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Richmond’s Mayor Stoney leaves office in a city forever changed by protests

Washington Post
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Levar Stoney's eight-year tenure as mayor of Richmond , Virginia , ends this month .

Stoney was the youngest mayor in more than a century when he won his first term in 2016 .

The 43-year-old is running for lieutenant governor in a crowded field seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.

Richmond 's population has grown by greater numbers and at a faster rate than that of Northern Virginia over the past four years .

Stoney 's embrace of several big development projects alienated his base of young liberals.

The city’s poverty rate dropped by about a third , though some argue that that was driven by gentrification.

The day the first statue came down, Stoney stayed secluded at a supporter’s home so he couldn’t be served with any court papers to stop the work.

Stoney was subject to a wave of insults and threats, mostly by phone and email.

He said he was also buoyed by an outpouring of gratitude from some quarters , particularly older Black residents.