Richmond's next mayor will be former Secretary of the Commonwealth Levar Stoney. As Mallory Noe-Payne reports, the race was decided Wednesday as the final votes were counted.
Leading up to Election Day, former lawmaker Joe Morrissey was favored to win the six-person contest for mayor of Virginia's capitol city; so many Richmond-ers were surprised Tuesday when Morrissey came in 3rd place behind Levar Stoney, and local community leader Jack Berry.
But in Richmond's unique electoral system, getting the most votes isn't enough to win. Instead, a candidate has to place first in at least five of the city's nine districts.
Late Tuesday night it appeared neither Stoney nor Berry had cleared that hurdle, meaning there would be a run-off election in December.
But as the final votes were tallied Wednesday, Stoney pulled ahead and declared the winner.
"Last night the city of Richmond chose a progressive leader to move our city forward and take our city to the next level,” said Stoney at a press conference. "And it is my commitment as the next mayor of the city to inject fresh energy, a new approach, and some new ideas to take this city to the next level."
Stoney, a 35-year-old graduate of James Madison University, was a favorite of the Virginia Democratic Party and Governor Terry McAuliffe.
