation.

Ms. Cousins, puts funding of public schools as her top priority, with particular focus on advocating for greater state involvement in helping localities to replace outdated and crumbling school buildings.

Ms. Lambert emphasizes the need for “common sense” gun legislation that would ban assault rifles and fight to “keep Black history” in our schools.

She also uses her city governing experience to explain how she would advocate at the state level for more tools to enable localities to address the rising costs housing, child care, taxes and other expenses.