CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The Chesapeake mayoral race is a battle between two familiar faces. Chesapeake City Councilman Don Carey is challenging incumbent Mayor Rick West.
West, a longtime teacher and principal for Chesapeake City Public Schools, said his priorities include providing a quality education, public safety, and building the economy.
"People want to live in Chesapeake,” said West. “People want to do business in Chesapeake, and my main objective is to keep it that way."
West touts the city’s growth since he was elected mayor for the first time in 2018. He described himself as a candidate who can build important partnerships with others across the state and region.
“I think the whole thing is having leaders who you can trust, that they say what they mean and mean what they say,” said West.
Carey, a former star student-athlete at Norfolk State University, joined the city council in 2020, after a 10-year career in the NFL.
"Really geographically, depending on where you live, you experience the resources and programs of the city differently,” said Carey. “Therefore, I think your mayor should be someone who has the ability to protect the gains that we had in public safety and education but also make sure that other residents in other areas of the city can experience all that the city has to offer."
Carey lists affordable housing, public safety, and workforce development as some of his top issues, and he said Chesapeake leaders must start thinking about adjusting to the projected growth of the city.
"People are moving into the city. Where are we going to house them? Where would we like to steer development in the City of Chesapeake?” Carey asked. “How do we want growth to look? What kind of industries are we going to bring into Chesapeake? All of these are questions we have to answer in Chesapeake, and we have to answer them now."
In September, a judge dismissed two lawsuits calling for Carey to resign from the city council in order to run for mayor, meaning he can remain serving in his seat as the election progresses.