Rae Cousins, a lawyer and fourth-generation Richmonder, handily won Tuesday’s primary in Richmond to become the Democratic nominee for the 79th House of Delegates District.

Ms. Cousins, 43, bested 3rd District City Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert, 47, and criminal justice crusader Richard Walker, 65, in the their contest in the L-shaped district that is anchored in the East End and takes in portions of South Side and North Side.

The district is one of three that includes portions of the city and the only one in which there was a party nomination contest. Incumbent Delegate Betsy B. Carr is unopposed in her bid for the 78th House District seat as is City Council President Michael J. Jones, who is running for the 77th House District seat.

In her first bid for public office, Ms. Cousins, who had raised nearly eight times more money as her two opponents, handily won the nomination contest in which about 11% of the district’s nearly 61,500 registered voters participated.

Unofficial results show she won 27 of the 28 precincts in securing 4,186 votes, or 63% of the 6,668 votes cast.

Ms. Lambert, who had hoped to follow her late father, Benjamin J. Lambert III, into the General Assembly, received 1,981 or 30% and Mr. Walker received 501 votes or 7%, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.

Ms. Cousins raised more than $500,000 to fuel her campaign, but still must get by independent Kyle Sundberg in the November general election to secure the House seat.

In a victory statement, she lauded her family, supporters, contributors and voters “for their confidence in me.”

Senior counsel at the BrownGreer law firm, Ms. Cousins said if she wins in the fall, she would focus on issues that would help create “a better Richmond,” including advocating for bigger investments in public schools, in affordable, accessible health care and affordable housing and finding ways to reduce the threat of gun violence.

A better Richmond, Ms. Cousins said, means a place where “my daughter will be raised with the same rights I was, with autonomy over her own body. The work of achieving a better Richmond has just begun, but we are on the way.”