Avula wins Richmond mayoral election

Molly Manning, Contributing Writer

Eliza Eyre, Contributing Writer

Jack Glagola, News Editor

Dr. Danny Avula won the Richmond mayoral race, winning five out of nine districts and 46% of the vote over other candidates Andreas Addison, Michelle Mosby, Maurice Neblett and Harrison Roday, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Avula shared at his watch party at The Broadberry on Tuesday night that he hopes Richmonders will share their wants and experiences with him moving forward.

“The path forward for us is the wisdom and the heart that is in this room, and that is true for every single person who lives in Richmond — whether or not you voted for me,” Avula said. “Because I’m going to be a mayor for all of the people of this great city.”

All five candidates are nonpartisan but ran on platforms with varying thoughts and plans for specific issues, according to Virginia Mercury. For example, Avula mentioned making City Hall more accessible to citizens a priority at the mayoral panel hosted by the VCU NAACP chapter, while Roday emphasized housing and economic development.

“When I think about what are the plans, and particularly what are the plans that are most important to the people in this room, I think the first thing is using the budget to invest in housing that is truly affordable, also using our economic development tools,” Roday said at the panel.

Each candidate also brought a different level of political and government experience, with Roday running for office for the first time compared to Addison who has held his Richmond City Council position for eight years, according to Virginia Mercury.

Roday said he believes that the next mayor of Richmond needs to have the right balance of democratic values and experience.

“I started my career working for Sen. Kaine and President Obama so I know the importance of having a level playing field and an economy that works for everyone — ensuring that freedoms are protected like access to abortion as healthcare,” Roday said.

Addison said his position on City Council allows him now as a mayoral candidate to be able to address issues with citizens and show understanding of their complexity.

“Because I have such a long experience working in City Hall, that I can talk to pretty much anybody about any issue,” Addison said.

Addison said there were still lots of undecided voters and that he felt the race was still anybody’s at the Oct. 28 panel.

“This could be a surprise on election day,” Addison said. “I just do still think this is anyone’s race to win. I think there are a lot of undecided voters out there so like to see on election night.”

Neblett said he understands voters’ concerns because, as a resident himself, he knows firsthand how Richmonders feel.

“I have shared a lot of the challenges that the residents face in the city of Richmond, so I have peer research, but not only that, I have the experience of being able to navigate through issues,” Neblett said at the panel.

Neblett said in an interview he wants to bring more local talent into City Hall.

“My thought is making sure we make City Hall better; better interactions for our citizens,” Neblett said. “And you know — have our employees be a great representation of the city.”

Neblett was optimistic when asked about the election.

“I’m so excited right now because we have the opportunity to change the dynamic of how Richmond engages with its citizens,” Neblett said.

Vanessa Vargas, a political science and economics student, is not voting in Richmond but attended the panel because she feels it’s imperative to know and interact with local candidates regardless.

“I think it’s important to put pressure on the candidates for those in Richmond who cannot come to these events,” Vargas said.

Kaci Boone, a fourth-year political science and African American studies student, said she was planning on voting for Neblett initially but that his platform was disappointing.

“Addison has got my vote, it seems like he is the most educated and well-versed in city issues, national issues, global issues,” Boone said.

Scarlett Gibson, a first-year electrical engineering student, said her most important issue was affordable housing.

“The affordable housing crisis is made worse by the fact that new developers are infiltrating local elections, by donating large amounts of money to campaigns with the hope that this will protect their greedy and corrupt agendas,” Gibson said.

Sophia Stone, a first-year political science student, said the environment is the most important issue for her in the upcoming mayoral elections, which is a major reason she’s voting for Danny Avula.

“Avula’s idea about improving our bus system, as well as investing in our walking and biking paths, is a good step in the right direction,” Stone said.