Stoney says he’s still hoping Virginia Democrats can ‘avoid’ gubernatorial primary

When departing Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney announced he wasn’t going to run for governor after all, he said he was making the decision to avoid a primary fight that could hurt Democrats’ chances of retaking the Executive Mansion.

Many assumed Stoney’s decision meant U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who started her political career in the Richmond suburbs, would cruise to the party’s nomination for governor in 2025.

But it now looks like there could be a primary anyway.

Last week, Punchbowl News reported that U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, a longtime Democratic congressman from Hampton Roads, was considering a run for governor.

When asked about that development by The Richmonder Tuesday after touring the construction site of a new police precinct in the city, Stoney said he still thinks a gubernatorial primary is a bad idea.

“I still believe that it makes more sense that we not have a competitive primary in which there is a lot of conflict and a lot of divisiveness,” said Stoney, who is still trying to make the Democrats’ statewide ticket in 2025 by seeking the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor.

Stoney gave little indication of whether he would have a preference in a Spanberger vs. Scott primary.

“I’m good friends with Abigail Spanberger. And I’m also good friends with Bobby Scott. If Congressman Scott decides he wants to run, we’ll have a competitive primary. And I think it’ll make whoever wins the primary better. But I like to think that after looking at the history of our party, it’s better to avoid a nasty primary so we can focus on Winsome Sears.”