Levar Stoney
Levar Marcus Stoney (born March 20, 1981) is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the 80th mayor of Richmond, Virginia. He served as the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2014 through 2016, the youngest member of Governor Terry McAuliffe's administration.[1]
Levar Stoney | |
|---|---|
Stoney in 2022 | |
| 80th Mayor of Richmond | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Dwight Jones |
| Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia | |
| In office January 17, 2014 – April 15, 2016 | |
| Governor | Terry McAuliffe |
| Preceded by | Janet Vestal Kelly |
| Succeeded by | Kelly Thomasson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Levar Marcus Stoney March 20, 1981 Nassau County, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Kristina Perry (m. 2012; div. 2016)Brandy Washington (m. 2023) |
| Education | James Madison University (BA) |
| Signature | |
| Website | Government website |
Early and personal life edit
Stoney was born on Long Island, New York. When he was seven years old, he moved with his younger brother to Virginia's Hampton Roads area.[2][3] His parents never married; Stoney and his siblings were raised by their father (who supported the family via various low-wage jobs, and eventually became a high school janitor) and grandmother (a retired domestic worker).[4]
At Tabb High School in Tabb, Virginia, Stoney became quarterback on the school's football team, and also president of the student body (as he had in elementary and middle school).[5] Stoney graduated from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 2004. He was the first African-American male elected president of the student government,[6] and involved with the school's chapter of the College Democrats.[7]
In 2016, Stoney divorced his wife of four years.[4] He became engaged to Brandy Washington, a manager for Altria on February 22, 2022.[8] They married almost exactly a year later, on February 23, 2023.[9]
Career edit
In the summer of 2004, Stoney served as a Governor's Fellow in Mark Warner's administration.[4] Stoney then worked as an organizer in John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign as well as for the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in a get out the vote effort. Five of his colleagues were later charged with slashing the tires of a van meant to be used to drive Republican voters to the polls. Stoney initially lied to police claiming he had no knowledge about the incident. He later admitted to FBI investigators that he was present in the Democratic campaign offices after his colleagues came in to brag about slashing the tires. Stoney then went on to testify against his colleagues and fully cooperated with law enforcement. After questioning during a committee meeting with Virginia Republican lawmakers about his indiscretion, it was accepted as "an isolated, youthful mistake."[10][11][12]
During the 2005 Virginia Attorney General election Stoney worked for Creigh Deeds, who narrowly lost.[13] Stoney then worked for the Democratic Party of Virginia from 2006 to 2009, first as political director and then executive director.[14] In this role, he worked extensively with President Barack Obama's successful 2008 presidential campaign.[6]
In 2011, after losing his father, who (with his grandmother) had supported his political involvement (and after Creigh Deeds lost the 2009 Virginia gubernatorial race to Republican Bob McDonnell), Stoney began working as a consultant at Green Tech, an automotive company run by Terry McAuliffe (who had lost to Deeds in the 2009 Democratic gubernatorial primary).[4] The following year Stoney began working with McAuliffe's 2013 gubernatorial campaign, as deputy campaign manager, under campaign manager Robby Mook.[15] When McAuliffe won, Stoney became deputy director of the gubernatorial transition team, during which McAuliffe described Stoney as his "closest adviser."[16]
Secretary of the Commonwealth edit
McAuliffe appointed Stoney as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia on November 18, 2013.[16] Following confirmation by the Virginia General Assembly, he took office on January 17, 2014.[citation needed]
As Secretary of the Commonwealth, Stoney championed efforts for the restoration of voting rights for felons who have completed their sentences, an effort begun under Governor Bob McDonnell and accelerated under Governor McAuliffe.[17][18] Stoney said that "once you have served your time and paid your due, we still should not be punishing you years afterwards. Instead, we should find ways to give that individual an opportunity to better themselves and to contribute to society."[17]
Mayor of Richmond edit
Dwight Clinton Jones could not run for re-election as Mayor of Richmond because of a two-term limit.[4] Stoney became a candidate in the 2016 election to succeed him,[19] announcing his candidacy after resigning as Secretary of the Commonwealth.[20][21]
Stoney won the election over Jack Berry, 36% to 34%, with Joe Morrissey in third place.[22][23] Shortly after the election, Mayor-elect Stoney named Tiffany Jana and Bill Leighty as co-chairs of his transition team, with University of Richmond professor Thad Williamson named as director.[24]
Stoney was sworn into office on December 31, 2016. At 35 years of age, he became Richmond's youngest elected mayor.[4] In March 2019 Mayor Stoney proposed a nine-cent per $100 assessed value real estate tax hike. He also proposed adding a 50-cent tax on packages of cigarettes.[25]
In 2021, Stoney proclaimed April 17th as "Giles B. Jackson Day" for all of Giles B. Jackson's accomplishments, and it was awarded on the 150th anniversary of the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood.[26]
In January 2022, Stoney was elected as President of the Democratic Mayors Alliance, a national Democratic Party coalition dedicated to electing Democratic Mayors.[27] Stoney thus serves as a member of the Democratic National Committee. Stoney was previously on the board of the organization, and filled the vacancy left by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, whom President Joe Biden has nominated to serve as Ambassador to India.
Tear-gassing incident edit
In June 2020, in response to the murder of George Floyd, a protest assembled in Richmond at the Robert E. Lee Statue on Monument Avenue. Police responded by tear gassing the crowd before curfew and without warning. The response was widespread in its criticism of law enforcement officers and local government, including Stoney. The police initially issued a statement defending their use of tear gas, stating: "To our peaceful protestors: We are sorry we had to deploy gas near the Lee Monument. Some RPD officers in that area were cut off by violent protestors. The gas was necessary to get them to safety." However, after video footage from several people at the protests was released which contradicted the police's statement showing no signs of violence, the police responded with a tweet apologizing for tear gassing the crowd of peaceful protesters, stating that the Chief of police "apologizes for this unwarranted action. These officers have been pulled from the field. They will be disciplined because their actions were outside dept protocols and directions given."[28][29] Stoney responded by showing up to another protest, apologizing to the crowd for violating their rights.[28]
Electoral history edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Levar Stoney | 35,525 | 35.64 | |
| Democratic | Jack Berry | 33,447 | 33.56 | |
| Independent | Joe Morrissey | 20,995 | 21.06 | |
| Democratic | Michelle Mosby | 5,792 | 5.81 | |
| Democratic | Jon Baliles | 2,230 | 2.24 | |
| Independent | Lawrence Williams | 543 | 0.54 | |
| Republican | Bruce Tyler | 500 | 0.50 | |
| Independent | Bobby Junes | 381 | 0.38 | |
| Write-in | 255 | 0.26 | ||
| Total votes | 99,668 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Levar Stoney | 41,145 | 37.72 | |
| Democratic | Alexsis Rodgers | 28,885 | 26.48 | |
| Democratic | Kimberly Gray | 28,478 | 26.11 | |
| Republican | M. Justin Griffin | 7,786 | 7.14 | |
| Independent | Michael Gilbert (withdrawn) | 1,473 | 1.35 | |
| Democratic | Tracey McLean | 1,099 | 1.01 | |
| Write-in | 220 | 0.20 | ||
| Total votes | 109,086 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References edit
- ^ . Commonwealth of Virginia. Archived from the original on November 2, 2014.
- ^ "Levar Stoney Named Executive Director of Va. Dems". Fourth Estate. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ "Pep talk launches College Application Week". The Record Online. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f Oliver, Ned (December 31, 2016). "Levar Stoney, Richmond's youngest elected mayor, took office Sunday: Here's how he got there". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
- ^ "Stoney, Tabb Punish Weak Greensville". Daily Press. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- ^ a b "James Madison University - Levar Stoney ('04)". www.jmu.edu. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- ^ . Virtual Paper. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- ^ Lazarus, Jeremy M. (February 24, 2022). "Mayor: She said 'yes'". Richmond Free Press. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ Stoney, Levar (February 24, 2023). "2.23.23". Facebook. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ . October 23, 2008. Archived from the original on October 23, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ . WisPolitics.com. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ "Virginia Republicans on panel play nice with Levar Stoney". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Virginia Republicans on panel play nice with Levar Stoney". Washington Post. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- ^ "McAuliffe names Brown, Reagan, Denslow, Stoney to posts". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- ^ Alexander Burns. "McAuliffe taps Mook, Stoney to lead campaign". POLITICO. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- ^ a b Wiggins, Ovetta (November 18, 2013). "Virginia Gov.-elect McAuliffe chooses veteran Democrats for key Cabinet appointments". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- ^ a b "Commonwealth secretary talks about efforts to restore voting rights". NewsAdvance.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- ^ "In Charlottesville talk, Secretary Stoney says rights restoration has a ways to go". The Daily Progress. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- ^ "Richmond could see a competitive mayor's race in 2016 | OUR OPINION". richmond.com. April 25, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
- ^ Small, Leah (April 21, 2016). "Holdout Candidate Levar Stoney Joins Crowded Race for Richmond Mayor | Scrum". Styleweekly.com. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "How Levar Stoney appears to have pieced together a surprise victory Tuesday".
- ^ "Levar Stoney leading 5 districts in Richmond mayoral race". wtvr.com. November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
- ^ "Richmond Times Dispatch [Friday, Nov 11, 2016]". www.richmond.com. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
- ^ Robinson, mark. "Stoney proposes 9-cent hike to Richmond's real estate tax rate, 50-cent tax on cigarettes". Richmond Times Dispatch. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ "Jackson Ward 150th Anniversary: Mayor Stoney declares April 17th as Giles B. Jackson Day". WRIC ABC 8News. April 18, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
- ^ "Democratic Mayors Association Elects New Leadership". Democratic Mayors. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
- ^ a b "Protestors call on Stoney for answers after being tear-gassed Monday: 'Where were you'". ABC 8 News. June 2, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ "Tear gas deployed on protesters on Monument Avenue". NBC 29. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ "Citywide Election Results, 2016". Richmond, Virginia Government. Retrieved November 11, 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "2020 November General Official Results". Virginia Board of Elections. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
External links edit
- Profile at Vote Smart
- "Hon. Levar Stoney (D)". National Association of Secretaries of State.
- . Commonwealth of Virginia. Archived from the original on November 2, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014.