Debra Gardner

Debra Darlene Gardner (born 1956) is an American politician and former social worker serving as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 76th district. A Democrat, she was first elected in 2023

Early life and education Gardner was born in Shelby, North Carolina, and graduated from Shelby High School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from North Carolina Central University and a Master of Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2014, mayor Dwight Clinton Jones selected Gardner to oversee the city of Richmond’s Department of Social Services, Justice Services and Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. She was dismissed from the role after a shakeup when Levar Stoney took office, and went on to found consulting firm D2G-Coaching, which focuses on executive training and social work.

In 2019, she ran for the Chesterfield County board of supervisors in the Clover Hill District, but was narrowly defeated by incumbent Republican Chris Winslow.

Virginia House of Delegates 2021 campaign Gardner first ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2021, challenging incumbent Republican Roxann Robinson in the 27th district. Robinson's campaign was accused of regularly darkening Gardner's skin in advertisements and portraying her as a marionette resembling a minstrel show in one spot, with Gardner saying "They made me look like [blackface singer] Al Jolson!" Joe Biden and Barack Obama endorsed her campaign. The Virginia Public Access Project listed the race as one of the year's most competitive.

Tenure In 2024, Glenn Youngkin vetoed Gardner's legislation which would have established a working group within the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry to study options to increase wages for tipped employees who receive the minimum wage, study instances of wage theft and inequality, as well as to amend the penalties employers faced for wage violations.

Personal life Gardner is a Baptist and has a daughter, Katia. She has lived in Chesterfield County, Virginia for over 30 years as of 2024.

Electoral history 2019

2021

2023