Mayor of Virginia Beach

Last updated

Mayor of Virginia Beach
Seal of Virginia Beach, Virginia.png
Seal of Virginia Beach
NAS Oceana Thanks City of Virginia Beach (1) (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Bobby Dyer
since November 20, 2018
Seat Virginia Beach Municipal Center
Term length
  • Two years (1906-1988)
  • Four years (1988-present)
FormationMarch 19, 1906
First holderB.P. Holland
Website www.vbgov.com/government/departments/city-clerk/mayor/

The mayor of Virginia Beach is the head of the municipal government in Virginia Beach, Virginia, which has a council-manager system of government. The mayor presides over city council meetings and serves as the ceremonial head and spokesperson of the city. The mayor is elected to a four-year term through direct election and the office has no term limits. These elections are nonpartisan, as are all municipal elections in Virginia Beach. Prior to 1988, the mayor was appointed from among city council members elected to represent the city's various boroughs. The mayor's office is located within the City Clerk's office in the Virginia Beach Municipal Center.

Contents

The current mayor is Bobby Dyer. The longest serving mayor of Virginia Beach was Meyera Oberndorf who served for over 20 years from 1988 to 2008, until she was defeated for reelection by Will Sessoms. Dyer was elected in a special election in 2018 to fill the remainder of Will Sessoms's term following his resignation. [1] [2] Dyer was re-elected in 2020 running against former Virginia Secretary of Finance Jody Wagner. [3] [4]

Electoral history

1988 general election

Starting with the fall 1988 election, the city's mayor was chosen directly by voters. Previously, the mayor was appointed from among city council members elected to represent the city's various boroughs. In that election, Meyera Oberndorf became the city's first female mayor and first to be directly elected. [5]

Sessoms' 2014-15 conflict of interest case

On November 8, 2014, The Virginian-Pilot published an investigative article wherein it examined how Mayor Will Sessoms had voted dozens of times with the City Council on matters directly benefiting developers who borrowed at least $140 million from TowneBank where Sessoms was still employed as a president. The votes violated Sessoms' pledge not to allow his responsibilities to the bank conflict with his public duties and were speculated to also possibly violate state law. The votes taken by Sessoms were reported to have occurred from the beginning of his first term in January 2009 up until as recently as October 2014. [6] The next day, city councilman John Moss publicly called on local, state, or federal law enforcement officers to investigate whether Sessoms broke the law by repeatedly voting on issues affecting clients of TowneBank while continuing to serve as that company's president. [7]

On November 12, 2014, Sessoms issues a public statement on the allegations saying, "I have been made aware of the recent stories and am taking this situation and these allegations seriously. What has been best for Virginia Beach has always been a priority for me. I would never intentionally put Virginia Beach's or TowneBank's integrity in jeopardy. I plan to do a thorough review of these allegations, but it's going to take time to sort through the various votes since I've been Mayor. Until I have the opportunity to do that, I'm sure you can understand that I cannot offer any additional comments at this time." [8] The following day, it was announced that Commonwealth's Attorney Colin Stolle was recusing himself from the potential investigation into the Pilot's report and that he was requesting the Circuit Court to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the matter. Stolle cited probable conflicts of interest including the fact that his brother, Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle, was on the board of TowneBank and that his wife worked at a bank branch for four years. [9] On November 14, 2014, Mayor Paul Fraim of Norfolk and Mayor Linda Johnson of Suffolk announced that they were resigning from their positions as directors of TowneBank so as to eliminate the perception of a conflict of interest. [10] By the following day, Sessoms had given notice his intention to forfeit his seats on TowneBank's corporate Board of Directors, its Virginia Beach community board, and its Financial Services board. Sessoms had earlier that week had his position as president of the bank's Financial Services division suspended with pay. [11] On November 18, 2014, Sessoms returned to his first city council meeting since the Pilot's report during which he twice abstained from votes connected TowneBank. [12] The next day, Commonwealth's Attorney Michael R. Doucette of Lynchburg, Virginia was appointed as special prosecutor and Sessoms hired a team of criminal defense attorneys. [13] On December 24, 2014, Sessoms announced his resignation from his position as president following TowneBank's policy change prohibiting senior bank management from holding any elective office. [14]

On November 4, 2015, Sessoms was charged with five misdemeanor counts of violating the state's Conflict of Interest Act for votes he cast that benefited borrowers of TowneBank. A trial date was tentatively set for December 7, 2015. [15] On December 3, 2015, it was reported that the trial had been delayed to December 28 as none of the General District Court judges in Virginia Beach would hear the case citing the potential for conflict of interest as Sessoms was still mayor. [16] On December 28, 2015, Sessoms pleaded no contest to a single misdemeanor charge of violating the state's Conflict of Interest Act. As part of a plea agreement offered by the special prosecutor, the four other charges he faced were dropped. [17]

2016 general election

On February 22, 2016, Will Sessoms announced he was running for re-election for a third term as mayor. He claimed to have spent months deliberating over the decision following his recent conflict of interest conviction and that he made up his mind after receiving support from the majority of the city council. [18] On June 2, 2016, it was reported that Richard "RK" Kowalewitch would be challenging Sessoms a second time for the mayor's office. Kowalewitch cited Sessoms' recent conviction as an issue of concern in his announcement. [19] Following the filing deadline on June 14, 2015, it was reported that former city councilman Don Weeks and George Furman III were also challenging Sessoms. [20]

On October 29, 2016, The Virginian-Pilot reported the results of a poll conducted by Christopher Newport University that they had produced in connection with WVEC earlier that month. In the poll, 43 percent of 706 likely voters said they favored Sessoms with closest challenger Weeks receiving 11 percent support. [21] On November 8, 2016, Sessoms was elected to a third term. [22]

2018 special election

On April 18, 2018, Will Sessoms announced he was resigning as mayor of Virginia Beach after serving less than a year and a half of his third term. [23] A day later, city council member Bobby Dyer announced his intention to run for the office. [24] On May 1, 2018, it was announced that the Virginia Beach City Council had decided in 9–0 decision to appoint former mayor Louis R. Jones as interim mayor until a special election could be held on November 6, 2018. [25] A day later, city council member M. Ben Davenport announced his intention to run for the office. [26] On November 6, 2018, Dyer defeated Davenport and became the most recent mayor of Virginia Beach. [27]

2020 general election

On February 27, 2020, city council member Aaron Rouse announced his intention to seek the office. When reached by The Virginian-Pilot for comment on the announcement, Bobby Dyer confirmed that he would be seeking re-election. [28] On May 30, 2020, Rouse announced that he was dropping out of the race citing the coronavirus pandemic as the reason for ending his campaign. [29] On June 9, 2020, former Virginia Secretary of Finance Jody Wagner announced that she would challenge Dyer in the upcoming election. [3] On June 12, 2020, businessman Richard W. "RK" Kowalewitch announced that he would also challenge Dyer. [30]

2024 general election

Bobby Dyer is running for re-election.

List

  Denotes service as acting mayor before appointment or after resignation [31]
#MayorTerm startTerm endParty
(Officially nonpartisan)
1B.P. HollandMarch 19, 1906August 1, 1908
2Emerson LandSeptember 1, 1908August 30, 1910
3W.J. WrightSeptember 6, 1910January 21, 1913
4B.P. HollandJanuary 21, 1913July 31, 1916
5Charles E. BarcoAugust 1, 1916June 21, 1920
6Herman DrinkwaterJuly 7, 1920August 30, 1924
7W.R. AshburnSeptember 1, 1924August 27, 1928
8Roy SmithSeptember 4, 1934September 1, 1940
9W.W. ElliotSeptember 1, 1940October 14, 1946
10H.W. LeekeOctober 14, 1946June 28, 1948
11W.F. PattonJuly 12, 1948April 3, 1952
12P.F. MurrayApril 3, 1952August 24, 1954
13Frank A. DuschSeptember 1, 1954September 1, 1970
14Donald H. RhodesSeptember 8, 1970June 30, 1972
15Robert B. Cromwell, Jr.July 1, 1972June 30, 1974
16J. Curtis PayneJuly 1, 1974June 30, 1976
17 Clarence A. Holland July 1, 1976June 30, 1978 Democratic
18Patrick L. StandingJuly 1, 1978June 30, 1980
19J. Henry McCoy, Jr.July 1, 1980June 30, 1982
20Louis R. JonesJuly 1, 1982June 30, 1984 Republican
21Harold HeischoberJuly 1, 1984June 30, 1986Republican
22Robert G. JonesJuly 1, 1986June 30, 1988Democratic
23 Meyera Oberndorf July 1, 1988December 31, 2008Democratic
24 Will Sessoms January 1, 2009April 30, 2018Republican
–Louis R. Jones
Acting		May 1, 2018November 19, 2018Republican
25 Bobby Dyer November 20, 2018IncumbentRepublican

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Beach, Virginia</span> Largest city in Virginia, United States

Virginia Beach, officially the City of Virginia Beach, is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Located on the southeastern coast of Virginia, it is the fifth-most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic and the 43rd-most populous city in the U.S. Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach is a principal city in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area which has more than 1.8 million inhabitants and is the 37th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meyera Oberndorf</span> American politician

Meyera E. Oberndorf was the 23rd Mayor of Virginia Beach, Virginia. She was Virginia Beach's longest-serving mayor, and she previously served as the city's vice mayor. She was the city's first female mayor and was the first woman elected to public office in the more than 300-year history of Virginia Beach or its predecessor, Princess Anne County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Rouse</span> American politician and football player (born 1984)

Aaron Roosevelt Rouse is an American politician and former football player. A member of the Democratic Party, Rouse represents the 22nd district in the Senate of Virginia. He previously served on the Virginia Beach City Council. Rouse played in the National Football League (NFL) and United Football League (UFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jody Wagner</span> American politician

Jody Moses Wagner is an American politician from Virginia Beach, Virginia. A Democrat, she served as State Treasurer of Virginia from January 2002 to January 2006, and as Virginia Secretary of Finance in the Cabinet of Governor Tim Kaine from January 2006 to August 2008. She was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Virginia's 2nd congressional district in the 2000 election She was the Democratic Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in the 2009 election, and was defeated by Republican incumbent Bill Bolling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James W. Holley III</span> American politician

James W. Holley III was an American politician and dental surgeon. Holley became the first Black mayor of Portsmouth, Virginia, and ultimately the city's longest serving mayor, although both his mayoral terms ended with his being recalled from office. Thus he became the only known politician in American history to be twice recalled until Fullerton, California Councilman Don Bankhead was recalled in June 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tide (light rail network)</span> Light rail line in Norfolk, Virginia

The Tide is a 7.4 mi (12 km) light rail line in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, owned and operated by Hampton Roads Transit (HRT). It connects Eastern Virginia Medical School, downtown Norfolk, Norfolk State University, and Newtown Road. Service began on August 19, 2011, making it the first light rail system in Virginia. Fares match local bus fares and the line accepts HRT's GO Passes. Trains generally run every 15 minutes, increasing to every 10 minutes during peak periods and every 30 minutes during early mornings and late evenings. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 771,500, or about 2,300 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Sessoms</span> American politician

William Douglas Sessoms Jr. is an American politician and bank officer who served as the mayor of Virginia Beach, Virginia from 2008 until his resignation in April, 2018. He was president and CEO of Towne Financial Services Group, a division of TowneBank of Hampton Roads, Virginia from 2011 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Garcia (California politician)</span> American educator and politician (born 1977)

Robert Julio Garcia is a Peruvian American politician and educator serving as the U.S. representative for California's 42nd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 28th mayor of Long Beach, California from 2014 to 2022. He was both the city's youngest and first elected openly LGBT mayor, as well as the first Latino to hold the office. He is the second person of color to be mayor of Long Beach, after Republican Eunice Sato, a Japanese-American who served from 1980 to 1982. A former member of the Long Beach City Council, he was vice mayor from 2012 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Virginia gubernatorial election</span>

The 2017 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2017. Incumbent Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe was unable to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits the officeholder from serving consecutive terms; he later ran unsuccessfully for a second term in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Beach Neptunes</span> Proposed American professional baseball team

The Virginia Beach Neptunes were a proposed American professional baseball team based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They were planned to be a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. They would have been the second professional baseball club in the Hampton Roads region after the Norfolk Tides of the International League (AAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 San Jose mayoral election</span>

The 2014 San Jose mayoral election was held on June 3, 2014 to elect the Mayor of San Jose, California. Councilmember Sam Liccardo defeated Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese in a runoff on November 4, 2014.

Wheeler Field was a proposed 5,000-seat ballpark in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was supposed to host the Virginia Beach Neptunes of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an unspecified team in a summer wooden-bat league, and a junior college team from Tidewater Community College's Virginia Beach campus. Wheeler Capital, a limited liability company that specializes in venture capital financing and small business loans throughout the Mid-Atlantic states, purchased the naming rights for the stadium for an undisclosed amount through 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia</span>

The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia were held on November 8, 2016, to elect a U.S. representative from each of Virginia's 11 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as House of Representatives elections in other states, U.S. Senate elections and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on June 14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Virginia elections</span>

Federal and municipal elections were held in the U.S. state of Virginia on November 8, 2016. All of Virginia's House of Representative seats were up for re-election. Primary elections for Congress were held on June 14, 2016 and primary elections for president were held on March 1, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 San Antonio mayoral election</span>

On May 6, 2017, the city of San Antonio, Texas held an election to choose the next mayor of San Antonio. The election was officially nonpartisan with candidates party affiliations not appearing on the ballot. As no candidate secured a majority of the vote, a runoff was held on June 10, 2017 with Councilman Ron Nirenberg defeating incumbent mayor Ivy Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Dyer (politician)</span> Mayor of Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States

Robert M. Dyer is an American politician serving as the mayor of Virginia Beach, Virginia since 2018. A Republican, he served as a member of the city council for 14 years prior to his election as mayor. Dyer has also been a physical therapist for over 40 years and a professor of government at his alma mater, Regent University. He won the November 2018 election for mayor despite being outraised by his opponent Ben Davenport nearly 5 to 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Beach City Council</span> Legislative body of Virginia Beach, Virginia

The Virginia Beach City Council is the legislative branch that governs the City of Virginia Beach and its more than 450,000 citizens. It has 11 members that serve four-year terms and are elected on a staggered basis. General elections are held the Tuesday following the first Monday in November in even-numbered years. All registered voters are eligible to vote for all members of City Council. Three Council Members and the Mayor serve "At Large" with no district residency requirement. All other Council Members are required to live in the districts they represent: Bayside, Beach, Centerville, Kempsville, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne, and Rose Hall. The Council holds regular meetings on alternate Tuesday evenings on the second floor of the Virginia Beach City Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Virginia Beach City Council election</span>

The 2020 elections for members of the Virginia Beach City Council were held on November 3, 2020. Five seats on the council, including the Mayor of Virginia Beach in the 2020 Virginia Beach mayoral election, were up for election in this cycle. While officially nonpartisan, most of the candidates were affiliated with and endorsed by various political parties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rex Richardson</span> American politician

Rex Richardson is an American politician who has served as the mayor of Long Beach, California since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Richardson previously served as a member of the Long Beach City Council, representing the 9th District From 2014 until 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayoral elections in Virginia Beach, Virginia</span>

Mayoral elections in Virginia Beach are held every four years to elect the mayor of Virginia Beach.

References

  1. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (November 16, 2018). "Councilman Bobby Dyer is becoming mayor of Virginia Beach. Here's how he intends to lead". The Virginian-Pilot . Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Bobby Dyer wins Virginia Beach mayoral race". WAVY-TV . November 7, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Skelton, Alissa (June 9, 2020). "Former state finance secretary, treasurer will run for Virginia Beach mayor". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Jody Wagner to run for Virginia Beach mayor in November election". WAVY-TV. June 9, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  5. ↑ Matray, Margaret (March 14, 2015). "Former Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf dies". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  6. ↑ Holland, John (November 8, 2014). "Sessoms' council votes benefited TowneBank borrowers". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  7. ↑ Holland, John (October 4, 2020). "Beach councilman wants inquiry into mayor's actions". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  8. ↑ Hieatt, John; Holland, Kathy (November 12, 2014). "Virginia Beach mayor responds to conflict allegations". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  9. ↑ Holland, John; Hieatt, Kathy (November 13, 2014). "Special prosecutor sought to look into Sessoms' votes". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  10. ↑ Holland, John; Hieatt, Kathy; Wilson, Patrick (November 14, 2014). "Norfolk, Suffolk mayors resign from TowneBank boards". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  11. ↑ Hieatt, Kathy (November 15, 2014). "Virginia Beach mayor gives up TowneBank board seats". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  12. ↑ Holland, John (November 19, 2014). "Sessoms abstains on two items tied to TowneBank". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  13. ↑ Holland, John; Kleiner, Sarah (November 20, 2014). "Virginia Beach mayor hires defense attorneys amid inquiry". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  14. ↑ Holland, John (December 24, 2014). "Virginia Beach mayor resigns bank job under new policy". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  15. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (November 5, 2015). "Virginia Beach Mayor Sessoms charged with conflict of interest". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  16. ↑ Gonzalez, Veronica (December 3, 2015). "Trial for Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms rescheduled as judges recuse themselves". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  17. ↑ Harper, Jane; Hixenbaugh, Mike (December 28, 2015). "Sessoms conflict case: Mayor pleads no contest to 1 charge, 4 others dismissed as part of deal". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  18. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (February 22, 2016). "Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms is running for re-election". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  19. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (June 2, 2016). ""R.K" Kowalewitch wants to run against Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms – again". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  20. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (June 14, 2016). "Find out who's running for Virginia Beach mayor and City Council". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  21. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (October 29, 2016). "Challengers criticize Virginia Beach Mayor Sessoms, but mayor leads in polling and fundraising". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  22. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (November 8, 2016). "Will Sessoms claims mayoral victory in Virginia Beach". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  23. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (April 18, 2018). "Virginia Beach Mayor Sessoms announces he's resigning". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  24. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (April 19, 2018). "With the Virginia Beach mayor leaving, city councilman says he wants the job". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  25. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (May 1, 2018). "Virginia Beach City Council picks "budget maestro" to be mayor". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  26. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (May 2, 2018). "Councilman Davenport plans to run for Virginia Beach mayor". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  27. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (November 6, 2018). "In Virginia Beach mayor's race, longtime councilman will become the new mayor". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  28. ↑ Skelton, Alissa (February 27, 2020). "Virginia Beach Councilman Aaron Rouse to run for mayor". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  29. ↑ Kennedy, Sean (May 30, 2020). "Virginia Beach Councilman Aaron Rouse drops out of mayoral race". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  30. ↑ Brailer, Nicole (June 12, 2020). "Kowalewitch to run for Virginia Beach Mayor in November election". WAVY-TV. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Office of the Mayor of Virginia Beach". VBGov.com. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.