CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – In 2017, after the violent Unite the Right rally occurred in Charlottesville, Adele Stichel became an outspoken activist. But in the years since, she’s seen government trending in what she believes is the wrong direction.

It’s what prompted her to run for the Democratic nomination for the 5th district’s Congressional seat.

“Our country is really in a moment of crisis,” Stichel told Cville Right Now. “Democrats have not fought hard enough in this district. It is essential right now that we put up a real fight, especially around issues of income inequality and just the need to tax corporations and billionaires. Our country’s at a breaking point.”

Since 2011, the district has been represented by a Republican.

Stichel believes current policies are moving the country in the wrong direction, particularly in terms of income inequality and healthcare affordability and accessibility. Those are the two issues the 2019 UVA law school graduate is making the centerpiece of her campaign.

“Our tax system is broken,” Stichel said. “We are not taxing corporations and billionaires, and that is putting us in a situation where everyone else has to shoulder the burden of essentially of funding the government. At the same time, because we’re not collecting money from corporations and billionaires, we’re constantly cutting and cutting and cutting and the government isn’t delivering what it should.”

Stichel points to the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act as an example of a government budget that does more harm than good.

“It’s so bad,” Stichel said. “We’re talking about the potential for rural hospitals to close. We’re talking about people’s premiums going up. We’re talking about people essentially probably losing coverage in a lot of cases because they can’t afford what it’s going to cost. So, I think it’s bad across the board. And why are we doing this? To give more tax cuts to corporations and billionaires, which is absolutely insane.”

Stichel grew up in Maryland and has lived in Chicago, Laguna Beach, California, and Waukesha, Wisconsin. She attended law school at UVA – like her grandfather – and ultimately decided to live in the area.

“I just really came to love the people here love the community and that’s what made it feel like this is home to me and that’s why I stayed,” said Stichel, who held a campaign kickoff event Saturday at Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery at IX Art Park.

The last Democrat to represent the 5th District was Charlottesville’s Tom Perriello, who lost his 2010 bid for re-election to Republican Robert Hurt (Chatham).

Stichel is the fourth contender to declare for the Democratic nomination as the party looks to seize on sagging popularity ratings for President Trump and target a Congressman in John McGuire who has alienated segments of his district by refusing to hold town hall meetings or avail himself to local media.

Paul Riley, a retired U.S. Army veteran, declared in early July, while Albemarle County supervisor Mike Pruitt, a Navy veteran and civil rights lawyer, followed suit later that month.

Lynchburg businesswoman Kate Zabriskie entered the race in September.

The winner would likely challenge McGuire, who ousted Republican incumbent Bob Good in a primary before winning the reliably GOP district in the general election.

Good is considering running against McGuire in a Republican primary, he has said. The last two 5th District representatives have been ousted in primaries after running afoul of President Trump. Good ousted Denver Riggleman (Afton) in 2020, then McGuire bumped Good out in 2024.

If Stichel can reverse the trend of Republican control, she pledged to be far more accessible to constituents than McGuire.

“I like to talk to people. I like to listen to people. And I don’t know why you’re in this line of work if you don’t,” she said. “But if I were passing legislation that was going to hurt my district in order to appease my party, maybe I would hide my face too. I can tell you, I wouldn’t do that, but maybe that’s why we’re not seeing him around.”
While Stichel has worked adjacent to the political arena for years as an activist, she acknowledged entering into a race for Congress in the current ultra-intense climate was a big step.

“I think the reservations about not doing it were greater,” Stichel said. “The feeling of, the voices I want to hear I’m not hearing. And the feeling of, the people I want to see us fight for, I’m not sure we’re fighting for hard enough.”