Kimberly B. Gray

Age: 50

Occupation: Mom and Realtor

Education: Virginia Commonwealth University

Civic/community activities: Renaming Arthur Ashe Boulevard after Richmond’s native son and civil rights leader; bringing equity and common sense to School Board discipline policies (reducing inequitable suspensions).

Contact: (804) 852-4427; KimGrayForMayor@gmail.com

Website: www.KimGrayRVA.com

I decided to run for election for Richmond mayor because: Richmond needs real change, not more of the same. I am running in order to bring back good government, to end the corruption, to reduce crime in our neighborhoods and restore common sense to our city government. Our public schools need a champion because they do not deliver a fair educational outcome for the majority of its students and we need a transparent and honest leader who can help guide Richmond through the post-COVID-19 world and economy and who will engage and listen to help rebuild the trust with the community.

What do you see as the top two issues facing the city? I believe the lack of trust in government transparency and accountability is a major concern as is the failure of helping our children prepare for their future. We saw the lack of transparency with the Navy Hill deal and the suspect contract to remove the statues. Backroom deals need to be a thing of our past like the statues themselves. We also have to provide our children with the chance to succeed. They need the right hardware, internet broadband and the ability to learn skills and trades to build a bright future.

How I plan to address those issues as mayor: I will be open and honest and transparent. I won’t waste two years and $2 million and millions more in staff time developing a risky economic development plan that ignores community input. I won’t ever allow a single source contract to be approved that is done in secret and costs five times what the job should cost. For the children, we will fully fund schools and provide broadband to the housing communities, make sure they have working computers and expand skills training courses and options as well as workforce opportunities for employment after graduation.

Justin Griffin

Age: 31

Occupation: Founder and manager of Virginia Small Business Law, PLLC

Education: Bachelor’s in business administration, University of Tennessee, with a major in accounting; J.D., University of Richmond School of Law

Civic/community activities: Adult leader with the high school youth group at Richmond’s First Baptist Church; volunteer drafting pro bono wills for those diagnosed with cancer through the nonprofit Legal Information Network for Cancer or CancerLINC

Contact: (804) 505-0089; Justin@GriffinForMayor.com

Website: www.griffinformayor.com

I decided to run for election for Richmond mayor because: We deserve better. I, like most Richmonders, am tired of our city government’s mismanagement and misplaced priorities. Richmond is an amazing place full of amazing people, but we are saddled with a completely incompetent city government. That is because we keep electing career politicians who focus more on furthering their own political careers than on solving real problems. I am in this race because I care about Richmond, and I believe that if you care about something and you see it being failed, you either have to stop caring or step up and do something about it.

What do you see as the top two issues facing the city? The most important issue that must be addressed is the crime, violence and daily shoot- ings that are happening in our neighborhoods. We must make sure all of our people live in a safe and peaceful environment. That is the number one charge of local government. The second most important issue is the Richmond Public Schools system, which is failing our children. We have seen the graduation rate drop from 80 percent to 70 percent in the last four years. That is a crisis that must be addressed.

How I plan to address those issues as mayor: Crime/violence: First, we must shut down the constant threat of riots and vandalism. This will allow the police to return focus to preventing crime in our neighborhoods. Second, we must increase resources to our police department so they can patrol all of our neighborhoods and engage in more community policing. Third, we need more after-school activities, sports leagues and mentorship programs for our youths. Schools: I have a three-part plan for improving the school system. Step 1: Fix the buildings. Step 2: Create a student-centered academic approach. Step 3: Implement a holistic education that provides life and job skills.

Tracey V. McLean

age: 49

Occupation: Small business owner and author education: John Tyler Community College Civic/community activities:

Contact: (844) 494-4441; Traceymcleanformayor@gmail.com

Website: https://traceymcleanformayor.com/

I decided to run for election for Richmond mayor because: Called by God, I decided to run because Richmond has been running on an uneven scale for years. We now have a chance to heal the pain that has been in our city over the decades. We have a chance to offer solutions and fair options for all. Richmond is the city with a church on every block. This means our faith is important to us. Our community is important to us. I am running to change the narrative, to build a cohesive community, to implement true equity and to offer to equality and equal and quality education.

What do you see as the top two issues facing the city? Inequality and safety. There are so many issues, it is hard to narrow them down. All of the issues are important to me.

How I plan to address those issues as mayor: I will start by offering local reparations. It is particularly important that we work together as a cohesive unit for the community. We must understand that we work for the people. I will engage in healthy conversations to achieve solutions. I will always listen and consider all opinions of each council member and resident. I will focus on the kids in need, evaluating and implementing an action plan, including offering tutors, Spanish-speaking counselors, psycholo- gists, funds for supplies and more. I will assist with the needs of students and parents, offering more programs to help parents to get better opportunities for their families.

Alexsis E. Rodgers

Age: 29

Occupation: Virginia state director, National Domestic Workers Alliance

Education: Graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University Honors College, with degrees in public relations and Spanish

Civic/community activities: Emerge Virginia alumna, 2014, and board member, 2016 to present; Richmond City Democratic Committee member, 2016 to present, and vice chair, 2018 to 2020

Contact: (804) 482-1059; alexsis@alexsisrodgers.com

Website: alexsisrodgers.com

I decided to run for election for Richmond mayor because: Richmond needs a mayor who will fight for the working people. For the past eight years, I’ve been advocating for economic security, voting rights and quality health care. This year, I helped make Virginia the first Southern state to pass labor protections for domestic workers who are mostly women of color. I have a track record of bringing people together to advance policies for our most vulnerable community members. As mayor, I will make sure our city government is accountable to the people, not special interests.

What do you see as the top two issues facing the city? Police reform and affordable housing.

How I plan to address those issues as mayor:

Police reform: I will work to keep Richmond safe by reducing the scale and scope of policing and reinvesting in community resources for public education, after-school programs and mental health services. Affordable housing: I will prioritize access to clean, safe and affordable housing for every Richmond resident and support zoning policies and programs that promote economically diverse communities and reduce displacement.

Levar M. Stoney

Age: 39

Occupation: Mayor of Richmond

Education: Bachelor’s in public administration and political science, James Madison University

Civic/community activities: Board member, GRASP; board member, Massey Cancer Center

Contact: (804) 646-7970; levar@stoneyforrva. com

Website: www.stoneyforrva.com

I decided to run for re-election for Richmond mayor because: I am proud of the work we’ve done over the last four years in Richmond. We have made the largest investment in Richmond Public Schools in decades, built three new schools in Black and brown neighborhoods, created the first ever Eviction Diversion Program and expanded after-school programs to every elementary and middle school. However, there’s so much left to do. I’m committed to continuing the fight for more funding for RPS, expanding affordable housing and Black homeownership and leading the city through the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure we build One Richmond, a city that works for everyone.

What do you see as the top two issues facing the city? My number one priority right now is protecting public health and safety during the pandemic. Our city has escaped the worst of COVID-19 in terms of cases and deaths, but we must not let our guard down. We are not out of the woods yet. We also must tend to the economic impact of the virus. Richmond families have lost loved ones, their jobs and their homes, while our city has lost business and revenue. We also must do everything we can to make sure life can continue to go on while also keeping residents safe from this virus.

How I plan to address those issues as mayor: We need to continue our box-it-in strategy, focusing on testing and tracing infections. We have offered free testing, hotel rooms for those who cannot quarantine safely and more than $14 million to hold off evictions and for rental assistance. For our small businesses, we offered no interest loans and grants, amnesty on taxes and helped restaurants expand outdoor seating and to-go capabilities. Until the threat of COVID-19 has passed, your family’s safety and economic security will continue to be my top priority. We will get through this and come out stronger on the other side, but we must do it together.