Last year, Bobby Dyer said he was in his “final rodeo” as mayor of Virginia Beach and wouldn’t run again for the job he’s held since 2018.
Instead, he’s eyeing Richmond.
Dyer, 76, will seek the Republican nomination in Virginia Senate District 22 next year, when all state legislative races are on the ballot.
That could lead to a showdown with Sen. Aaron Rouse, a Democrat who served with Dyer on City Council before joining the General Assembly in 2023.
Democrats hold a 21-19 majority in the Senate. The 22nd District contains part of Virginia Beach and leans Democratic, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project.
On Wednesday, Dyer said he’s running because he’s frustrated by a lack of collaboration by state officials with local governments.
He cited issues such as the decision not to advance state legislation that would help localities address the sort of “pop-up” gatherings of young people that have bedeviled Virginia Beach. The city is expected to support that legislation again.
“There is partisan gridlock going on in the Beltway and Richmond, and things are polarized and paralyzed, but I have a reputation of being able to work with everybody,” Dyer said.
He will continue to serve as mayor while pursuing the Senate seat.
Rouse sent WHRO a statement Wednesday that did not directly address Dyer.
“Public service means putting the people you represent first,” Rouse said in the statement. “That’s how I served on City Council and it’s how I continue to serve in Richmond. I look forward to continuing that work in 2027.”
Dyer served 14 years representing the former Centerville District on City Council. In 2018, he won a special election following the resignation of former Mayor Will Sessoms. Dyer has won reelection twice since then. The next mayoral election is in 2028.
In 2020, Dyer nearly faced Rouse, then a member of council who announced he would challenge Dyer. Rouse ended his campaign because of difficulties running during the pandemic.
