Longtime public health leader Danny Avula announced his campaign for Richmond mayor Wednesday morning with a platform that aims to improve the city’s economy, education and accessibility.
“I have firsthand experience working with our city’s diverse communities and bringing together public and private sector partners to build strong, healthier communities,” Avula stated in a release. “We need that experience in City Hall.”
Avula is a pediatrician at Chippenham Hospital, who previously served as director of the Richmond and Henrico Health District. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he became a prominent figure regularly giving press conferences to update the public on the rising number of coronavirus cases in the region.
Later in the pandemic, Gov. Ralph Northam tapped Avula to lead the statewide vaccination effort. In February 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed Avula to be commissioner of the state Department of Social Services. He recently stepped down from this position to campaign for mayor.
If elected, Avula said he will focus on a number of issues including promoting businesses, ensuring Richmond maintains a strong economy, fighting to fully fund public education, ensuring families have adequate access to resources, improving public safety, investing in green infrastructure and making City Hall more productive and accessible to residents.
