Sept. 9 Newsletter: Mayoral race full of uncertainty
Today is Monday, Sept. 9
Weather: Pleasant, high of 79
On this date in 1992, tennis star Arthur Ashe was arrested for blocking traffic outside the White House while protesting a policy of sending Haitian refugees back to their country.
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Mayoral race filled with uncertainty
As the post-Labor Day election season arrives, polling indicates as many as half of Richmonders are undecided on who to support for mayor.
Demographic changes and the lack of clear political heavyweights in a field of five candidates have made for an unpredictable contest with two months to go.
Former Richmond City Council President Michelle Mosby, a South Richmond hair salon owner, and Dr. Danny Avula, a public health official who led Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts, are generally seen as the early favorites.
But with no clearly dominant figure and many candidates running for office for the first time, there’s still plenty of room for the race to change.
Here are some takeaways from Graham Moomaw’s deep dive on the race:
- Mosby, running to be the first Black woman elected mayor, says enthusiasm for Kamala Harris will lift her campaign. But she’s fighting to translate that energy into fundraising. “People on the other side, even with our little bit of money, are scared y’all," she said. "‘Cause it’s ours to win.”
- The local Democratic Party confirmed it won't make an endorsement in the race.
- Black candidates have won every election under the strong mayor system, but city demographics have changed dramatically over the past two decades.
School renaming sparks debate over ‘success’ vs. ‘excellence’
Tonight the Richmond School Board will take on the renaming of Richmond Alternative School, aiming to reduce the stigma for students with behavioral or academic issues, Sarah Vogelsong reports.
- Students were asked to help rename the school. Unfortunately, “Duke’s Mayo Alternative School” and “Rizz Academy” did not make the final cut.
Despite an initial frontrunner of "Richmond Academy of Excellence," the committee later chose "Richmond Success Academy." The board asked for more student feedback, which it will receive tonight.
Read more, including debate on whether there is a difference between "success" and "excellence"
Trail aims to transform Southside transportation
This August, city leaders broke ground on the first Richmond trailhead of the Fall Line Trail at Bryan Park. But while the completed trail will run 43 miles from Ashland to Petersburg, local leaders and planners say one of its most significant benefits could be its expansion of bike and pedestrian infrastructure in Richmond’s Southside, which has long lagged other parts of the city in options to get around without a car.
Sarah Vogelsong reports that $126 million will be invested to rewire Southside's transportation options as part of the Fall Line Trail project.
The goal of the trail isn’t just recreation; it’s also an attempt to provide a safer and more enjoyable transportation route for residents — including children who in some cases walk to school along streets with no sidewalks.
Read more, including a map of the trail's future route through Southside
Hokies bounce back, Commanders are who we thought they were
Don't look now, but the University of Virginia is 2-0 for only the third time since 2013, and the Wahoos may have found an answer at quarterback. Meanwhile, the Hokies continued their sleepy starts, and are about to run into an ODU team that has held its own against two stronger foes.
All that, plus thoughts on Friday night's high school games and the Washington Commanders debut, can be found in Michael Phillips' weekly football recap.
In other news...
- The Times-Dispatch reported on the lengthy waits businesses face when applying for a special use permit.
- Axios has a list of the festivals that will take place this fall.
- The Locker Room in Westover Hills was broken into over the weekend. Per South Richmond News, the thief "made off with an empty register box with some paper clips in it."
- From VPM, a Richmond drummer backed Colombian pop star Karol G on her world tour this summer.
- The switch to cell-phone free schools is just as hard on parents, says Cardinal News.
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