Felisha Storm is mounting a political comeback in Virginia’s 84th House of Delegates district, taking on Democratic incumbent Nadarius Clark in a race that could tip the balance of power and stop the leftward shift she and other GOP members say is threatening families, safety and economic freedom.
, is mounting a high-stakes political comeback in Virginia.
Storm, a 29-year-old Suffolk resident and realtor, returned to Virginia in 2023 where she spent part of her youth and attended college. She previously served two terms in the Vermont House of Representatives.
With the balance of power in the House potentially at stake, Storm’s campaign centers on urgent issues facing the district and the state.
“Affordability, accountability and safety, if I’m boiling it down to three,” Storm, the Republican candidate for the 84th District, told the South Tidewater News.
She highlighted the economic struggles of working families and the need to slash taxes and fees that eat away at paychecks.
“Cut the taxes and fees that kind of whittle our paychecks down to very little left in the bank account,” she said. “It’s finding ways to cut the car tax permanently and the grocery tax. Look at why we’re not competitive with North Carolina for gas, especially down my way where we’re so close to that border. A lot of our independent truckers, people who are trying to make their living on the margins here with what’s left after running their loads. It’s huge for me.”
Storm touts strong backing from prominent Virginia Republicans like Attorney General Jason Miyares, Del. Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper) and State Sen. Emily Jordan (R-Isle of Wight), while championing law enforcement and proposing tough policies to combat violent crime and drug trafficking.
“I’m a former firefighter and first responder, having run a lot of calls, and I know that a safe community comes from working with everybody,” she said. “It’s your first responders, your law enforcement, your sheriff’s offices, the people doing very thankless work, and ensuring they have the resources they need to do their job effectively.”
Virginia’s Enhanced Earned Sentence Credits (EESC) law, passed under the last Democrat-controlled General Assembly and governor’s office, is now under intense scrutiny after data revealed nearly half of early-release inmates were rearrested within a year, many for violent crimes.
Critics argue the law puts sentence reductions ahead of public safety and lacks essential safeguards against violent recidivism. Calls are growing louder for the General Assembly to reform what many see as a deeply flawed and dangerous system.
Echoing those concerns, Storm stressed that restoring community safety is a top priority for residents in her district.
“I know that everybody wants to be able to take their family on a walk after dinner,” she said. “Everybody wants that ability to be in their community and feel that it’s safe and feel their neighbors have their back. And when we’re dealing with a lot of crime that’s kind of belaying that safety and that feeling in our downtown, it’s something I want to bring back.”
Storm has also placed education at the center of her campaign.
“When I look at Virginia’s education, there’s a lot of gaps and proficiency and literacy and championing literacy was one of the first bills I really ever successfully worked on and got passed,” she said. “And it’s near and dear to my heart.”
She highlighted the urgent need to expand opportunities so parents and students can find the best fit and improve outcomes.
“Seeing so many gaps, knowing that we fall behind not just Virginia’s standards, but we fall behind the national standards,” she said.
On the accountability front, Storm emphasized the need for greater focus in the 84th District.
“I think there’s a lot of work on our plates here as a Commonwealth, and here in Suffolk, there are many things that could use much more state attention,” she said. “I’ve been trying to advocate through our current delegate.”
However, Storm said her attempts to push for reform through Clark have been unsuccessful, which in part led her to run for office again.
“I like to speak more positively about what I can do versus what I think [Clark’s] failings have been,” she said. “But if were just looking at the black and white of the issues, he has voted against the most basic things, such as a parents being able to know if a crime’s been committed in their child’s school. He’s bothered to put violent offenders back on our streets. He’s taken a stand that he doesn’t believe Virginia should be Right to Work, that you shouldn’t have the ability to show up and as an individual, negotiate your pay, your work, your responsibilities.”
Storm also highlighted Clark’s voting record on economic issues as a stark contrast in the race.
“He voted against tax relief every single time it’s been put in front of him, despite the cost of living increases, despite everything that most Virginians are going through, a time where inflation was sky high and people were legitimately putting groceries on credit cards to put food on their table,” she said. “He was voting against legislation that would have left more money in their pockets.”
Acknowledging the challenge of unseating an incumbent, Storm stressed the importance of connecting with voters on issues that truly affect their lives.
“These issues are broader so that people feel invested in their future and feel that they have someone who listens to them,” she said. “Defeating an incumbent is always a little tougher than winning an open seat. Asking people to choose who’s better for the job when they know they have not been well-represented, and have someone who won’t work across the aisle and has voted against the district’s best interest, versus someone with a record of working across aisles and working hand-in-hand to get the work done.”
The 84th District race carries significant weight.
The Virginia House of Delegates remains narrowly split, with Democrats holding a slim 51-49 majority.
The 2025 Virginia elections feature key statewide races with candidates from both major parties. Republican Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger are running for Governor. The Lieutenant Governor race includes Republican John Reid and Democrat Ghazala Hashmi. For Attorney General, Miyares, the incumbent Republican, faces Democratic challenger Jerrauld Jones.
All candidates are currently on the general election ballot for Nov. 4.
Virginia’s 84th District, covering parts of Suffolk, Isle of Wight County, all of Franklin, and part of Chesapeake, has become a political bellwether.
Once a solid Republican district under Glenn Davis, who won comfortably in 2019 and 2021, it flipped in 2023 when Clark narrowly claimed the seat with 53% of the vote.
“I want voters to know that they absolutely have the impact here in this election,” Storm said. “It is going to be one of the closest races, I think, in Hampton Roads with this district being just outside of recount territory on a regular basis. I mean, our mayor’s race was in a recount this year. Every single vote is gonna determine the outcome here and could very well determine the outcomes of the House.”
Storm is focusing on grassroots outreach and rebuilding community trust.
“It’s not so much about the campaign map as it is about people-to-people connections,” she said. “It’s knowing your neighbors and recognizing that on most issues, we are 80% united, and having those conversations. We started in February with door-to-door collections and petition signatures, asking people to believe in a Virginia and a delegate who could bridge the gap and work across the aisle.”
Reflecting on her tenure in the Vermont House of Representatives, Storm emphasized her bipartisan approach.
“Something I’m most proud of is every bill I ever passed, every piece of language I ever got incorporated into a larger bill, was with tripartisan support,” she said. “I worked with Republicans, Democrats, progressives, to find a good idea and make sure that it carried water all the way through.”
Storm pointed to a series of legislative achievements, including mandating dyslexia screening in early grades, ending civil asset forfeiture, rewriting use-of-force statutes and creating reentry bonds to help individuals with criminal records reintegrate successfully.
She also underscored her dedication to supporting farmers and advocating for her community.
“It’s the principles of being able to afford to live in a state that you want to be calling home,” Storm said. “Get the government out of the way a bit there, cutting some red tape, and then just protecting agriculture, inviting industry and focusing on the everyday common-sense issues.”
