The Virginian-Pilot
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SUFFOLK
The owner of a local advertising agency said Monday he is joining the race to become the city's first directly elected mayor.
Tom Powell Jr., president of The Addison Group, said he hopes to bring energy and unity to the position. The 37-year-old son of a pastor said he always felt he would run for a public office at some point in his life, and the time feels right.
"This is a calling that I feel that I have gotten from God," he said.
Powell joins what is becoming a crowded field. Others who have declared an intention to run include outspoken City Hall critic Roger Leonard, former Mayor Andy Damiani and attorney Ira M. Steingold, a member of the Suffolk Democratic Committee.
Mayor Linda Johnson also confirmed Monday that she will run for the position.
The November election will be the first time voters choose the city's mayor. Until now City Council members voted among themselves to fill the post.
Candidates must gather 500 signatures and file by June 10.
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Go Tommy!
We need some new blood on city council. I'm on the road during the week and when I'm home I'm busy with family stuff so this is the first I've heard about the mayoral race. We have enough lawyers and Democrats screwing up this country so Mr. Goldstein (nor any other Marxocrat for that matter) won't be getting my vote. I really don't know Mr. Leonard too well but seems to be a decent fellow. But I've known Tom Powell for over ten years and have seen nothing but success in his personal and professional lives. I feel confident that he will bring his history of success to our city government and will effectively lead this city in the coming years.
Roger Leonard will work for a better solution than HB 3202
Roger Leonard has shared his insights with members of the region's grassroots activists and demonstrated his ability to work for a far better set of regional transportation solutions then the mess the General Assembly has made with HB 3202 and the misguided plan put forth by the non-elected MPO. What many of us are seeking is a plan to reduce traffic congestion. The MPO plan enacted by HB 3202 limits $9B in new local taxes, fees, and tolls to only funding 6 projects than are obviously speculative economic development efforts, not a solution for reducing our region's traffic congestion.
Roger Leonard has shown me that he is the right person to help guide Suffolk = and our region - towards a better plan.
So we have two people running.
So let's take a look at the field. Former Mayor Andy Damiani: Your basic leach of a wanna be life time politician, already has shown us how big a failure he is. Attorney Ira M. Steingold: "attorney"=high cost and corruption, enough said but add "member of the Suffolk Democratic Committee" and you're really dealing with a problem. Tom Powell Jr: business owner successful, evidently knows how to manage, must know how to budget, never before held office so he's likely corruption free. City Hall critic Roger Leonard: any critic of city hall has got to have some good in him, probably fed up with run away taxes and wasteful spending, also probably corruption free. I like the idea of having two choices, Powell and Leonard, the rest of them I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw them. Oh... I forgot Linda Johnson: just take a look at the failures from city hall at this point. Now look at who's at the helm. Take a look at your tax bill. Now look at who's at the helm. Would you really want to vote the pushy realtor back in? Me neither, I'd like to get rid of corruption and complacency.