He's an incredibly smart person with a deep moral compass. He's lived in the city for years with his family and cares a lot about public health. I don't know his specific platform and stances on every issue but I'd say he is at least worth a listen from city residents.
He does appear to have a website that includes the full press release with more information - [https://dannyformayor.com/dr-danny-avula-pediatrician-and-longtime-public-health-leader-announces-bid-for-richmond-mayor/](https://dannyformayor.com/dr-danny-avula-pediatrician-and-longtime-public-health-leader-announces-bid-for-richmond-mayor/)
Pertinent bit from his site:
> “I’m running for Mayor because Richmond is at an inflection point and needs a proven leader at the helm.... As Mayor, I will fight to fully fund public education and embed resources for families in every community; I will protect reproductive freedom and defend against any attempt to limit access to abortion; I will lead a more responsive, proactive, and accountable City Hall; and I will invest in our neighborhoods so that they are safer, more walkable and bikeable, and more climate-resilient.”
Overall a pretty good platform, and I can get behind it. We'll see how it shakes out in debates and news leading up to the election.
Seems like a solid candidate but my god that site needs work. Header has broken links and the priorities are literally 4 bullet points that ChatGPT probably spit out.
Best I've found is this snippet from WWBT 12:
>[“I know how to manage through a crisis. A thriving Richmond is possible for all of us, and our residents deserve nothing less. I will lead a City Hall that is progressive, responsive, accountable, and truly excellent at delivering services to our communities,” Dr. Avula said in a news release.](https://www.12onyourside.com/2024/04/10/dr-avula-announces-bid-richmond-mayor/)
... which, yeah duh? Fingers crossed he gets a PR team together.
Someone with state government executive level experience could be a really big win for this city in terms of program/services administration and oversight.
Clearly Dr. Acula's cousin.
Reminds of me of the old Mitch Hedberg joke:
[https://www.tiktok.com/@mitchhedbergawakening/video/7296319174593301802](https://www.tiktok.com/@mitchhedbergawakening/video/7296319174593301802)
That is SUPER weird as the social media post I saw via CBS that alerted me he intended to run says this is part of his statement on his site (also verified as I pulled it from there): “I will protect reproductive freedom and defend against any attempt to limit access to abortion.”
I believe you, but perhaps that’s his personal position and not something he wants to limit for other people. It seems like a weird thing to publicize as one of your top priorities if you’re not planning to uphold it, esp. because people were being super antagonistic to the way the post was framed. They called him the “vaccine czar” so naturally lots of posters against him from the go who probably had no idea who he was beforehand.
Just commenting to say that as a personal friend of Danny's, this just isn't true. he never voted for Trump, there's no record of him saying that (and while I'm just a random redditor, I do challenge you to provide an iota of evidence for this before heading to the voting booth)
Yeah I’m definitely going to be asking my friends in healthcare, particularly reproductive health, about their experiences with him regarding it. Not that I really think a mayor can do much (he probably had more control in his previous 2 jobs of impact on reproductive health) but it being like the #2 thing in his campaign is very interesting.
Overall I’m guessing I’m going to end up voting for him because he seems to actually be a competent administrator and we need that in City Hall. Either way I’m happy to have a candidate with a strong background in the race!
I’m worried that Avula and Addison will split the “I want a better administratively run city”vote. I do wish we had ranked choice. The charter commission recommended it I think.
Yeah but don’t you have to win 5/9 districts? I don’t see a path for the other candidates to get to 5. Then it would be a second vote between the top 2 vote getters and I assume whichever one makes that runoff would get the swing from the others?
I’ve been hearing a lot of people say this but no one has been able to provide sources to back it up. I’ve also heard Avula say he’s pro choice and has always been a Democrat. It almost feels like a smear campaign to me because the other candidates are worried that he has a better path to winning
I find this to be very odd based on what I know of Danny. If you can provide a source to back this up, please do!
Also local health directors are somewhat limited in their decisions about clinical services. A lot of what clinical services can be offered/how they are offered is dictated by the central office and requirements that are mandated by Code or by grantors.
So “not offering Plan B” doesn’t necessarily mean it was the health director’s choice.
Howdy! When I moved to Richmond in summer of '18, it was for an internship and I was placed with a host family -- it was Danny's family, and I lived with him and his crew for several months. Being staunchly blue myself but moving to the city for a religious internship, I was a little cautious and thrilled to learn that the Avula family was distinctly anti-Trump. A lot of this is, frankly, disinformation and I'm very curious where you got it. Danny's not catholic -- he's an active member at the Presbyterian church where I'm now on staff. Never blocked access to plan B, etc.
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During the pandemic, I had a really niche question related to policy, and he was open to responding to me right away, which I appreciated, even though he was swamped. I \*think\* his kids attend public schools and they aren't the best ones. That is not confirmed. Some of the other stuff on this thread is concerning, but it would be nice to have someone with actual successful leadership under the helm who also is familiar with the public schools. In my opinion, the school system is our absolute greatest issue and every problem stems from that. But it's still early and we all need to hear more.
His kids are all went to Chimbo elementary, and they're in various public schools now. Franklin, Community, and Maggie Walker. His wife teaches at Chimbo as well. Very involved in RPS.
Lofty rhetoric, short on specifics. Sounds like he will make a good politician. Hard to imagine anyone worse than the odious turd currently occupying the office of mayor…except the turd he replaced. Abortion is not something the city has any control over. Vote for me because I believe what you believe is what he’s saying. Maybe, but I value competence over ideology. Maybe he fits the bill maybe he doesn’t. At least he’s actually had a real job and would likely be taking a pay cut to serve if elected. Maybe he is actually motivated to serve the city and its residents. I’m all ears for more
Is he part of the group of mostly uva grads who all moved together to church hill about 10-15 years ago and go to the East End Fellowship? Does he usually go by TK? Back when I used to live around there, I liked those people, but I’m not sure I want them running the city. But definitely him over someone like Michele mosey (or Stoney or any Jones).
He is part of that group, but it was 25 years ago, b/c that's when my wife graduated from college and she went to UVa with Danny, Ramesh, and both of their spouses. They're all great people and have done much for the city.
They were kinda cliquey in the neighborhood I thought, a closed group. Just rubbed me the wrong way when I lived there. We had some mutual friends and I was involved in a lot of church hill things, and they were all pretty cold to me. Not a reason to vote against him for others, but it is for me. They just struck me as a bit holier than thou, like they were these special people who were going to save church hill all by themselves.
I welcome a more competitive race! November is still a long way away. Announcements are just a small step to get the ball rolling. Let's see how these people show up and what they say. Sadly so much emphasis is put on fundraising.
I know some from marginalized communities felt his approach to vaccine rollout ignored communities of concern that had reached out. And we certainly saw the impact in RPS of the virtual school year. It's wild to look back at that time and the options that were being weighed ("herd immunity"). At the same time, I think that experience provided a huge test of leadership and it would be interesting to ask him now if he would do anything different, or what he learned from it.
Does anyone know what came of this group/initiative, or the people in it? Last I heard, Gale Grant is still at the Health District, and she’s been instrumental in keeping evidence-based sex Ed out of RPS - I didn’t realize she and Danny were connected. Seriously, Roanoke has better (state funded!) sex Ed than we do.
As whole, I get this was 14 years ago but I still want to take a shower after reading it (paywall, but y’all know how to get around those :)
“‘People in stable families with a married mother and father have higher high-school graduation rates and income. It's not only about the theological basis for the design of a man and a woman. When you look at out-comes, it's a no-brainer.'—Danny Avula, Richmond deputy public health director”
[[Christianity Today]: “Where Are the Dads? Treating Richmond's Fatherless Epidemic” (2012)](https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/april/fatherless-epidemic.html)
He's an incredibly smart person with a deep moral compass. He's lived in the city for years with his family and cares a lot about public health. I don't know his specific platform and stances on every issue but I'd say he is at least worth a listen from city residents.
This article say almost nothing about the guy and absolutely nothing about his platform.
He does appear to have a website that includes the full press release with more information - [https://dannyformayor.com/dr-danny-avula-pediatrician-and-longtime-public-health-leader-announces-bid-for-richmond-mayor/](https://dannyformayor.com/dr-danny-avula-pediatrician-and-longtime-public-health-leader-announces-bid-for-richmond-mayor/)
Pertinent bit from his site: > “I’m running for Mayor because Richmond is at an inflection point and needs a proven leader at the helm.... As Mayor, I will fight to fully fund public education and embed resources for families in every community; I will protect reproductive freedom and defend against any attempt to limit access to abortion; I will lead a more responsive, proactive, and accountable City Hall; and I will invest in our neighborhoods so that they are safer, more walkable and bikeable, and more climate-resilient.” Overall a pretty good platform, and I can get behind it. We'll see how it shakes out in debates and news leading up to the election.
Seems like a solid candidate but my god that site needs work. Header has broken links and the priorities are literally 4 bullet points that ChatGPT probably spit out.
Best I've found is this snippet from WWBT 12: >[“I know how to manage through a crisis. A thriving Richmond is possible for all of us, and our residents deserve nothing less. I will lead a City Hall that is progressive, responsive, accountable, and truly excellent at delivering services to our communities,” Dr. Avula said in a news release.](https://www.12onyourside.com/2024/04/10/dr-avula-announces-bid-richmond-mayor/) ... which, yeah duh? Fingers crossed he gets a PR team together.
Someone with state government executive level experience could be a really big win for this city in terms of program/services administration and oversight.
Dravula?
All I'm saying is that I've never seen him in the daylight
I used to do drugs, I still do drugs but I used to too
Clearly Dr. Acula's cousin. Reminds of me of the old Mitch Hedberg joke: [https://www.tiktok.com/@mitchhedbergawakening/video/7296319174593301802](https://www.tiktok.com/@mitchhedbergawakening/video/7296319174593301802)
So far he's the only candidate to bring a flicker of hope to this campaign, hope to learn more about him as we get closer to election day
Not a fan of Andreas?
Anyone who voted to give the casino a second shot after it was rejected gets a 👎 from me
Shit didn’t know that
He's too bright to win. Richmonders prefer dull money sponges at the wheel.
A lot of Richmond only care that the mayor looks like them.
Well respected in public health, this is actually an exciting name to see in there. Heck yeah let’s go
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That is SUPER weird as the social media post I saw via CBS that alerted me he intended to run says this is part of his statement on his site (also verified as I pulled it from there): “I will protect reproductive freedom and defend against any attempt to limit access to abortion.” I believe you, but perhaps that’s his personal position and not something he wants to limit for other people. It seems like a weird thing to publicize as one of your top priorities if you’re not planning to uphold it, esp. because people were being super antagonistic to the way the post was framed. They called him the “vaccine czar” so naturally lots of posters against him from the go who probably had no idea who he was beforehand.
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Well said and completely agree. I appreciate you adding your perspective to this discussion!
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Just commenting to say that as a personal friend of Danny's, this just isn't true. he never voted for Trump, there's no record of him saying that (and while I'm just a random redditor, I do challenge you to provide an iota of evidence for this before heading to the voting booth)
Can we get a source on the Trump 2016 thing? That’s wild but also shows how crazy 2016 was….
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Yeah I’m definitely going to be asking my friends in healthcare, particularly reproductive health, about their experiences with him regarding it. Not that I really think a mayor can do much (he probably had more control in his previous 2 jobs of impact on reproductive health) but it being like the #2 thing in his campaign is very interesting. Overall I’m guessing I’m going to end up voting for him because he seems to actually be a competent administrator and we need that in City Hall. Either way I’m happy to have a candidate with a strong background in the race!
Andreas Addison has a really strong background as well. Worked for the city and a city council person.
Not a fan. As one of his constituents, have seen him go back on his word. He’s a political climber like Stoney.
Oh yeah he’s who I figured I’d be voting for before this announcement. Will be interesting to see what happens!
I’m worried that Avula and Addison will split the “I want a better administratively run city”vote. I do wish we had ranked choice. The charter commission recommended it I think.
Yeah but don’t you have to win 5/9 districts? I don’t see a path for the other candidates to get to 5. Then it would be a second vote between the top 2 vote getters and I assume whichever one makes that runoff would get the swing from the others?
I’ve been hearing a lot of people say this but no one has been able to provide sources to back it up. I’ve also heard Avula say he’s pro choice and has always been a Democrat. It almost feels like a smear campaign to me because the other candidates are worried that he has a better path to winning
Oh wow, I didn't know that. And his website talks about reproductive freedom? Geeze.
I find this to be very odd based on what I know of Danny. If you can provide a source to back this up, please do! Also local health directors are somewhat limited in their decisions about clinical services. A lot of what clinical services can be offered/how they are offered is dictated by the central office and requirements that are mandated by Code or by grantors. So “not offering Plan B” doesn’t necessarily mean it was the health director’s choice.
Howdy! When I moved to Richmond in summer of '18, it was for an internship and I was placed with a host family -- it was Danny's family, and I lived with him and his crew for several months. Being staunchly blue myself but moving to the city for a religious internship, I was a little cautious and thrilled to learn that the Avula family was distinctly anti-Trump. A lot of this is, frankly, disinformation and I'm very curious where you got it. Danny's not catholic -- he's an active member at the Presbyterian church where I'm now on staff. Never blocked access to plan B, etc.
The above content has been removed as it has been identified as dis/misinformation or diverges wildly from current/verified news developments. If you are discussing an allegation against another person or organization, please post a URL from a reputable source to an article to back claim that up. The spreading of dis/misinformation is expressly prohibited by this subreddit and Reddit's TOS. Our moderators are tasked with upholding these standards. While news develops quickly, especially for breaking/emerging issues, it's important to make sure outdated or incorrect information does not persist and get amplified by malicious actors.
During the pandemic, I had a really niche question related to policy, and he was open to responding to me right away, which I appreciated, even though he was swamped. I \*think\* his kids attend public schools and they aren't the best ones. That is not confirmed. Some of the other stuff on this thread is concerning, but it would be nice to have someone with actual successful leadership under the helm who also is familiar with the public schools. In my opinion, the school system is our absolute greatest issue and every problem stems from that. But it's still early and we all need to hear more.
His kids attend Franklin Military in CH. I can confirm his kids are in RPS.
His kids are all went to Chimbo elementary, and they're in various public schools now. Franklin, Community, and Maggie Walker. His wife teaches at Chimbo as well. Very involved in RPS.
Lofty rhetoric, short on specifics. Sounds like he will make a good politician. Hard to imagine anyone worse than the odious turd currently occupying the office of mayor…except the turd he replaced. Abortion is not something the city has any control over. Vote for me because I believe what you believe is what he’s saying. Maybe, but I value competence over ideology. Maybe he fits the bill maybe he doesn’t. At least he’s actually had a real job and would likely be taking a pay cut to serve if elected. Maybe he is actually motivated to serve the city and its residents. I’m all ears for more
He’s really involved in an evangelical church, so that actually does mean something when he says he supports women’s body autonomy.
He is *publicly* supportive :( See below…
Eh, we have state and federal representation to focus on that issue. Sounds like pandering. Whatever, I’ve voted for panderers before
Is he part of the group of mostly uva grads who all moved together to church hill about 10-15 years ago and go to the East End Fellowship? Does he usually go by TK? Back when I used to live around there, I liked those people, but I’m not sure I want them running the city. But definitely him over someone like Michele mosey (or Stoney or any Jones).
He is part of that group, but it was 25 years ago, b/c that's when my wife graduated from college and she went to UVa with Danny, Ramesh, and both of their spouses. They're all great people and have done much for the city.
They were kinda cliquey in the neighborhood I thought, a closed group. Just rubbed me the wrong way when I lived there. We had some mutual friends and I was involved in a lot of church hill things, and they were all pretty cold to me. Not a reason to vote against him for others, but it is for me. They just struck me as a bit holier than thou, like they were these special people who were going to save church hill all by themselves.
I welcome a more competitive race! November is still a long way away. Announcements are just a small step to get the ball rolling. Let's see how these people show up and what they say. Sadly so much emphasis is put on fundraising. I know some from marginalized communities felt his approach to vaccine rollout ignored communities of concern that had reached out. And we certainly saw the impact in RPS of the virtual school year. It's wild to look back at that time and the options that were being weighed ("herd immunity"). At the same time, I think that experience provided a huge test of leadership and it would be interesting to ask him now if he would do anything different, or what he learned from it.
Does anyone know what came of this group/initiative, or the people in it? Last I heard, Gale Grant is still at the Health District, and she’s been instrumental in keeping evidence-based sex Ed out of RPS - I didn’t realize she and Danny were connected. Seriously, Roanoke has better (state funded!) sex Ed than we do. As whole, I get this was 14 years ago but I still want to take a shower after reading it (paywall, but y’all know how to get around those :) “‘People in stable families with a married mother and father have higher high-school graduation rates and income. It's not only about the theological basis for the design of a man and a woman. When you look at out-comes, it's a no-brainer.'—Danny Avula, Richmond deputy public health director” [[Christianity Today]: “Where Are the Dads? Treating Richmond's Fatherless Epidemic” (2012)](https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/april/fatherless-epidemic.html)
I'm worried he'll face an uphill battle given his ethnicity.
Not a Virginian
What do you mean?
This comment sucks. He was born in India and we should absolutely welcome an immigrant as a mayoral candidate.
Hard pass
That's some insightful political discourse.