Richmond mayor announces run for Virginia governor after casino vote failure
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney (D) has officially announced his candidacy for governor in January 2026 to succeed Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin. The governor of Virginia may not serve consecutive terms.
Stoney has served as Richmond's 80th mayor since January 2017. His administration has presided over some of the most challenging, urgent and divisive times in Virginia’s capital, most notably the city’s June 2020 protests over the killing of George Floyd against Robert E. ·Protests against Lee Regulation.
Stoney praised the city for restoring its finances and improving its infrastructure. The Democrat also believes he is integrally responsible for a more than 20 percent drop in poverty in Richmond since he took office.
But his critics say racial tensions have only worsened during his tenure. Just when he thought he could win over city voters for a Las Vegas-style casino resort, he failed, too.
Richmonders voted "no" twice on the casino referendum, with the second vote drawing criticism from gambling opponents and those who believed Stoney and the Richmond City Council were violating the democratic process.
Self-proclaimed pioneer
Stoney said he is running for governor to ensure all Virginians have a "fair shot" and that success is not determined by zip code. Believing he was qualified to bring people together, he became the first black man to serve as Virginia's secretary of the commonwealth and, at age 35, was elected the youngest mayor in Richmond's history.
We've made historic investments to improve this city and improve the lives of the people who live in it," Stoney said in his campaign launch video. "We've repaired crumbling roads and infrastructure. We reduced poverty by 22 percent. Our finances are in order and the city now has a budget surplus. "
"We remove Confederate statues that do not reflect our values," Stoney added, citing a Travel + Leisure article that ranked Richmond as "the best place to live in Virginia." .
Stoney said Youngkin is dividing the community and trying to limit progress.
“We cannot stand by and do nothing,” Stoney concluded.
I saw the potential in Virginia. Stories like mine are possible here.
But success today largely depends on your zip code. I want to create a Virginia where everyone has a fair chance. No matter where you live.
That’s why I’m running to be the next Governor of Virginia.pic.twitter.com/ORYMYehiRj
— Mayor Levar M. Stoney (@LevarStoney) 4. December 2023
Stoney already faces another Democratic primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.). The congresswoman will not seek reelection, so she could run for governor.
So far, no Republicans have announced their candidacy for the 2025 election.
Casino Error
Stoney is a strong supporter of Richmond building a casino resort in the capital metropolitan area. He tried to drum up support for Urban One, a black-focused media conglomerate, in casino ads on every broadcaster.
The 2021 casino pitch lost by a slim margin of 51-49%. The difference was less than 1,500 votes. Some 62% to 38% of respondents strongly opposed last month's casino referendum.
Urban One is seeking approval to build an integrated resort casino near the Philip Morris plant on Interstate 95 on the city's south side. The two votes in the casino referendum were split, with wealthier communities, especially those north of the James River, opposed to the project and smaller groups opposing the project. Wealthy areas support casino initiative.
Stoney and the City Council pledged to use the city’s casino tax revenue to better fund early childhood programs by creating the Richmond Child Care and Education Trust Fund. Political activist Paul Goodman, who backed the casino opposition's successful campaign, responded: "What we lack in Richmond is not money" but "vision."
"You can't tell me the only way to help kids is to lie to their parents," Goldman said.
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Source: www.casino.org
