Candidate for Richmond mayor Tracey McLean laid out her vision for Richmond on Stacey Thomas’ Facebook Live talk show on Friday evening. McLean explained her background and a platform calling for reparations and racial equity in Richmond.
“I have a calling to the city of Richmond from God,” McLean said. “As I go out into the community they express that they couldn’t talk to the mayor, nobody will help them. [They describe] things that they actually had to face alone, especially now since we have COVID. We’re in a mode of desperation.”
McLean was not invited to a mayor’s race debate earlier this week because she didn’t meet either the fundraising threshold or the polling threshold. She said that illustrates Richmond’s divisions. ” For years Richmond has been separated between the haves and the have nots,” McLean told The Virginia Star.
To address that, McLean is calling for reparations to the African-American community. In the Facebook Live event, McLean said, “That would do a lot for our community as a whole. It would also solve issues as far as drug abuse, it would solve issues as far as educational inequality.” McLean added, “Dealing with [inequality is necessary] for African-Americans to start to heal. Finally, honestly, having this conversation about being responsible for the pain, being responsible for the outcome.”
“Hometown hero!! You got my vote,” commented viewer Bryant Stephenson.
McLean has only raised $382 in a race where the incumbent has raised $546,983, according to The Virginia Public Access Project. McLean recently polled at just 3 percent; her next closest competitor was at 11 percent. McLean said her strategy is built on door-knocking and face to face interaction. She told The Star, “The poll numbers are not discouraging. Trailing or not, I am in the race. I am running this race because I care about the community.”
“I’m not here by accident. I’m here for a greater purpose,” McLean told Thomas. “For the next few years, you’re going to need somebody who actually wants to do something to really build the community.”
“What does a cohesive community mean to you? You’re the voter, you make the choice. Vote for people to be in office to have that voice.” McLean added, “I think I’m that person, so lean on McLean in 2020.”
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Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Email tips to [email protected].
