All signs point toward Dr. Danny Avula becoming Richmond’s next mayor.
As of 1 a.m. Nov. 6, with all 72 of Richmond’s precincts reporting unofficial results, Avula had received 44,382 votes (46%). To become mayor, a candidate must win five of Richmond’s nine City Council districts. Avula held strong leads in six, with former City Council President Michelle Mosby ahead in the other three.
In a quasi-victory speech at 10:30 p.m., Avula struck, in his words, a “cautiously optimistic” tone as he thanked his supporters, which includes the local members of the International Association of Fire Fighters, who drove Avula to his watch party at the Broadberry on a fire engine. “I've been so proud and encouraged to just see so many people with so many different talents and experiences sharing and supporting our vision for a healthy and thriving Richmond,” he said. He also gave a shoutout to his fellow mayoral candidates — Mosby, Andreas Addison, Harrison Roday and Maurice Neblett — for what they brought to the race.
Regarding the presidential election — Donald Trump's eventual victory was uncertain at the time — Avula said, "I will do everything in my power to protect our city and its amazing people against extremism of all kinds, and I will pursue every opportunity to uplift the values and the priorities that have united us throughout this mayoral campaign. We're in this together, and Richmond will continue to be a city where we defend rights and freedoms and protect one another, regardless of the agenda at the national level."
He concluded by saying he was “so incredibly honored to have your trust and your partnership as we move forward, and hopefully when these numbers come in, I will say I cannot wait to get started with all of you all.”
If the unofficial results align with the final tally, Avula, the face of Virginia's pandemic response, will become Richmond’s first mayor of Indian descent. He was joined at the celebration by his wife, Mary Kay, and his five children, some of whom were able to vote for him. His father did, too, and said it was “exciting” but “very unusual to vote for your son.” In an interview after his speech, Avula, 46, said his apparent victory “is reflective of a changing population. ... We're having immigrants from all over the world come into the city, and so I think that if I do end up being elected, I think that's reflective of the future of this city.”
The new council will be made up of Andrew “Gumby” Breton (1st), Katherine L. Jordan (2nd), Kenya Gibson (3rd), Sarah Abubaker (4th), Stephanie Lynch (5th), Ellen Robertson (6th), Cynthia Newbille (7th), Reva Trammell (8th) and Nicole Jones (9th). Richmond’s School Board seats were won by Matthew Percival, Katie Ricard, Ali Faruk, Wesley Hedgepeth, Stephanie Rizzi, Shonda Harris-Muhammed, Cheryl Burke, E.J. Jafari and Shavonda Dixon.
In other election news, Petersburg residents overwhelming voted to allow a casino, twice rejected by Richmonders, to be built in their city. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine won re-election, and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris won Virginia’s 13 electoral college votes.
At Kaine’s watch party at the Hippodrome, current Mayor Levar Stoney said being Richmond’s mayor “is the toughest job in Virginia politics. ... I voted for someone who I thought could handle this being a pressure cooker.” Stoney, though, said who he voted for “is a secret between me and the commonwealth of Virginia. Whoever wins, I'm gonna be helpful as much as possible.”
“Everybody has their spin; I'm done with my time,” he continued. “I am grateful for all the residents, everyone out there who supported me over these many years. I'm excited about the future of the city. I really am. We all should be.”
