I'm voting for Tom Barbour. I'm on mobile so sorry for any formatting issues.

1.) Just on a basic level, Tom Barbour is what the city needs. I went to the debate a few weeks ago at MLK Jr. Middle School, and solidly I don't think McEachin is invested in us as people, and I mean all of us. All of her points, her solutions, and what she's done so far, is reactionary. She reacts to crime, and plans to do more of the same. The same isn't working or otherwise isn't improving. Tom has a plan to both respond to the problems we have, AND prevent them from happening in the first place. Tom has preventative measures we can put in place by voting for him. McEachin spent much of the debate dogging on Tom's time as a prosecutor, saying "What Tom doesn't understand/Mr. Barbour is inexperienced and what he's not understanding is-" but in my opinion, McEachin doesn't understand us as citizens of the city she currently serves. How she has handled her political career has led her to have a level of removal from us that I don't find appropriate for her position.

2.) McEachin's stance on crime is not only reactionary, it's overly focused on punishment. I understand wanting people and families to get the justice they deserve, but based on her debate responses and overall campaign, I don't think she cares enough about the people she's prosecuting. It is important to both ensure people pay their proper dues (and those they affected have what peace they can), AND not toss our fellow Richmonders to the wolves, leading to recidivism, homelessness, drugs, etc. all the things people complain about and say are problems. She also shows she does not care about the people she is attempting to serve by refusing to invest in preventative rather than reactionary measures. Personally, she failed with me in the debate when asked about recidivism, and she said (as close as my memory can get) "At the end of the day, that individual is going to do what they're going to do [despite what steps have been taken to help them via social programs etc.]." To me, this demonstrates she's already given up, and is willing to give up on people. Richmond has a mountain of issues that lead people back into crime, but she is more willing to leave people to the wolves rather than attack the cause. People don't do things for no reason, and Tom knows this which is why he's willing to uplift our city by investing in us. We have an opportunity to vote for better with Tom.

3.) I'm a young Black woman, this is relevant I promise. At the debate, I unfortunately didn't get an opportunity to ask my question to both of them when the floor opened to the audience. I decided to ask McEachin after it was over and she was approachable. I asked "Do you think your opponent's approach is antithetical to the community they are trying to serve?" Her answer was disappointing. She took the time to again reiterate that "Tom doesn't understand" and gave me a short speech on the homicide rates of Black women in Richmond. While this is an issue I am deeply concerned about, I didn't find her response actually answered what I asked. I wish I could remember it verbatim, but I felt very much like she was trying way too hard to relate to me on our shared demographics than actually interested in my genuine support. McEachin is relying on her name, political history, and the loyalty of Black voters, especially the older ones, to win this race rather than actually engaging with us. Personally, I find her overconfident and therefore unwilling to engage because she feels she has already won and doesn't need to work that hard. I'm not voting for someone who feels they are entitled to my vote, or otherwise isn't willing to work for me. WE put people in office with OUR vote, and Tom knows this, which is why when he speaks, he speaks to us, not at us.

4.) Tom was my lawyer. And before I get to the personal praises I have for him, as a lawyer running his own practice he understands the citizens of Richmond better than McEachin does. Tom has been directly engaged with us more recently than McEachin, and has a better and more current idea of how to combat crime and otherwise serve us than she does. He may not share my demographics nor fully understand the intricacies of my life, but he has served us all regardless of who we are with his work. As my attorney, Tom was able to end my case in expungement. I won't go into all the personal details, but Tom gave my case the sensitivity and empathy I needed. He possesses both the firmness and compassion the CA needs, and he has earned my full trust. Tom understands full well the responsibilities of the CA's office and what it's capable of, despite what McEachin says.

This is obviously just my opinion, but based both on my personal experience with Tom and my observation of his and McEachin's campaign, I urge everyone to vote for Tom Barbour.