Delores McQuinn
70th District, Virginia House of Delegates
Biography
Delegate Delores McQuinn is an active, busy woman who is full of energy and enthusiasm for a life of community and public service.
Delores is a life-long resident of the Richmond area. She was born in eastern Henrico County, Virginia, where she grew up and attended public schools, graduating from Highland Springs High School in 1973. Delores has lived most of her adult life in Richmond’s Church Hill district where she currently resides. She studied at Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Union University, and Delores, committed to her faith, now serves as an associate minister at New Baptist Church
Throughout her career as a public official, Delores has worked to improve public education, to care for the elderly and less fortunate, and to make our communities a better place to live and work. Elected to the Richmond School Board in 1992, she provided the leadership, as vice chairperson, to strengthen student academics and achieve improved test scores. Delores led the initiative in the renovation and reopening of East End Middle School.
In a special election in 1999, Delores was elected to Richmond City Council serving the 7th District for the next ten years. She was selected as vice mayor in 2003 and vice president of council in 2007. During her tenure on City Council, the 7th District was transformed from derelict and neglected housing, unsafe neighborhoods, and abandoned city services to bright neighborhoods, renovated housing and new developments, safe streets, and growing retail and restaurant businesses. For 17 years, she has spearheaded the annual citywide Back to School Revival Rally and Parade, so that underserved students return on the first day of school ready to learn.
On January 14, 2009, Delores became one of the Commonwealth’s newest members of the General Assembly. She was elected in a special election to fill the 70th District House of Delegates seat vacated by Richmond’s newly elected mayor, Dwight Jones. Delores overwhelmingly defeated her opponent in a Democratic Party primary contest with 83 percent of the votes cast. The 70th District includes parts of Henrico and Chesterfield counties and part of Richmond.
