McEachin will seek another term as Richmond’s top prosecutor

Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin is running for re-election this year, according to a Monday announcement from the city’s top prosecutor.

In a press release, McEachin said “crime rates have fallen significantly” during her time in office but also touted her emphasis on “restorative justice” and seeking alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders.

“I am proud to stand by my record of keeping Richmonders safe while bringing criminal justice reform to our community,” McEachin said in the release.

McEachin, a Democrat, was first elected to the position in 2019, when she won a special election to replace longtime prosecutor Mike Herring after he took a job at the McGuireWoods law firm. She defeated primary challenger Tom Barbour in 2021, winning a full four-year term that’s now coming to a close in 2025.

She is the widow of former congressman Donald McEachin, who died in 2022 after battling cancer.

It’s unclear if McEachin will face a challenger this year, but in a heavily Democratic city she’d be more likely to face political competition in a party primary than in a general election against a Republican opponent.

This year’s primary elections will be held June 17.