When Richmond held its first City Council elections in a nine-district format in 1977, the intrigue was enormous. Everyone was discussing one thing: whether African American representatives would have a majority and who the council would elect as mayor. These were the years after the high-profile annexation of territory, and interest in politics in the city was at its peak.
At that time, Walter Kenny represented the sixth district. He held his seat until 1994 and was remembered as a balanced and consistent person. However, after his departure, the sixth district seat did not always fall into the hands of exemplary politicians.
Scandals and changes
Over the years, the sixth district has been home to names that are still remembered with a wry smile. Shirley Harvey, for example, became famous for not paying her utility bills for five years, renting out substandard housing, and once holding a prayer service at the city hall observation deck, where she spoke in unfamiliar languages and cast out evil spirits.
Later, another representative of the district, Saad El-Amin, pleaded guilty to evading federal taxes and subsequently resigned. These stories created a reputation for the council as a quagmire where decisions get bogged down and scandals erupt one after another.
Against this backdrop of political chaos, the arrival of Ellen Robertson was a turning point. She won the special election on November 4, 2003, and was sworn in the very next day. Since then, she has held the seat for the sixth district.
Richmond looked bleak in those years. Crime was rampant, with 94 murders in 2003 and 95 in 2004. The city center was deserted, and Manchester seemed like a ghost town with abandoned factories and warehouses. Infrastructure was crumbling, schools and libraries were closing, and fire and police stations were barely staying afloat.
“When I joined the council, the city center was empty, Manchester was in ruins, and the economy was falling into an abyss,” Robertson recalls. During those years, another council member was even tried for bribery and conspiracy. The political atmosphere was tense, but it was then that the seeds of change began to be sown.
2025
Two decades later, everything looks different. Today, the council consists of eight women and one man, and the biggest scandal is that one of the councilors has moved outside his district. By the standards of previous years, it’s almost idyllic.
Robertson remains in her position and raises new issues. She demands regional support to solve the housing crisis: “We need to create 40,000 affordable apartments, and this is only possible with the cooperation of the state and neighboring districts.”
Next to her is Reva Trammel.
The story is similar in the ninth district. Reva Trammell first joined the council in 1998, then took a break, and since 2007 she has been representing her district again without interruption. Today, she has 21 years of experience. Together with Robertson, they form the longest-serving political duo in the council’s modern history.
These two women have witnessed Richmond’s transformation from crisis and decline to the construction of new centers, parks, and schools. Their careers have become a chronology of city life.
Long-time politicians in Richmond
- Ellen Robertson: Sixth District, 2003 to present.
- Reva Trammell: Ninth District, 1998–2002 and 2007 to present.
Behind these numbers are destinies, elections, and hundreds of meetings where the most critical issues for the city were decided.
Until 1948, there is almost no information about council members in the archives. At that time, power was held by the mayor, who was directly elected and appointed key officials. Even earlier, from 1782 to 1918, a system of elected aldermen existed, but their names have not been preserved.
Nevertheless, long mayoral terms are remembered. William Carrington led Richmond from 1876 to 1888, George Ainsley from 1912 to 1924, and John Fulmer Bright from 1924 to 1940. However, even they cannot compare in terms of length of service to the current council’s long-sitters.
Politics as a mirror of the city
The stories of Ellen Robertson and Reva Trammell reflect a city that has experienced crises, grown, fallen again, and risen again. Today, Richmond is discussing housing, development, and new projects rather than crime and dilapidated buildings.
And there is a symbol in this: those who came to the council in difficult times remain to see the city change for the better.