VIRGINIA BEACH — City Councilmember Sabrina Wooten, who represents District 7, has joined the growing number of candidates who want to be Virginia Beach’s mayor.
Wooten, who has served on the City Council since 2018, is the latest candidate to announce they will challenge incumbent Mayor Bobby Dyer in the 2024 local elections. She announced her candidacy on Thursday, Dec. 7, during a press conference.
During an interview, Wooten cited her work ensuring the creation of the city’s first independent citizens review committee for law enforcement and supporting the efforts of small business owners among her accomplishments.
“I have led those efforts,” Wooten said. “I have stood with the citizens. And after five years, I think it’s time because I love the city of Virginia Beach and the people of Virginia Beach. I think it’s time I stand and lead the city to be a bolder, stronger, inclusive Virginia Beach.”
She said she has heard concerns about diversity and inclusiveness in city government, as seen this year in discussions ensuring greater participation in a task force overseeing festivals. She said she will bring greater openness to local government.
“People are at a point in our society where transparency is so important – transparency in government, ensuring people have the facts, the truth,” Wooten said. “I think people want leadership that is transparent, that is factual, that says what they’re going to do in relationship to the people and execute what they’ve been told the leadership will do.”
Wooten was first elected to public office in a 2018 special election to serve in the former Centerville District seat which then-Councilmember Bobby Dyer was vacating to run for mayor.
Wooten now joins City Councilmember Chris Taylor, who is in his first term on the council representing District 8, and former Councilmember John Moss, who lost a reelection bid this past year, as challengers to Dyer, the incumbent who is seeking his second full term as mayor.
Wooten’s candidacy ensures even more change on the City Council following the local elections scheduled for November 2024 because she will not seek reelection to her District 7 seat on the council. Taylor has said he will continue to serve on the council while running for mayor, but, whether or not he wins, he would need to submit a letter resigning from the seat effective at the end of 2024, which presumably means a special election for the District 8 council office.
During an interview, Dyer said all have a right to seek office, and he welcomed Wooten to the race and looked forward to learning about her approach to the office.
“I will bring my accomplishments and leadership style to the table, and, in the end, I will prevail,” he said.
Dyer said it’s early in a process that will culminate in the November general elections, and it is not yet certain what the final range of candidates for mayor will be.
“I am cautiously confident we will prevail and be able to take Virginia Beach to the next level of community, unity and prosperity for everyone,” he said.
Taylor, in a statement, noted that he was surprised by Wooten’s entry into the race to be mayor, but he added that they have worked together on issues such as giving voters a chance to elect people to fill unexpired local office terms, ensuring equitably distributing resources for festivals and supporting youth athletics.
“Councilmember Wooten and I have worked well together this year and collaborated on several key issues,” he wrote. “I wish her the best in the upcoming mayoral race.”
Moss, who served on the City Council until this past year, complimented Wooten during an interview, saying she was “independent-minded” in her service on council.
The field of candidates is growing, and Moss said he believes it may grow further still.
“I suspect there will be some more candidates,” Moss said. “I think the public benefits from a choice for mayor. People can’t say they went to the political store and didn’t have choices.”
Justin Burns, who has sought local office before, in 2021 established a campaign committee for a possible mayoral run, but it is not certain whether he is running. He has not responded to messages seeking comment.
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