See who’s running for Mayor of Richmond in 2024: Dr. Danny Avula

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Dr. Danny Avula led Virginia’s 2021 Covid-19 vaccination effort and headed the state Department of Social Welfare but he says running for mayor of Richmond “is unlike any job” he’s ever had.

AvulaThe 46-year-old Chippenham Hospital pediatrician, who was director of the Richmond and Henrico health districts, points to the different dynamics involved in the job: showing people you’ll fight for them and having the skills necessary to do the job, allay their fears.

“They (city residents) want to know that their leader understands them, sees them and validates their experience of living in this city and that he will fight for their well-being,” Avula said in an interview at his campaign office in Shockoe Bottom.

Avula, a resident of Richmond’s East End for 20 years, came to the United States after his father, who grew up in rural Indiahe came to the country and joined the US Navy. If elected, Avula will be Richmond’s first immigrant mayor.

When asked what he learned during his first run for office, Avula replied that the point is that people, no matter where they live in Richmond, consistently want the same things: affordable housing, safe and thriving communities, better schools and a functioning government.

“It was kind of uplifting,” Avula told 8News. “In a city that’s very diverse, the factions aren’t really that far apart.”

Avula, who led the Virginia Department of Social Services, one of the largest agencies in the state, believes he offers leadership in a governmental context, with an understanding of fundamental issues, while having the ability to change culture over time and fulfill the political goals aspects of being mayor.

On why he decided to run, Avula stated that philosophical factors played a major role in his decision.

“It’s just that I’ve lived on the East End for 20 years and I see the impact of gentrification and displacement on my community and I understand in a pretty deep way how local government can work to stay diverse and really like to invest in equitable outcomes,” Avula explained.

Avula said the investment in the city’s new IT platform will enable Richmond to closely monitor and track data to improve efficiency, which Avula said he plans to do if elected mayor. But Avula compares campaigning to coaching a sports team and tells 8News it requires him to adapt to the rapid changes that politics brings.

“The dynamic changes throughout the game,” Avula said. “You have to use different strategies at different times and you have to react to attacks.”

He told 8News that he believes his campaign’s strength is his “long-term relationship” with the community. Avula said his time as vaccine coordinator, commissioner of human services and leading the Richmond and Henrico health districts allowed him to work in the “government sector,” be in the public eye and be active in the community.

Avula, a resident of Richmond’s Church Hill neighborhood, called housing “the biggest crisis facing our community.”

Avula said he has seen friends and neighbors who are generations of homeowners who couldn’t keep up with rising property tax rates and had to sell their homes. He also noted the lack of access to home improvement loans, particularly for low-income residents and people of color, who have only partially benefited from rising home prices.

“But I think the main problem for me is that it’s a changing city. Richmond is where people want to be. We will continue to see population growth,” Avula said. “The role of the next mayor and city government must be to protect people and enable them to remain in the communities they have been a part of.”

“We also need to be able to invite and welcome people and kind of write a new cultural narrative for our city that really focuses on the beauty of diversity,” Avula told 8News.

When it comes to helping solve the housing crisis, Avula said the main issue that needs to be addressed is the lack of availability of affordable options. To do this, Avula said Richmond should focus on streamlining local government processes to prevent bottlenecks in housing production.

“We need to increase the tax base, we need to increase population density, we need to do it smartly and in communities that can actually handle it,” Avula said. “But we also need to make sure that the supply of affordable housing increases, which we calculate to make sure that it actually works for lower-income residents.”

Avula told 8News that Richmond should take advantage of federal tax credits, create more mixed-income communities and invest more in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the Maggie Walker Land Trust.

As the husband of a Richmond Public Schools teacher for much of the last 20 years at Chimborazo Elementary School and the father of five students who attend RPS, Avula said he knows the challenges facing the city’s school system.

He said building and developing relationships with school board members and others in the district will be a key part of his plan if elected mayor, adding that he will take the same approach he took as director of the city’s health district.

Avula also said he thinks it’s important to cultivate the relationship between the school board and the City Council.

“Because the City Council has a huge stake in setting financial priorities in the budget year after year, and they have to work really closely with the school board,” Avula said.

In addition to addressing the physical infrastructure of the city’s schools, Avula said he is excited about the opportunity to provide students who may not pursue higher education a greater opportunity to receive technical training that will be useful in their careers.

Avula told 8News that Richmond needs to be transparent about the challenges facing law enforcement and issues of bias and distrust between police and residents.

Avula said he believes continued unconscious bias training and continued analysis of data are critical to addressing these issues. Avula says a major part of the problem is the police department’s vacancy rate, but he believes there is good leadership, telling 8News that the police union that has endorsed him says it has the support of Chief Rick Edwards.

In the run-up to the election, Avula faced criticism for her stance on abortion rights. Another candidate, Harrison Roday, sent out letters asking about Avula’s views and challenged him on forums.

Avula called the attacks “stupid” and told 8News he was appointed welfare commissioner by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who sought to restrict abortion access in Virginia without success in banning the procedure after 15 weeks, with some exceptions raised doubts about his view.

In an interview with 8News, Avula said he supports a woman’s right to choose, that she should make her own medical decisions and that he is committed to protecting reproductive rights.

“I think more importantly, symbolically, we are in a cultural moment where potential changes at the national level and some of the priorities at the state level represent a clear attack on women’s autonomy.

“People feel fear and anxiety that if the feds go down a certain path, which they have already done, as has the Supreme Court, right, I mean, the Dobbs decision was, I think, the very beginning of this and then if the state starts making policy , the mayor and local government will be your last port of call,” Avula continued. “This is the last chance to protect women’s fundamental rights. And yes, that’s what people feel.

Asked if he thought there were enough abortion providers in the city, Avula said he wasn’t sure but believed his data-driven approach would help determine whether more were needed.

Avula said that while many people are engaged and have other issues important to them, he also learned that not all Richmond residents are engaged in local government, this year’s five-person mayoral race or even what the city’s mayor is doing. Avula says campaign money plays a key role here.

“It really takes a lot of work and a lot of different approaches to get your message and your story across,” Avula said. “And that, unfortunately, is why racing costs money.”

Avula is the only candidate for mayor exceed $1 million in campaign contributions– according to the Virginia Public Access Project, which monitors the influence of money in politics. More than half of the funds raised for Avula’s campaign, on VPAPcontributed to campaigns, including more than $300,000 in television and radio ads.

The lack of resources to knock on doors, campaign mailers, social media posts, targeted digital and TV ads will keep “vast swathes” of people who don’t follow the mayoral race from getting the candidate’s message, Avula told 8News.

8News also asked candidates about their favorite places and attractions in Richmond. Here are Avula’s answers:

Do you have a favorite place in the city? If so, where and why?

Tyler Potterfield Bridge.

It’s a combination of things I love: natural beauty, the river, the panorama. This is a unique feature of Richmond and a great example of what happens when we invest in cycling and walking infrastructure to better connect different parts of the city and encourage people to explore our natural resources.

It’s not only a source of pride for the city, it’s also an incredible community-building space where people from all walks of life can gather and be active.

Do you have a favorite or few favorite places to eat in Richmond? Where and why?

Blue Atlas and Peter Chang’s are my favorite places to eat.

Blue Atlas has an amazing atmosphere; overlooks the city and I love when the adaptive reuse of old buildings is done really well. Moreover, they try to employ young people from the neighborhood.

Peter Chang’s is an Avula family favorite. Have you ever tried chopped tofu skins?! It was a place where all sorts of important family events took place, and we made many family memories there over the years.

How about coffee/tea/etc? Where and why?

Armored at Shockoe Bottom. It turned into my auxiliary campaign office.

What is your favorite thing to do outdoors in the city?

On a clear day, take the T-Pott walk or bike the Capital Trail.

How to spend a typical Sunday in the city?

Church, gardening, time for family, time for neighbors. And if the season is right, find a few hours to watch some football!