Stephanie N. Morales is a candidate for Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney and is running as a Democrat. Her name will appear on the November 4, 2025 General Election ballot. Morales, the incumbent, is running against Nathan A. Chapman, and Steve Heretick, who are both Independent candidates.
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10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race, with a request for a bio and a list of questions to answer. The bio is unedited; this is what the candidate submitted. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.
Name: Stephanie N. Morales
Age: 41
Website: https://stephaniemorales.org/
Party: Democratic
Biography
Stephanie N. Morales has proudly served as the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Portsmouth since 2015, becoming the first woman elected to the role. For more than a decade, she has led her office with integrity, courage, and vision—delivering justice that is fair, effective, and centered on both safety and equity.
A lifelong Portsmouth resident and graduate of I.C. Norcom High School, Stephanie earned her B.A. from Norfolk State University and her J.D. from the College of William & Mary School of Law. She is raising her four children in the very community she serves, grounding her leadership in both professional expertise and lived experience.
As Commonwealth’s Attorney, Stephanie has built a record of proven leadership and real results. She launched two transformative programs—the Future Leaders Initiative, which has empowered hundreds of young people, some of whom are now practicing attorneys, and the Ctrl+Alt+Del Program, which supports reentry for incarcerated individuals through education, job readiness, and opportunity. These initiatives disrupt cycles of incarceration and create pathways for success.
Stephanie is recognized nationwide as a champion against systemic injustice. She secured a rare voluntary manslaughter conviction of a police officer who fatally shot an unarmed teenager, sending a clear message that no one is above the law. In 2020, when law enforcement sought to sideline her office and prosecute community leaders for protesting a Confederate monument, Stephanie defended her authority in court, conducted an independent review, and successfully moved to dismiss all charges. Her actions reinforced prosecutorial independence, civil rights, and the right to protest.
Beyond Portsmouth, Stephanie has been a powerful voice for reform in Virginia and across the nation. She has advocated for banning no-knock warrants and nighttime raids, reforming mental health laws, raising the felony larceny threshold, legalizing marijuana, ending mandatory minimums, and securing automatic expungements. She is also a founding member of Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration and serves on the boards of the William & Mary Law School Alumni Association, the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia, and the Local Progress National Board.
Her trailblazing leadership has earned her numerous accolades, including the National Barbara Jordan Leadership Award and recognition by Forbes, being named to the Inaugural For(bes) the Culture 50 Champions List. As an adjunct professor at William & Mary Law School, she challenges future lawyers to confront systemic inequities, and as the author of the children’s book The Day I Became a Lawyer!, she inspires the next generation to pursue justice.
Stephanie N. Morales is not just leading an office—she is building a justice system that works for everyone. With a record of fairness, innovation, and accountability, she continues to fight for safer, stronger communities in Portsmouth and beyond.
If you are elected, what will be your top priority in office?
When I am re-elected, my top priority will be to continue building a justice system that is both fair and effective, one that keeps our community safe while ensuring accountability for everyone under the law. That means being tough and unwavering on violent crime, protecting victims, and strengthening witness support, while also expanding the innovative programs I’ve built to address root causes of crime. Through the Future Leaders Initiative, we’ve empowered hundreds of young people to see brighter futures, and through Ctrl+Alt+Del, we’ve provided incarcerated and system impacted individuals with education and job readiness tools that reduce recidivism. Expanding these programs will remain a priority because true safety starts with prevention. At the same time, I will keep pushing for reforms that eliminate mandatory minimums, expand expungements, and strengthen mental health supports. My commitment is clear: I will continue to lead with integrity, fairness, and courage to deliver justice that works for everyone in Portsmouth.
Are you concerned with the amount of murder cases that have ended in acquittal over the last four years in Portsmouth?
I am concerned whenever a serious violent crime case does not result in a conviction, because it means families and communities are left without closure. But what concerns me most are the barriers that make convictions harder to secure, especially when witnesses are too afraid to come forward. Witness intimidation and community fear create real obstacles to achieving justice in violent crime cases. That’s why I’ve prioritized strengthening witness protection, building stronger partnerships with community organizations, and working with law enforcement to ensure witnesses feel safe and supported when they step forward. Public trust and cooperation are essential to solving murders and securing convictions, and my office has been proactive in addressing these challenges. I remain committed to fighting violent crime, but I know that lasting results require more than reactive measures—they require community confidence that justice can be pursued safely and fairly.
With the crime rate in Portsmouth, how do you prioritize the cases you will choose to prosecute?
Every case that comes before my office is important, and accountability is always the priority. But accountability does not look the same in every circumstance. For violent crimes such as homicides, shootings, sexual assaults, and domestic violence, accountability means working diligently to protect our community, reduce harm, and send a clear message that violence will not be tolerated in Portsmouth. For nonviolent offenses, accountability can mean something different—like connecting individuals to treatment or reentry programs that address root causes and prevent future harm. Programs such as Ctrl+Alt+Del and the Future Leaders Initiative, which I founded over a decade ago, give people tools to succeed, reduce recidivism, and strengthen families, which ultimately makes our community safer. In every case, our team works to ensure our efforts are fair, just, and rooted in both public safety and equity. Accountability is not one size fits all, it must reflect both the facts of the case and the needs of our community.
What is your philosophy on plea agreements? Are there cases when you think they are not appropriate?
My philosophy on plea agreements is that they must always serve the interests of justice, and that looks different in every case. Each case is unique, and we carefully consider the facts, the harm caused, and the needs of all impacted parties before reaching any resolution. In some situations, a plea agreement may be the best way to ensure accountability while also sparing victims from the trauma of testifying. In other cases, a plea agreement may not be appropriate if it does not reflect the severity of the offense or protect public safety. Ultimately, my office’s responsibility is to balance fairness, accountability, and community safety. Plea agreements are one tool to achieve those goals, but they must be used thoughtfully and in the best interest of those directly impacted.
