Twelve candidates are vying for appointment to the open 7th District seat on the Richmond City Council.
Those who met yesterday's filing deadline to represent the city's East End are Sharon C. Burton, Matthew A. Conrad, Jennie Dotts, John L. Gerner, Clarence Kenney, Cynthia I. Newbille, Samuel Patterson III, Garry Powell, Robin D. Robinson, Betty Squire, B. Keith West and Carletta Wilson.
The 7th District seat was vacated this month when Councilwoman Delores L. McQuinn resigned after winning a special election for the 70th District seat in the House of Delegates. The House seat opened when Dwight C. Jones was elected mayor.
The council's eight current members are expected to interview the 12 candidates before making an interim appointment on Feb. 9.
The new representative will serve until a special election in November to determine who completes the four-year term that McQuinn won last November.
At least three of the candidates who filed for the interim appointment plan to run in November.
Burton is a retired city school teacher who served on the search committee appointed by then-Mayor L. Douglas Wilder that led to the appointment of Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood. She does not plan to run in November.
Conrad is a consultant for The Alliance Group, a government and public relations firm. He's president of the Union Hill Civic Association and a board member of the Church Hill Association. He does not plan to run in November.
Dotts is chief executive officer of Old House Authority and former executive director of the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods. She does not plan to run in November.
Gerner is managing director of Leisure Business Advisors, and he served as a consultant to Wilder on school-system funding issues and the downtown arts-center project. He does not plan to run in November.
Kenney works with an after-school recreational program of the city and as a recreational instructor for Henrico County. He lost to McQuinn in last November's council election. He plans to run in November.
Newbille is acting director of the East District Family Resource Center. She previously served as chief of staff to City Manager Calvin D. Jamison and managed the city's East District Initiative. She moved into the 7th District on Jan. 1 to meet requirements for appointment -- an issue that's generated considerable debate in the district. She could not be reached yesterday on whether she plans to run in November.
Patterson has been McQuinn's council liaison since 2001, and he previously worked as a teacher in the city school system. He plans to run in November.
Powell is a human resources recruiting coordinator and trainer for Patient First. He hasn't decided whether he'll run in November.
Robinson is a substitute teacher in Richmond, and she previously worked in retail sales. She plans to run in November.
Squire is retired and has served in various civic and political roles, including as a member of the city's personnel board and as a presidential elector for the 3rd Congressional District. She does not plan to run in November.
West is the president of the Internet marketing company eGO, and he recently finished a two-year term on the Richmond School Board. He hasn't decided whether he'll run in November.
Wilson is an administrative and fiscal assistant for the athletics department at Virginia Commonwealth University. She hasn't decided whether she'll run in November.
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or
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