Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said he will guarantee that mayor-elect Dr. Danny Avula has the tools to hit the ground running when he takes office Jan. 1, 2025.
Unofficial election results show that Avula holds leads in six of Richmond’s council districts — the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th — enough to secure the city’s top job, which requires winning a majority of the nine districts.
“We want to ensure that it's a streamlined transition process, something that we've never seen before here in the city of Richmond, that ensures that he and his team are prepared to lead this city into its next chapter,” Stoney said at a joint press conference held with Avula on Wednesday at City Hall.
Stoney also congratulated Avula and said his success as mayor will ensure a positive next chapter for Richmond. Stoney, who did not make a public endorsement, declined to say who he voted for in the mayoral race.
Avula said what set him apart from the four other mayoral candidates — Andreas Addison, Michelle Mosby, Maurice Neblett and Harrison Roday — was that his message resonated with so many different kinds of Richmonders.
“You look at not only the breadth of districts that we won, but also the support that came from all parts of the city,” he said, adding that he was committed to “working for the thriving of everybody, making sure that nobody gets left behind.”
Avula said he’s thankful for his years of partnership and friendship with Stoney and what that will mean for the City Hall transition. He said Stoney was his first call Wednesday morning.
“Mayor Stoney has so steadfastly been committed during his time in office, and what I will absolutely be committed to is protecting the people of Richmond and fighting for justice and equity in everything that we do as a city moving forward,” he said. “I'm really thankful for the team that he has built. I'm thankful for the culture of the city.”
Despite this, Avula still plans to conduct a national search for a new chief administrative officer to replace current CAO Lincoln Saunders.
“I think it is somebody who both understands the challenges of leading the large and complex administration, especially in the context of a real shifting national landscape,” Avula said about who he'd consider for the role.
The mayor-elect said he does not have anyone specific in mind for the job. But he said the ideal candidate would have experience working with state and federal partners to secure funding and share his vision of fighting for all the people of Richmond, especially those most vulnerable and marginalized.
Avula also said he’s working to get a transition team together and figure out how much of the CAO hiring process they can get done prior to taking office in January.
Richmond's general registrar's office told VPM News all local election results will be certified by the Nov. 15 deadline.
