Charlottesville, Virginia, Mayor Nikuyah Walker Ends Re-election Bid

Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker (FILE)(WVIR)

Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker is not going to run for re-election this November.

Walker made the announcement on her Facebook page Wednesday, September 8.

“I’m not going to type a long message because I need to pull myself together. For those who know me, I’ve been struggling with this decision since March,” Walker stated in part on Facebook. “No matter how outraged the community gets about the events that continue to transpire, unless you are able to elect more than one person to council who is elected on an anti-racist platform, they will not survive. This form of government needs to change. The city manager has too much power to not be elected by the voters. Even if it’s a bunch on voter who don’t believe in an anti-racist, equity-driven platform.”

The mayor included a picture of a signed candidate withdrawal form with her social media post.

This comes after a contentious Charlottesville City Council meeting Tuesday, Sept. 7, where Walker publicly supported former Police Chief RaShall Brackney.

City Manager Chip Boyles, who Walker mentions in her post, recently made the decision to terminate Brackney’s employment contract.

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SOURCE: NBC29