And then there were four, though that number could still change.
Former Charlottesville City Councilor David Brown has dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination for House District 54.
“This will be a very competitive primary, and I realize that I am not prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to succeed,” wrote in an email to supporters. “I will continue to be involved in helping our community address the serious challenges we face, but will look for opportunities locally instead of in Richmond.”
Brown served two terms on Council from 2004 to the end of 2011. He spent the last several years as director of the Virginia Department of Health Professions before Governor Glenn Youngkin appointed a replacement last November. Before that, Brown spent two years as an assistant to former Delegate David Toscano, according to his LinkedIn page.
The four candidates in the race for the Democratic nomination in the June 20 primary are:
- Former City Council candidate Bellamy Brown
- Albemarle School Board member Katrina Callsen
- Fifeville resident Dashad Cooper
- Former City Councilor Dave Norris.
“Whoever gets elected, I hope they will be an advocate for campaign finance reform,” Brown continued. “Bills this legislative session would have capped individual contributions at $20,000, prohibited contributions from public utilities, and prohibited personal use of campaign funds, but all were defeated in committee.”
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