What I Believe
I’m Steve Stepp, and I’m running to represent the place that raised me.
I grew up in Chesterfield, the only child of a single mother. I worked in restaurants and retail, and I saw plenty of people in the toughest situations. Growing up like that, you learn the cost of things early. I don’t claim to know more than the people I’m asking to represent. I’m one of you, and I’ll listen first.
Three beliefs guide me: everyone deserves dignity, this should be a place you can afford to live, and you should be free to live your life.
Running through all three is a promise to protect our air, water, and land for the next generation.
Dignity
Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, at the doctor’s office, on the job, and in their later years.
Healthcare you can count on. Seniors shouldn’t have to choose between prescriptions and groceries. I’ll fight for lower prescription costs, keep clinics and hospitals open, expand telehealth, and protect Medicaid access.
Care with compassion. Families caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s or dementia deserve real support, not a maze to navigate alone.
Respect at work. Pay what’s owed. No wage theft, fair pay for tipped workers, and a minimum wage that keeps up with prices.
Schools that work. Fully fund our public schools, pay teachers and support staff what they’re worth, and make sure every child has access to counselors and mental health support.
Affordability
If you were born or raised in Matoaca, Ettrick, Colonial Heights, or anywhere else in the 74th, you shouldn’t be priced out of your own community.
Homes within reach. Down payment help for first-time buyers, and housing working families can actually afford.
Prices that make sense. Costs keep rising faster than paychecks. I’ll focus on the bills that hit families hardest: housing, childcare, healthcare, and utilities.
Good jobs without a mountain of debt. Apprenticeships, trade training, and community college as real paths to a living wage.
Data centers. They shouldn’t leave neighbors with higher power bills, lower property values, or health risks. Families here shouldn’t be the ones paying for them.
Clean Air, Clean Water, Protected Land
Clean air, clean water, and open land aren’t luxuries. Once they’re gone, they’re gone, and I won’t trade them away.
No new gas plants. I oppose building new gas power plants. I’ll push for solar, wind, battery storage, and energy efficiency instead, including community solar for renters and low-income families, and the good jobs that come with them.
Data centers can’t foul our air and water. If they come, they follow the strictest pollution rules, with real enforcement, and they cover their own costs instead of passing them to neighbors.
Protect what can’t be replaced. I’ll protect our rivers, creeks, forests, wetlands, and farmland from being paved over or poisoned. Polluters pay to clean up their mess.
Safe drinking water for every family. Fix aging water systems and deal with PFAS and other contaminants before they become a crisis.
Freedom
Freedom means being left alone when you should be, and getting a fair shot when you need one.
Freedom to vote. Protect early voting and absentee access, and make sure polling places don’t mean waiting for hours.
Freedom from being tracked. I’ll fight to ban license plate readers. Privately run systems can be misused by federal agencies or by employees with the wrong motives.
Freedom from dark money. Voters deserve to know who is paying for political ads, including ads that are faked or altered with AI.
What it comes down to
I’m not running because I have all the answers. I’m running because I know this community, and the people who built it should be able to stay in it. If you agree, I’d be honored to earn your vote.
