COURTHOUSE — A plaintiff in a lawsuit that led to a federal judge declaring Virginia Beach’s unusual local voting system illegal wants to be the next mayor of the city she took on in court.
Latasha Holloway, a community activist who founded the Virginia Beach Coalition, on Tuesday, Oct. 19, said she plans to run for mayor. She spoke during public comment opportunities amid a City Council meeting — and while Mayor Bobby Dyer, the person she means to replace, sat directly in front of her.
“As an agent of change and a woman fighting for equity in the city of Virginia Beach, I have made the decision to run for mayor of the city of Virginia Beach in 2022,” Holloway said.
Holloway confirmed her intention to run during interviews on Wednesday, Oct. 21. She said she hopes to seek the office in 2022, though the mayor’s race is not expected to be on the ballot next year.
Dyer began his current four-year term in January. City voters are next scheduled to select their mayor in 2024.
“We need fresh ideas,” Holloway told The Independent News. “We need fresh people in positions of leadership, and, most importantly, we need more women. I’ve thrown my hat in the ring.”
Holloway said there may be a 2022 election for mayor due to a possible outcome in the federal suit or other means, such as a recall effort she would lead.
“I am running for mayor in 2022,” Holloway said.
“I know we need to wait for the federal court’s ruling to make a determination of what kind of voting system we have in Virginia Beach,” she said. “Until then, nobody should count me out. … This will be the first time in the history of our city that we have equitable elections.”
During an interview, Dyer said anyone is welcome to seek public office.
“We welcome any participation,” he said Wednesday, Oct. 20. “We want people to feel like they’re part of the government and feel they have the opportunity (to participate). Hopefully, with the new voting system people will feel more energized and come out.”
Dyer said he does not anticipate an election for mayor before 2024. He is less than a year into his current term, but he said he plans to seek reelection then.
Virginia Beach could soon have some form of a ward voting system, in which members of the City Council represent one of 10 geographically distinct areas of the city. The mayor, who is the 11th member of the council, still would be elected by all city voters.
In the past, members of the City Council and School Board have been elected by all city voters to a mixture of at-large seats and district seats. Virginia Beach voters living outside a district determined who represented the district until the federal order by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson and changes to state law this year.
Jackson on Wednesday, March 31, determined that the city’s at-large system denies minorities the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice in violation of the U.S. Voting Rights Act. He ordered that the system no longer be used.
The city disputed the finding and appealed that decision this summer, but the appeal is on hold while a special master appointed by the court reviews plans that are expected to result in a new system with court approval.
According to a status report both parties filed on Tuesday, Oct. 12, the special master, Dr. Bernard Grofman, is in the process of preparing a report based upon proposals and data submitted by both sides. Grofman is a professor at the University of California, Irvine, with experience in redistricting and other voting matters.
Holloway was the initial plaintiff in the federal lawsuit. The suit was joined by Georgia Allen, who has sought public office here in the past and was the longtime head of the NAACP in Virginia Beach. They are represented by the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit.
During the council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 19, Holloway voiced support for term limits for members of the City Council and said she would seek a federal audit for the city when she is elected.
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