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Levar Stoney promises to be ‘transparent’ Richmond Mayor

Posted at 10:30 AM, Apr 21, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-21 10:56:42-04

RICHMOND, Va. — Levar Stoney, the former Secretary of the Commonwealth under Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, announced his candidacy for Mayor of Richmond.

Stoney, who resigned from his role in the McAuliffe administration last week, said he hoped to bring change to Richmond’s City Hall.

“We need a new leader who will harness our momentum. We need a leader with new ideas, a new approach, and new energy — for a new Richmond,” Stoney said in a prepared statement. “Schools will be my top priority. Money in our schools is money in our pockets. But it isn’t just about economics—it is the right thing to do.”

Stoney joins a crowded field of mayor candidates that includes:

City Council member Jon Baliles
Former Venture Richmond Director Jack Berry
Community strategist Lillie Estes
Mmedia company CEO Brad Froman
Open High teacher Chad Ingold
Former delegate and Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Morrissey
City Council President Michelle Mosby
Activist and carpenter Alan Schintzius
City advocate Rick Tatnall
Former Richmond City Councilman Bruce Tyler
Architect Lawrence Williams

In addition to education, Stoney said he would work to reduce gun crime in an effort to keep neighborhoods safe for families.

“None of these things will get done without a fresh approach to city government,” he said. “I will be a hands-on, visible and transparent Mayor. I will promote collaboration across departments. I will promote diversity and I will motivate staff to get things done. I will be the champion of accountability. We will measure our outputs as well as our inputs, and the buck will stop with me.”

Stoney, 35, was born in New York and grew up in Yorktown. He attended James Madison University.

Stoney was sworn in as Secretary of the Commonwealth on Jan. 19, 2014 and was the first African-American to hold the post. He was also the youngest member of McAuliffe’s Cabinet. He resigned on April 15, ahead of his mayoral run.

He 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.