RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Newly-amended paperwork with the Department of Elections shows Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney will seek the Democratic nomination for Virginia Governor in 2025.
Despite the recent filing, Stoney declined to confirm the run to 8News at an event in Richmond today.
“There will be a point in time to talk about politics and my future, and you will probably be the first to know,” Stoney told 8News when asked about a run for governor.
When Stoney does formally announce his run, he will join Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-07) as the only other candidates currently in the field.
Rich Meagher, a professor of political science at Randolph-Macon College in Hanover, said that he would expect Stoney to portray himself as more liberal than Spanberger.
“She is much more in the middle of the road for the party, and I think that rubs some progressive activists in the Democratic Party the wrong way,” Meagher said.
Plus, Meagher says Stoney could appeal to voters looking for more diversity within Virginia’s government.
“I think there is an opportunity for him to work through the Legislative Black Caucus, to reach out to Black leaders across the state and say, ‘Look, I am the person that you should support, not just because of my race, but because of my policy positions and sensitivity to these issues.’”
Governor Glenn Youngkin is not allowed to run for a second consecutive term, and so far no Republicans have formally announced their candidacy to replace him.
This is a developing story, stay with 8News for updates.
