Richmond mayor Levar Stoney officially announced his campaign for governor with a video posted on Monday, Dec. 4"yesterday morning" in NL.

The details

There has long been speculation that Stoney would run for governor, but Monday's announcement made him the second candidate to officially announce his campaign. He is preceded by VA 7th district Rep. Abigail Spanberger — also a Democrat.

In his announcement, Stoney discusses his family history and acknowledges that he was the first member of his family to graduate high school or college. He points to his time as mayor, citing infrastructure improvements and investments in fighting poverty as major successes.

Mayor Stoney announced his campaign on Monday with a video. | Photo via Levar Stoney for Governor on Youtube

What does this mean for Richmond?

The 2025 election is still a long ways away — this announcement arrived 23 months to the day before election day. Currently serving his second mayoral term, Stoney was already ineligible to run for reelection. His term will end when the next mayor is inaugurated in early 2025.

The next mayor of Richmond will be elected on Nov. 5, 2024. There are currently three declared candidates — Garrett Sawyer (a Democrat), Michelle Mosby, and Maurice Neblett (both Independents).

Are you registered to vote? Virginians can check their registration status and register to vote on the Citizen Portal of the Virginia Dept. of Elections website. You’ll need a valid Virginia driver’s license or a state ID card to register.