Phillip Hawkins, Jr. is a candidate for Norfolk City Council. His name will appear on the ballot on Nov. 8, 2022.
10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.
See who is on your ballot by viewing the candidate lists on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
Name: Phillip Hawkins, Jr.
Race: Norfolk City Council
Website: Phillip Hawkins, Jr. for Norfolk City Council
Biography: Phillip Hawkins, Jr. was born and raised in the city of Norfolk and has lived in Ward 4 for most of his life. His family has lived in the following neighborhoods: Park Place, Liberty Park (now Middle Towne Arch at Broad Creek), Young Terrace, Norview, and now in Ingleside.
Hawkins received his formal education from Norfolk Public Schools and is a proud graduate of Norview High School.
Hawkins earned his bachelor of science degree in business finance, teacher certification in early childhood education, and his mater of arts degree in urban education and school leadership, all from Norfolk State University.
Hawkins has worked in business and industries of food, restaurant, hospitality, banking, and now education, all in the city of Norfolk. He has been a licensed school teacher with Norfolk Public Schools for 25 years and is currently the assistant principal at P.B. Young Sr. Elementary School in Norfolk.
Hawkins has had a distinguished level of experience in civic engagement and has served on local and state advisory committees as an active civic and community leader as president of the Ingleside Civic League, the first vice president of the Norfolk Federation of Civic Leagues, appointed as a member of the Norfolk Environmental Commission, and immediate past local union president of the Education Association of Norfolk.
Hawkins is a member of the Olive Grove Baptist Church in Norfolk where his pastor is Rev. Dr. Larry Williams, Sr. Hawkins birth parents were the late Phillip Hawkins, Sr. and Cherry Louise Powell Hawkins. He has seven adult siblings, his parent is Barbara W. Hawkins, and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
Why should residents elect you to City Council?
The citizens in Norfolk’s Ward 4 should elect me to city council because my strong record of lifelong experiences in public service, education, business, and civic engagement have prepared me to be a voice to represent the people whose voices need to be heard. I am ready to collaborate and work hard to address the many challenges facing our city.
What are the top three priorities you would tackle if elected?
My top three priorities I would start working on are:
- Crime/public safety
- Affordable quality workforce housing and neighborhood development
- Education and economic development
What is the most pressing economic issue facing your community, and how would you address it?
The most pressing economic issue facing Ward 4 is the widespread crime and gun violence. Public safety is one of the biggest threats to economic development opportunities. We must address this issue by improving the image and perception of law enforcement by committing greater funding to attract, grow, train, and retain the best citizens to become police officers. We must provide higher pay for police officers and fill all vacancies.
We must also return to a robust model of community policing that will allow citizens, businesses, and corporate partners to have a greater voice in shaping what our police force looks like and how they can build positive relationships in the neighborhoods they serve. The community must also do their part as well and stop protecting citizens who break the law. Fair justice must be served!
What are your community’s biggest infrastructure needs, and how do you plan to fulfill them?
Our community’s biggest infrastructure needs are stormwater pipes, roads, sidewalks, the electric grid, gas and water lines (underground and above ground utilities), and installing crosswalks and bike lanes in certain parts of the city and in our neighborhoods.
I support partnering with our state lawmakers to lobby for additional funding from the Commonwealth to protect the city of Norfolk and use the funding coming from the newly passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund these projects for our neighborhoods to improve the quality of life for all residents in every neighborhood. We need to slow down traffic in our neighborhoods with speed humps and enforce red light cameras and court enforcement.
How is gun violence impacting your community, and how do you plan to address gun violence?
Widespread and random gun violence has created a cloud of fear over residents, families, and those who work and come to visit Norfolk. We must take a strong stance against gun violence by holding everyone accountable.
There are so many guns on the black market, the city must disrupt and dismantle the tools that allow guns to get in the hands of citizens who plan to use them for criminal activities or allow them to get in the hands of youth. I would like to have incentive events… no questions asked for citizens to turn in their guns in exchange for money, goods, or services. We must use technology to detect where gun violence is coming from and go in and get the criminals who are shooting. We must stay tough on crime to protect everyone!
