Richmond's next mayor?

Now that Mayor Doug Wilder has announced he will not run for reelection, the contest to be Richmond's next mayor is likely to be a wide open affair. There's no telling how many candidates will emerge. But it is highly unlikely any candidate will have the strength in all nine districts that Wilder had in 2004.

At Buttermilk & Molasses its publisher, John Sarvay, looks at the Richmond mayoral race. His post, “Richmond’s Next Mayor: Six Candidates Walk Into A Bar...”, comments on six announced or likely candidates -- Donnie “Dirtwoman” Corker, Paul Goldman (pictured above), Robert Grey, Dwight Jones, Bill Pantele, Lawrence Williams -- and their prospects.

The second smartest guy running, [Paul] Goldman is also the savviest man in the race having honed his political chops over two decades as the Cardinal Richelieu to Doug Wilder's Louis XIII. Sadly, Goldman has been unable to land his obvious smarts in a way that leaves the public wanting more...

After the petitions are handed in and the signatures on them verified by the City Registrar, anybody want to venture a guess at how many of those six will end up on the ballot?

If attorney Robert Grey decides to run, Sarvay sees him as the candidate to beat. I have to agree with that call. And, I must say that those who are already casting Grey as Wilder-lite are probably going to have a hard time making that characterization stick.

Click here to read all of Sarvay’s analysis.

Perhaps there is a name or two that Sarvay overlooked. Any suggestions?

-- Words and photo by F.T. Rea