KIM GRAY’S BID FOR MAYOR 2020
City Council member Kimberly Gray runs for mayor in an era of civil unrest and divide.
By Lauren Bray
RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond City Councilwoman Kimberly (Kim) Gray is running for mayor and is motivated by her distaste for the current administration. She’s running against current Mayor Levar Stoney, Tracey Mclean, Justin Griffin and Alexsis Rodgers.
Gray, 49, when asked why she decided to run for mayor, made it clear that her reasoning in running for office stems from being unsatisfied with the current office and wants to bring change.
“I’m for Richmond, I’ve seen too much of our leadership that is more self-serving and not about the people,” Gray said. “There are a lot of great announcements and initiatives that go on and funds that flow to those initiatives and the actual people who they’re supposed to be serving and helping don’t ever get the benefit of those funds.”
In the midst of heightened protests and civil unrest due to police brutality and civil injustice, there have been calls to defund the police and reallocate resources to mental health services, schools and other facilities that serve the public. Gray says she has no plans to defund the police.
“I think there are many definitions of defunding and if you look it up it means to totally take the budget away from our police,” Gray said. “As I say to other folks, if you looked out your window and someone is breaking into your car you will likely call the police.”
Gray says we need balance in how we are policing the community and she supports the realignment of the police budget. She says has put forward a platform that includes social workers and mental health providers, not just in name, but in action. She says we have gotten so far away from our policing model that there is a real disconnect that when someone shows up with a badge and a gun in a community it can be very intimidating.
Many activists who are calling for the defunding of the police are asking for more resources to be allocated to the funding of the schools saying Richmond Public Schools are not facilitating environments that allow for success in the classrooms.
Though Gray does not support the defunding of the police, she has different plans on ensuring the schools in Richmond have the resources and ability to be successful both in the classroom and out.
“I would make sure we are able to categorically fund schools. I would make sure the largest category is for teachers and their salaries, and for classroom supplies,” Gray said. “Money spent in the classroom and resource allocation is the best way we can impact those changes. I would put demands on the school board to find a way to shrink the central office and make sure we are taking care of our teachers and students.”
Gray is one of the top contenders against current Mayor Levar Stoney. Elections are on Nov. 3.