Earlier this afternoon, I had the chance to chat with former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney (just to be clear, this was at his campaign’s request; I like doing this and it’s interesting, but interviews also take a lot of time/effort, plus I’m basically one guy running this entire site, so…yeah, I’m certainly not going to try and do more than the WaPo, RTD, etc, all of which have orders of magnitude more resources than I do!), who’s one of six candidates for the Democratic Lt. Governor nomination, which will be decided in 14 days. See below for a lightly edited transcript of the interview; bolding added by me for emphasis of key points.
Blue Virginia: “How are things going with the campaign? A little background for that question, I was at the Falls Church Memorial Day parade [the other day and] I feel like people still don’t really know who the candidates are…tell me if you think I’m wrong about that, but…I saw a lot of blank stairs at that…parade, I felt like a lot of people had no clue there even was an election, let alone who the candidates were. So anyway, that’s why I’m asking how do you think things are going and do you think thing people are tuning in and know are starting to finally figure out who the candidates are, what they stand for, what their differences are, and try to decide to make an intelligent choice of who to vote for on June, in just two weeks?”
Levar Stoney: “Well I think it’s going well. I’m doing everything that a candidate should be doing as you near the end of the election. And I’m continuing to raise money so I can fuel my mass communication strategy around the Commonwealth. I’m traveling the state to meet voters where they are. I’m doing everything I think I need to do to win this thing. And you’re absolutely correct that there are still probably roughly 50% of the voters out there who still don’t know who any of us are. There’s a large portion of that concentrated in Northern Virginia, because I think the DC area, particularly inside the Beltway, lacks a candidate from within the vicinity, and so there are a lot of folks who have not made their mind up yet. I think they’re going to go to the polls and vote, but they still have no clue who any of us are and I think that makes this race more challenging, because you have to pinpoint who your voters are, but when you’re working from a position of…where there’s 50% of the voters still undecided, it creates a ton of volatility in the race. And so do everything you can to turn out your region, you turn out your your coalition and that’s what we’re focused on.”
Blue Virginia: “Yeah, the first time I ever voted in a Virginia Democratic primary I think was 2005, actually…that was only an LG primary, you probably remember…I walked into my polling location and I remember it was dead quiet, there was nobody there, the poll workers were almost falling asleep because the turnout was so low that day…for a four-person Democratic primary that year…So are we talking about something like that this time – this is an AG and LG primary – but are we talking about very low turnout do you think?”
Levar Stoney: “I think you could consider this will be a low-turnout affair. I think we’ll have more voters than the 2013 primary, where it was Ralph Northam vs. Aneesh Chopra and Justin Fairfax vs. Mark Herring. I think you’ll see more voters than that because number one, you’ve got Donald Trump as a catalyst. And then you have better voting laws on the books today versus more than 10 years ago. You know people have a 45-day vote window to early votel; we didn’t have that back in the 2013 election. So just by the nature of those two factors, you’re going to see I think stronger turnout than the past. However, you won’t see the same type of turnout that we saw in 2021 when we had a competitive gubernatorial primary. And so that’s going to be the real difference here, there are not gubenatorial candidates driving the turnout this time. Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General are going to have to drive that turnout And that’s just making it more difficult because there’s just simply less money spent in these races.”
Blue Virginia: “I remember that Falls Church Memorial Day parade that year and Perriello was at it and there were probably a hundred people marching with him…people seemed to know, there was a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of shaking hands…it was a very different feel than just an LG or LG and AG primary…but…now we only have two weeks left…we’ve had one televised debate, we’ve had a bunch of forums; have any major differences – ideological, policy, approach to the job, whatever – emerged among the six Democrats running for lieutenant governor?”
Levar Stoney: “I think the differences between the competition is it boils down to experience and I think style…For me, I’m the most experienced candidate in the race, I’ve got 10 years of public service experience when you combine my work as Secretary of the Commonwealth and eight years as mayor of Richmond. I’m the only person who’s been an executive in the race, so I’ve had to make consequential bold decisions that impact the daily lives of others. I have nothing against legislators, but being a chief executive and being a legislator are far different -you have to say what you mean but also you have to mean what you say. And I think my record of delivering on the values that I think Democrats care about really matters in a race for lieutenant governor. In addition to that, I think when it comes to style, I’m just a big believer that you know what, you do all that you can within the four years that you’re given and then you go before the people and defend your record and defend why you did what you did. And I’ve done that as a person who’s run for reelection for mayor of Richmond, I’ve done that. And I think after eight years in office, I’m now campaigning throughout the Commonwealth…standing on what I did as mayor but also standing on the values that I think that make me the strongest Democrat on the ballot for lieutenant governor.”
Blue Virginia: “So nothing ideological…I mean, so sometimes you get primaries where you have people on the far left, maybe, or the middle or the right or whatever, but you’re not seeing that? Or policy, what about like the casino? car tax? There there are definitely issues out there like that…I guess you all agree on ‘right to work’ repeal…and you all agree on abortion I guess and LGBTQ equality. I mean, is there anything like the car tax, casino…”
Levar Stoney: “On the core issues, I think that we are all in the same place. I think on some of the current events that…matter in this election, we do stand in different places. You know, I would not have supported Senator Rouse’s bill on skill games and I would not have supported Governor Youngkin’s amendments either. I’m just a firm believer that those skill game operators need a more robust regulatory and taxation framework, and right now I have not seen a bill that supports that and so I wouldn’t supported Aaron Rouse’s attempts to regulate the industry; I think we need we need more there. And I wouldn’t have supported the governor’s work as well. I think there’s some sensible guard rails and some safeguards that could safeguard not only the industry but also the people in the neighborhoods as well, and I just I haven’t seen that from anyone yet. And I think we also are in different places when it comes to casino gaming. I’m a big believer that local governments have to recognize whether or not a facility like a casino is the best and highest use for land in a specific area. And I think in Tyson’s, a casino would not be the best and highest use; this is a land use issue. And my opponents, Ghazala Hashmi and Aaron Rouse, are in a different position than I am.”
Blue Virginia: “I mean, you had a casino come up in Richmond as well, but you’re not against casinos in general or you just think [Tysons is] not the right place for this specific project or what?”
Levar Stoney: “That’s correct, the latter. I support casino gaming in general. I do believe the localities should have a say on that type of gaming. I think localities should have a say on skill gaming as well. You now, my residents rejected a referendum on the subject twice. My support for gaming has always involved my support of you know the need for more working class jobs. The folks who supported the referendum in Richmond were from neighborhoods that are considered working poor or working class, and I’m always going to stand up for working class people and that’s why I supported those measures in Richmond.”
Blue Virginia: “There’s been some discussion of the car tax…it gets at progressive taxation or different forms of taxation; where do you come down on that? I personally think Virginia should be reforming its tax code, which is kind of antiquated in a bunch of different ways, but do you have any thoughts on taxation in general and the car tax specifically?”
Levar Stoney: “I absolutely agree with you on the need for tax reform in the Commonwealth. I know that what then Governor Warner made an attempt at tax reform back in the early 2000s, we really haven’t touched it since then. What really drives me up the wall is the essentially the flat tax that we have here when it comes to income tax. You know, you have folks, people who like my late father who are janitors at companies in let’s say Tyson’s or in downtown Richmond, who basically pay the same rate as the CEOs in the company. I think that’s problematic. I think that there should be another sort of rate class for those who make a million dollars and above; I think that’s not too much to ask in a more dynamic economy that we have here in the Commonwealth. And that could fund some major investments in public education in in pre-k education as well, but right now we have…this flat tax which I think is quite regressive and there’s some need for reform.”
Blue Virginia: “I guess some people would argue that car tax is regressive but it also is a tax on some would say a thing that pollutes, that’s a a kind of a societal or environmental does harm…there are a bunch of pros and cons, it can be regressive although you could structure it in a way that where…cars above a certain value or whatever subject to the tax…”
Levar Stoney: “Here’s the thing, I know the car tax is frustrating to a lot of Virginia residents. But also, I recognize that as a person who’s led at the local level, remember, there are all these different pools of money and revenue that go into funding your general fund operations and the essentials of government like public education…helping us pave our roads and cut the grass and pay for the public safety in our communities. You just have to find a way that localities can still benefit in terms of they can still capture enough revenue to fund the daily operations of government. And I know that the state government at one time was doing a little bit more in terms of reimbursement…When you cut the car tax, that’s the only hole that I think that you know we have to consider filling in the future moving forward. And, you knowm I’m a big believer that for cities like Richmond which have a large amount of tax-exempt land – you know, we are the home to state government, but you know Norfolk has a large amount of tax-exempt land, parts of Fairfax do as well. Who’s going to reimburse these localities for these properties that don’t pay any taxes?...My priority as lieutenant governor would be to ensure that how are local governments made whole if a major tax reform occurs. How do we ensure that local governments are made whole and no one has presented me with an answer. But I think, you know, what we also have to recognize that we are within a dynamic economy and we have to explore how do we go about even considering a tax on the attention economy as well; you know we’ve got these major tech giants around social media who essentially are making money on the attention of adults and our kids. And so how do we reform our taxes in general, but how do we also uh bring our tax code up to an era of this new economy around attention and tech?”
Blue Virginia: “Right, and I almost hate to bring up data centers, but any quick thoughts on that? You know, that’s a big controversial issue particularly in Northern Virginia, that brings in a lot of revenue for localities but a lot of people who live near those things don’t like them for a bunch of different reasons. I don’t know if that’s come up too much in this campaign, but it’s definitely been a big issue.”
Levar Stoney: “You know, we are seeing the proliferation of data centers not just in northern Virginia but also throughout the Commonwealth; we got some here in central Virginia and they’re heading further south as well. And then I know there are localities who are considering going into I guess you could say that line of business, how they go about diversifying their revenue streams, and data centers have been a way for some localities to do that. What I would recommend though is that the general assembly take up the action of regulation. The JLARC report, the research arm for the general assembly, provided I think some reasonable recommendations. We saw only eight bills filed and only I believe two made it to Governor Youngkin…both were met with the governor’s veto. But I think there’s some common sense guardrails that can be actionable by the Commonweath…with the amount of demand they have on our electrical grid, there should be another rate class for these data centers and I think that’s reasonable between the industry and the Commonwealth. Also, I think that they should not be encroaching on neighborhoods and schools and parks; we have to give localities the tools to sort of manage that. And right now what I hear from residents throughout the particular Virginia places like Loudoun and Fairfax County…Why are these data centers right next to neighborhoods and right next to parks and there has to be a way for us to to regulate that and I believe there are. The state has to step up and give those localities the tools to do so. And I think there are ways that we can find these commonsense safeguards that both sides…are happy with.”
Blue Virginia: “I’m kind of curious; I haven’t seen a lot of people weigh in on this guy, but he could be your opponent in a few weeks, John Reid…He’s said a lot…I don’t know if you ever went on his radio show but I listened to it far too many times, unfortunately, and he’s very right-wing, very extreme I would say. But just every day, if you go on his Facebook page, he posts stuff that’s just like outrageous…Like he just said the other day, it was the anniversary of the George Floyd you know cop kneeling on his neck and murdering him, that basically George Floyd deserved to die [“when you’re a criminal don’t be surprised when bad things happen to you. Don’t be a criminal.”]. I’m just curious if you have any thoughts on John Reid, who could be your opponent in a couple weeks, including statements like that.”
Levar Stoney: “Well I thought that statement was disgusting – to say that someone deserved to die. Let me put emphasis on the word ‘deserved’ – he said someone deserved to die. And here’s the thing, I know what cruelty sounds like, that was cruel, that was absolutely cruel…But that’s just the sort of politics of division that John Reid will practice if given the opportunity to be the lieutenant governor of Virginia. And I don’t think we need a mimic of Donald Trump in Virginia politics; we need someone in political office who’s going to protect those who are considered the least, the forgotten, those who are looking for a fair shot in the Commonwealth. And what I’m hearing from John Reid is not someone who’s interested in giving Virginians a fair shot, but interested in sort of championing an agenda of division. I just like to think that Virginia can do better…than divisive rhetoric that drives us apart instead of bringing us together.”
Blue Virginia: “You remember 2013 [VA GOP ticket], Democrats called it the ‘extreme team’ of Ken Cuccinelli, EW Jackson and Mark Obenstein. Is this ticket as extreme or even more than that one or what, how would you describe it?”
Levar Stoney: “I think this will certainly give the 2013 slate a run for their money. I would say that, it is a run for their money. And you know, you add the Trump MAGA politics on top of that as well…I think you’re going to see a very charged election. But I think the differences will be so stark, particularly starting with you know our future Governor Abigail Spamberger. You are going to hear and see a ticket here on the Democratic side that’s about bringing out the best in the Commonwealth, embracing the Commonwealth’s diversity, its dynamism and why the Commonwealth can be a leader in terms of a place to raise a child and raise a family versus the divisive politics that have unfortunately I think weakened the Commonwealth as a state in terms of being inclusive and welcoming. We want a state in which people feel like they can live here, they can thrive here and it’s welcoming. And that’s not the message that I think you’re hearing out of Winsome Sears, out of John Reid, or Jason Miyares.”
Blue Virginia: “Right, and they’re going to of course claim that Democrats are far left, that they want transgender people in bathrooms and they’re going to talk about we love criminals and whatever. I mean, how do you push back…are you ready to push back against that?”
Levar Stoney: “Oh I’m quite prepared to push back against that. At the end of the day, the Democratic Party doesn’t believe in discrimination; we want people to live as their true selves. But also we recognize that there are families out there who do have concerns around competition in sports, who do have concerns around public safety. And we want to basically hear those, we want to hear those concerns, I think that’s very important for our party. But also I think what is more damaging to a household today is how you tackle these rising costs that are unfortunately driven by the the chaos and the incompetence out of Washington DC, particularly from Pennsylvania Avenue. We’re talking about them cutting federal jobs, the livelihoods of those who live in Northern Virginia, 300,000 federal workers here in the Commonwealth, 400,000 people connected to federal contracting; when you add in the armed services, one in seven workers is connected to the federal government. But Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s cruel DOGE effort attempts to dismantle the federal government, which has significant impacts on the Commonwealth. And so you won’t see us defending Donald Trump, defending Elon Musk. You WILL see that from the Republican ticket. You will also see us doing everything we can to protect the most vulnerable in the state. The Republicans, powered by Mike Johnson’s budget resolution, attempts to rip out the social safety net here in the Commonwealth. You have nearly two million people roughly when you include kids dependent upon Medicaid; this is going to be impactful not just to those who live within what some will call the urban crescent, but also rural Virginia as well. And in certain localities in this state, there’s upwards of 40% of those who are covered by Medicaid are children. And so you’re disrupting those families who are having the most challenges when it comes to these economic times. And then when you add tariffs on top of that, you’re putting more pressure on small businesses who already operate on a slim margin. So we have to be the party that is pro worker, pro opportunity and pro family. And that’s exactly what we will be in the coming days after June 17th.”
Blue Virginia: “…we need to undo a lot of the damage too that we’ve seen the last few years so it’s going to be quite a job…”
Levar Stoney: “…What I’m hearing from Democrats around the state is that Democrats number one, they want to win, they know that we NEED to win. So in order for the Democrats nationally to get out this funk, because you know Speaker Scott is correct, we won here in Virginia, we won this state for Kamala Harris, we won by six points. But to get the national party out of a funk, we need to win here and we need to win in an impressive way and I think we will. And once we win, we will have to deliver. When we have control of all three statewide offices and control the House, add seats to the House of Delegates and have the Senate, it will be our moment to shine. My grandmother would always tell me that we have to make hay while the sun is shining. I can guarantee you this – when we win, we will make hay and the sun will shine on the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Blue Virginia: “Well that’s a good cheerful note to maybe end at that point, we’ve been on for 25 minutes…but I appreciate it, that was very helpful and good luck on the trail the last two weeks.”
Levar Stoney: “Thank you bud, I’ll see you around there, I’ll probably see you in Northern Virginia.”
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