The Virginia Beach mayoral election of 2020 took place on November 3, 2020. Voters elected the next

Mayor of Virginia Beach The mayor of Virginia Beach is the head of the municipal government in Virginia Beach, Virginia, which has a Council–manager government, council-manager system of government. The mayor presides over city council meetings and serves as the cerem ...

, which has a council-manager system of government. The mayor presides over

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

meetings and serves as the ceremonial head and spokesperson of the city. The mayor is elected to a four-year term through direct election and the office has no term limits. The mayoral election occurred simultaneously with

the election ''The Election'' () is a political drama series produced by Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV). With a budget of HK$15 million, filming started in July 2014 and wrapped up on 28 October 2014. Popularly voted to be the inaugural drama of ...

of four seats on the city council. These elections were nonpartisan, as are all municipal elections in Virginia Beach. The election saw incumbent mayor Bobby Dyer face challengers

Jody Wagner Jody Moses Wagner (born August 6, 1955) is an American politician from Virginia Beach, Virginia. A Democrat, she served as State Treasurer of Virginia from January 2002 to January 2006, and as Virginia Secretary of Finance in the Cabinet of Govern ...

, the former

Virginia Secretary of Finance The Secretary of Finance is a member of the Virginia Governor's Cabinet. The office is currently vacant. List of Secretaries of Finance Secretary of Finance (July 1, 1972–July 1, 1976) * Walter Craigie (1972–1973) * William H. Forst (1973– ...

and

Virginia State Treasurer The Virginia State Treasurer is the head of the Virginia Department of the Treasury. They are the primary manager of the state's multi-billion dollar investment portfolio and oversee the issuance of bonds and management of debt in excess of $15 b ...

, and Richard "RK" Kowalewitch, a local businessman. Dyer defeated Wagner and was reelected to a second term by a margin of 51.64% to her 43.83%.

Background

On February 27, 2020, city council member

Aaron Rouse Aaron Roosevelt Rouse (born January 8, 1984) is a former American football safety who last played for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He p ...

announced his intention to seek the office. When reached by ''

The Virginian-Pilot ''The Virginian-Pilot'' is the daily newspaper for Norfolk, Virginia. Commonly known as ''The Pilot'', it is Virginia's largest daily. It serves the five cities of South Hampton Roads as well as several smaller towns across southeast Virginia ...

'' for comment on the announcement, Bobby Dyer confirmed that he would be seeking re-election. On May 30, 2020, Rouse announced that he was dropping out of the race citing the coronavirus pandemic as the reason for ending his campaign. On June 9, 2020, former Virginia Secretary of Finance

announced that she would challenge Dyer in the upcoming election. On June 12, 2020, businessman Richard W. "RK" Kowalewitch announced that he would also challenge Dyer. On October 8, 2020, the Virginia Beach Forum conducted a series of interviews with Dyer, Wagner, and Kowalewitch. On November 4, 2020, results confirmed that Dyer had won the election and been reelected to a second term. That morning, Wagner conceded to Dyer saying in a statement that they "both agreed that what our city needs right now is unity, and I look forward to working with him to move our city forward and address the critical challenges we face. While I am disappointed in the outcome of the election, I am incredibly grateful for the support from friends, family, and our entire community."

Candidates

Withdrew before the election

Endorsements

Results

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Virginia Beach mayoral election, 2020 2020 Virginia elections 2020 United States mayoral elections

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...