School Board member eyes delegate seat. by Amy Biegelsen
Betsy Carr
Richmond School Board member Betsy Carr says she plans to run for the vacant seat left by longtime Richmond Delegate Frank Hall.
Hall announced his retirement over the weekend and will take an appointment from Gov. Tim Kaine to the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board beginning April 15. First elected in 1976, Hall was the Democratic minority leader in the House from 2002 until 2007, when Delegate Ward Armstrong, D-Henry County, ousted him as party leader. Hall’s two-year term ends this year.
A Kaine spokesman says the governor will not call for a special election to fill the vacancy and will stick to the regular June 9 primary and Nov. 3 general election.
Carr says she plans to file the papers to run for office in the coming weeks. She represents the 5th District on the School Board, which runs from the Fan south across the James River. The House’s 69th District overlaps with her School Board district in the city and also contains part of Chesterfield County. “It’s an opportunity to serve the people in the district,” Carr says. “I think I can make some contribution.”
A former massage therapist, Carr does outreach work for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church downtown. She’s been a School Board member since 2006.
A wide array of other potential candidates says they’re still considering their options for the November election. The Democratic Party of Virginia’s executive director, Levar Stoney, confirms he’s considering getting in the race, as does former Richmond Mayor Rudy McCollum. The Richmond Crusade for Voters president, Antione Green, has also expressed interest.
Alumni If Jim Ukrop and Buford Scott want to run this town, then they should run for office instead of backing the weakest women they can find. What a pathetic joke!
You and Carr are both weak beyond belief and you are betraying the people in this town who need "LEADERSHIP." All you and Carr can do is suck up to the power structure that has got us in the mess we are in. You NEED the schools to be bad in order to make yourselves look good.
Saturday, April 04, 2009 4:53:42 PM by Anonymous
I agree with the comments that Ms. Carr tends to just go with the flow and not stand up for the community. She doesn't think there's anything wrong with the RPS and believes our middle schools are good enough for our kids... perhaps she's an eternal optimist, but I want someone representing me that wants better for her constituents. As least if she runs for delegate we might have a real advocate on our School Board.
The "leaders" need to know from the "voters" what is needed and wanted in elected seats? Strenght to stand against negative comments (like this article!) or the ability to think and make decisions that benefits the largest number of people and not those who "put them in office..) can we start that dialog...???
----------------------------- Alumni
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 1:54:53 PM by PHSupporter
You can count on Betsy to let someone else do all the thinking and make sure someone else take all the blame. She encouraged all the Patrick Henry charter families and then turned around and voted against letting the founders' kids get grandfathered in. She says one thing and does another.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 11:34:05 AM by Jamie
I'm hoping Levar will jump in the race. Levar's work for the state party speaks for itself. I think he'd be a great, energetic candidate, and the city could use some new blood.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 8:45:05 PM by anon
Carr is a nice lady but she doesn't have the backbone to represent the people. She goes along more or less with whatever the rest of the board is doing. She didn't have the ability to see how unfair the original contract for the PHI was like West and if she did notice she's not one to cause a stir when it's necessary. I also wouldn't want a representative that would deny anyone their 1st amendment rights by signing a "vow of silence" contract like she did on School Board.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 8:22:25 PM by Josephine Richmond
Quit the charade, "Joe". Everyone knows who you really are.
Move on down from the 3rd and run yourself.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 7:25:40 PM by Joe Richmond
yawn .......sigh.
Let us hope and pray Antione can get his people organized. We need to nurture a new generation of leaders in our community.
