NORFOLK, Va. — Giovanni Dolmo and Tommy Leeman are hoping to unseat incumbent mayor of Norfolk, Kenny Alexander.
Dolmo says issues in his neighborhood pushed him to run for office.
“My priorities are crime. My priorities are better economy. My priorities are floodings. My priorities are better education for our children, the safety of our children,” he said.
If elected, he says he will push for better lighting and cameras throughout the city. He'll also advocate for curfews and more resources for youth.
He says he has concerns about crime and education in the city.
“The standards are just too low in our community and it’s time for someone to step up and run our community the way it’s supposed to be run,” said Dolmo.
But Alexander says crime is trending down, after recently released Norfolk Police data shows violent crime dropped 28% in 2023.
The city's first Black mayor says he deserves another term.
“My background, my leadership, my experience and my vision are the right combination of skillsets to continue to lead Norfolk forward,” said Alexander.
Among several things, Alexander cited progress on the city's casino project, set to start construction next year.
He says the city is addressing poverty and diversifying the local economy, and he wants to tackle concerns about traffic safety, including maintaining roads impacted by heavy freight and container traffic.
“If we can get some of these containers on rail and get them off the streets, then we can start to make improvements to our roads, our bridges or medians, our right of ways and our public spaces."
“Small businesses are the backbone to our community. It’s the backbone to our city and we have to make sure that we are helping them,” he said.
Leeman, a former chair for the Downtown Norfolk Council, said the city must help small businesses with grants and make the permit process easier.
“We’re not focused on education the way we should be, and another thing is getting grants for communities that really need them,” said Leeman.
Leeman says he would focus on issues that matter to the City of Norfolk, including giving more thought into collective bargaining.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.