VIRGINIA BEACH — The sixth candidate to join the crowded field to be mayor of Virginia Beach is someone who recently sued the city he wants to help lead.
Richard “R.K.” Kowalewitch, a businessperson from the Oceanfront, filed paperwork to run for mayor on Tuesday, June 18, prior to the deadline to do so – though, as of this writing, it is too soon to say whether he has qualified for the ballot.
This would be the fourth time he has run for mayor, among other runs for local office. His latest campaign comes after a federal lawsuit in which he and another plaintiff, Donald Edwards, accused the city of illegally implemented the 10-district voting system first used in 2022.
A judge dismissed that case earlier this year, though Edwards and Kowalewitch have appealed the ruling.
“They’re not following the charter,” Kowalewitch said of the 10-district system, which does not change how citizens pick their mayor here.
The local voting system, which is being used in local City Council and School Board races on the November ballot, also is being challenged in an unrelated lawsuit filed in state court. The lead plaintiff in that case is former City Councilmember Linwood Branch, who, like Kowalewitch, unsuccessfully sought the District 6 seat on the council in 2022 under the system they are opposing in court.
“It was the Beach District I ran for,” Kowalewitch noted, referring to a former residency district. “There is no District 6. … The city should not have run that election as it did.”
Kowalewitch said what has happened with the local voting system spurred him to run this year.
“I was hoping that one of these guys was going to step up and talk about the charter,” he said, speaking of the other candidates. “None of them has done it. It’s crazy to me.”
He said he can help the city correct the discrepancy between the charter and the local voting system, which was used after another federal court case challenged the former at-large system and, additionally, there were changes to state law.
“I know how to fix it, first of all,” Kowalewitch said. “They don’t obviously, and it doesn’t seem they want to fix it. There’s no doubt I’m the best choice.”
Kowalewitch is the fifth person to announce they aim to unseat incumbent Bobby Dyer, who has served as mayor since 2018 and previously represented the former Centerville District on the City Council.
The other announced challengers are City Councilmembers Chris Taylor of District 8 and Sabrina Wooten of District 7, former Councilmember John Moss and former state Del. Cheryl Turpin.
Kowalewitch has sought local office several times in the past, including running for mayor in 2020, an election Dyer won among three candidates, and in the 2012 and 2016 elections won by former Mayor Will Sessoms.
This year, Kowalewitch said he believes the number of candidates in the race may benefit him.
“It cuts the pie up enough for me,” he said. “I’m known throughout the city.”
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I read recently that the courts killed the Branch suit, too.
Not sure where you read that. Online records show the suit remains active.
Funny, his fourth time and he can’t even file on time. What does that tell ya.
Any challenging candidate can win if they go to our beautiful boardwalk at 6am to see the sun come up at 6:30am, and take pictures. On a walk from the inlet to the King T. statue there were 16 homeless people sleeping on benches and one on the beach. The next day there were 10. Also, walking on the boardwalk is hard the last few years. Bikes and motorized bikes do not stay on the bike path and there’s no one enforcing them to get off the walking area. I wouldn’t be surprised if tourism is down. The boardwalk is clean, but there’s not a safe, clean, family feel. Where is the mayor on this?