As a number of news outlets reported this week, former governor and mayor Doug Wilder is hosting a Richmond Mayor Candidate’s Forum in early April. The April 6 event, which is to be held at Virginia Union University, will feature candidates who have already declared their intent to run, as well as a few who are exploring a possible candidacy. (The event has not been officially announced yet, but news orgs got wind of the invites being sent to potential candidates, and Wilder’s office confirmed the forum’s existence.)
The list of attendees include current council members Michelle Mosby, Chris Hilbert and Jon Baliles, plus former council member Bruce Tyler; local activists Chad Ingold, Rick Tatnall and Lillie Estes; and Venture Development director Jack Berry.
Mosby is an intriguing candidate. A political neophyte when elected to the City Council in 2013, she maneuvered her way to the council presidency, an unusual coronation for a first-term member and south-sider. She might be able to gain the support of the city’s Democratic Party machinery.
Baliles is also a force to be reckoned with. The son of a former governor, he can count on some powerful allies in the state, as well as the significant funding power of his West End district. (He’s already hired Glen Sturtevant’s fundraiser.) Berry, head of the city’s preeminent economic and cultural development organization, may be able to tap into similar networks in the city.
[Continue reading Richard J. Meagher’s post at RVA Politics.]
Richard J. Meagher blogs at RVApol.com. The Local Blog Network is a group of bloggers from around the D.C. region who have agreed to make regular contributions to All Opinions Are Local.
