Suzanne Seidel Richmond is a candidate for Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney and is running as a Democrat. Her name will appear on the November 4, 2025 General Election ballot. Richmond is running against the incumbent, Colin D. Stolle.
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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: Suzanne Seidel Richmond
Age: 46
Website: www.suzanneforvb.com
Party: Democratic
Biography
Suzanne Seidel Richmond is a lifelong resident of Virginia Beach, a graduate of Kempsville High School, and a proud product of Virginia Beach Public Schools. She went on to earn her undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech and her law degree from Regent University. Suzanne has practiced law for 18 years, serving as a prosecutor, a public defender, and an Assistant Attorney General, where she handled criminal appeals. Having tried hundreds of cases and worked on every side of the criminal justice system, she brings unmatched perspective and experience to the role of Commonwealth’s Attorney. She is the first woman ever to run for this office in Virginia Beach. As a single mother of three boys, Suzanne understands the challenges families face and is committed to building safer neighborhoods, reducing gun violence, and restoring trust in the justice system. Her priorities include establishing a Veterans Treatment Docket, increasing the office’s community presence across the city, and ensuring transparency and accountability in all decisions. Suzanne is running to bring fairness, integrity, and accessibility back to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, so that justice in Virginia Beach works for every community and every family.
If you are elected, what will be your top priority in office?
My top priority as Commonwealth’s Attorney will be reducing violent crime—especially gun violence among our youth—while restoring trust between the office and the community. Families in Virginia Beach deserve to feel safe, and that means holding violent offenders accountable while also addressing the root causes of crime through prevention, fairness, and community presence. I will work to rebuild confidence in the office by being transparent, accessible, and committed to justice that serves every neighborhood in our city.
What is the most important change the General Assembly should make to the criminal justice system?
The most important change the General Assembly should make is amending Virginia’s “mask statute” (Code §18.2-422). I am deeply concerned about federal agents across the country fully masking their faces and failing to identify themselves to the people they encounter. The General Assembly should require all agents to show their faces and properly identify themselves. Concealing identity is dangerous and has harmed marginalized communities. If federal agents are permitted to cover their faces and fail to identify themselves, it creates the risk that someone could impersonate a federal agent with the intent to target individuals based on race, sexual orientation, or gender. Transparency and accountability are essential to building trust and protecting the public.
What is your philosophy on plea agreements? Are there cases when you think they are not appropriate?
I support the use of plea agreements because they are an important tool for judicial efficiency and can help resolve cases fairly without the cost and delay of trial. That said, every case is unique and must be assessed on its own merits. There may be situations when a plea agreement is not appropriate, such as cases involving serious violence or the distribution of fentanyl in the City of Virginia Beach. I do not see the issue of plea agreements in black and white. Plea agreements can serve both the interests of justice and the community when used carefully and responsibly.