Mayor Walker announces she is not running for re-election

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (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.

RELATED:

• ‘Impolite, Rude, and Insufferable’: Charlottesville City Council hears criticism after firing of RaShall Brackney, councilors discuss decision
• Former councilor weighs in on firing of CPD Chief Brackney
• Albemarle-Charlottesville NAACP react to firing of Police Chief Brackney
• Charlottesville mayor, councilor react to firing of RaShall Brackney by CPD
• Charlottesville terminates Police Chief Brackney’s contract

09/08/2021 Nikuyah Walker’s full Facebook post:

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. I’ve wanted to stay and fight because the only people who will lose will be Black and other vulnerable people in this community. I’ve been fighting overt, covert, and internalize racism everyday of my life and it feels like it has been more prominent than oxygen during my time on council. However, I still managed to get up everyday and work for pennies to make this community a better place. I fight for you all as if I earn billions. I am tired. I’m not going to fight with a Black man who is being used by the democratic party to oust me when he is a shoo-in. I’m not going to fight with another Black man as he attempts to back the white candidate who is not a shoo-in because our staff allowed him to believe that two Black women were the reasons that he didn’t get a job. I have so many other stories, but now is not the time.

The racism that was on display last night at the council meeting and during our closed session was the final straw. Michael, couldn’t bring himself to defend a Black women. Sena, blindly following whiteness as she has done since January 1, 2020. Heather and Lloyd have been consistent advocates of white is right, white power and the power of whiteness. I am so disappointed in Chip and I will address him later. Another white man, who I cared about, lied on me. It will not happen again.

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.

Dear Black People: I feel like I’ve failed you. I know your struggled and I know what you face everyday in this community. I am sorry. Every time an image of a little Black girl pops into my head, I fall apart. I hope that at some point I can convince her that I’m not being a coward. I hope I’ve given her some tools to survive in this callous world.

I will do a FB Live soon.

Thank you for allowing me to serve you.

And yes, I’ve already sent this form in. I called people in December and they talked me out of it. Someone told me yesterday that only cowards quit, so I didn’t give all any notice today because I’m losing myself right now. I need to choose me.

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