Robertson runs unopposed in 6th District

Jessica Dhalberg
Contributing Writer

When voters from Richmond’s 6th District go to the polls on Election Day, they’ll see a familiar name running to represent them in City Council — and no one else.

Councilwoman Ellen Robertson is running unopposed for her fifth consecutive term as 6th District representative. She has been the district’s councilwoman since 2003, when she won a special election for a one-year term.

The 6th District includes the entirety of the MCV campus, as well as part of Monroe Ward, which is near the southeastern end of the Monroe Park campus. The neighborhood contains the 8 1/2 Canal Street development, a 540-resident building marketed for students.

Robertson is currently the vice president of the City Council. She serves as the chairwoman of the council’s Finance Committee and is also a member of many of the City Council’s committees, including the council’s Government Operations Committee and Organizational Committee.

Robertson has been a resident of the 6th District for 27 years. She attended VCU, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the urban planning program. After 30 years, she retired from work as a community and housing developer. She worked in private, public and nonprofit professions.

On her website, Robertson addresses the issue of affordable housing in Richmond. According to the data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the average monthly rent of a one-bedroom apartment in the greater Richmond area rose by 55 percent between 2000 and 2008, from $537 to $779 per month. According to her website, Robertson believes poverty “is a scandal in the richest nation on earth,” but everyone who is able to work should. Her website also says that people who cannot care for themselves should be given assistance without degrading them and in a manner that promotes responsibility.

Robertson holds meetings on the second Saturday of every month to involve her constituents directly in the governance of their district. Meetings are held at the Bank of America located at 1111 E. Main St. beginning at 10 a.m.

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