Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney will launch Virginia gubernatorial run by end of year

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has begun assembling a campaign team ahead of launching a 2025 Virginia governor’s bid later this year.

Stoney has already hired a chief strategist, ad-maker and a pollster, among others, and plans to enter the race “by the end of the year,” according to a person familiar with the nascent campaign, granted anonymity to discuss internal plans ahead of a public announcement.

The commonwealth’s gubernatorial race is expected to be hyper-competitive in both the Democratic primary and the general election. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) has told colleagues in Congress that she plans to run, POLITICO reported in July, although she has yet to formally launch a bid.

Stoney’s entrance into the race has long been anticipated. He acknowledged in April to the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he was strongly considering a run.

Stoney has been a rising star in Virginia Democratic politics and is a protégé of former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe. He was McAuliffe’s secretary of the commonwealth from 2014 through early 2016 before winning a competitive race to become Richmond’s mayor. He won reelection in 2020.

The mayor has hired several top campaign officials, the source close to the mayor told POLITICO. Doug Thornell of the well-known consulting firm SKDK will be chief strategist and will run the campaign’s ad operations with Oren Shur, another well-known SKDK consultant.

Fred Yang, a prominent Democratic pollster with experience both in the state and on other gubernatorial campaigns, will run polling. Kevin Zeithaml, a longtime aide to Stoney, will be a senior adviser; Alan Moore is leading direct mail; Becca Slutzky, a former executive director of the state party, is helming digital fundraising; and Ian Mandel is leading research.

The governorship will be open in 2025, with GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin termed out. Virginia has an unusual law where governors are only allowed to serve one term at a time.

Candidates may serve non-consecutive terms — McAuliffe won in 2013 and then lost to Youngkin in an upset two years ago — but in practice it is exceedingly rare for someone to actually win a second term.

Republicans, too, are expected to have a competitive primary. Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears — who was elected in 2021 separately from Youngkin — and Attorney General Jason Miyares are both rumored to be considering runs.

Democrats flipped the state House and held on to the state Senate on Tuesday. The results were a significant blow for Youngkin, who was not on the ballot but made himself the face of the legislative elections. Democratic control of the legislature will stymie Youngkin’s agenda for the last two years of his term, while also putting to rest consistent chatter from some prominent Republican donors that he was positioned to make a late entry into the presidential race.

But voters on Tuesday also rejected a casino proposal that was backed by Stoney and other Richmond leaders — a political defeat for Stoney as he prepares his bid for higher office.