RICHMOND, Va. — Secretary of the Commonwealth Levar Stoney sent Governor Terry McAuliffe his letter of resignation, to be effective at 5 p.m. Friday.
Stoney was sworn in as Secretary of the Commonwealth on Jan. 19, 2014 and is the first African-American to hold the post. He is also the youngest member of McAuliffe’s Cabinet.
Stoney was also previously one of the youngest state Democratic party executive directors, back in 2008, when he served the Democratic Party of Virginia. From there he parlayed his experience into McAuliffe’s gubernatorial campaign.
“Being by you and Dorothy’s side over these last six years has shown me why being actively involved in public service still matters,” Stoney wrote at the end of his official resignation. “We have truly made a difference in the lives of others and I shall never forget that.”
McAuliffe released a statement about Stoney’s resignation:
“As Secretary of the Commonwealth, Levar Stoney has served with integrity, compassion and a fierce devotion to our team’s mission of building a new Virginia economy for every family. From restoring civil rights to more Virginians than the past 7 governors combined and selecting the most qualified and professional appointees for Virginia boards and commissions, to serving as one of my closest advisers and friends, Levar has been a driving force behind many of the successes of our administration so far. I am grateful to Secretary Stoney for his outstanding service and look forward to the continuation of his work making his Commonwealth and his community a better place to live, work and raise a family.”
Many anticipate that Stoney will join the mayoral race. He will join a field already packed with candidates.
Twelve mayoral candidates addressed a crowd of more than 1,000 people at a recent mayoral forum hosted by former governor Doug Wilder at Virginia Union University.
The officially declared candidates for the mayoral race are City Council member Jon Baliles, former Venture Richmond Director Jack Berry, community strategist Lillie Estes, media company CEO Brad Froman, Open High teacher Chad Ingold, former delegate and commonwealth attorney Joe Morrissey, City Council President Michelle Mosby, activist and carpenter Alan Schintzius, city advocate Rick Tatnall, former Councilman Bruce Tyler, and architect Lawrence Williams.
Councilman Chris Hilbert and Stoney have expressed interest in running, but have not made a formal bid.
