Virginia's 87th House of Delegates district
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Virginia's 87th House of Delegates district elects one of 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates, the lower house of the state's bicameral legislature. District 87 has been represented by Democrat Suhas Subramanyam since 2020.
In 2015, John Bell, an Air Force veteran, was elected by a margin of only 320 votes, so this district was considered vulnerable to turnover in 2017.[1] Bell was challenged by the Republican Subba Kolla,[2] who immigrated from India in the 1990s and became a citizen in 2008.[3] Kolla has stated, "I believe that the government that governs least, governs best."[4] Late in the race, both candidates had raised significant funds (Bell $627,000 to Kolla's $524,600 as of November 2, 2017),[5] but Bell defeated Kolla 61.73% to 38.04%.[6]
District officeholders
| Years | Delegate | Party | Electoral history |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 12, 1983 – January 10, 1996 |
Howard Copeland | Democratic | First elected in 1982 |
| January 10, 1996 – January 3, 2005 |
Thelma Drake | Republican | Forced to resign; Elected to the US House of Representatives |
| January 3, 2005 – January 11, 2012 |
Paula Miller | Democratic | Redistricted out; Unable to run for reelection |
| January 11, 2012 – January 5, 2016 |
David Ramadan | Republican | First elected in 2011; Later retired in 2015 |
| January 13, 2016 – January 8, 2020 |
John Bell | Democratic | First elected in 2015; Elected to the Virginia State Senate in 2019 |
| January 8, 2020 – January 10, 2024 |
Suhas Subramanyam | Democratic | First elected in 2019; Elected to the Virginia State Senate in 2023 |
| January 10, 2024
– present |
Jeion Ward | Democratic | Redistricted into the 87th district; Re-elected in 2023 |
