Richmond Reddit thread reveals what voters want in next mayor

An "Ask Me Anything" thread from a mayoral candidate on RVA Reddit on Thursday is giving insights into what Richmonders want from the city's next mayor.

Why it matters: It's one of the clearest indicators so far on the issues locals are caring about mere weeks from Election Day.

The big picture: The race is seemingly still a toss-up, and over a quarter of voters remain undecided, per internal polling recently obtained by The Richmonder .

• And while RVA Reddit can be a silo, it also has 159,000 members — making Thursday's thread the largest independent sample yet of people chiming in on the mayoral race in one place.
• By 4pm on Thursday, mayoral candidate Danny Avula's AMA had over 400 comments.

Here are some topics repeatedly mentioned:

❓ The difference between candidates

💰 High and increasingly unaffordable rents

🚶🏻‍♀️ More, and better, sidewalks

🚌 Improving public transit

🚴‍♀️ Making Richmond safer for pedestrians and cyclists

🥾 The Pipeline Trail, which the city is considering permanently closing

🚫 "Predatory" towing and street cleaning practices

🔧 Fixing city services

• Redditors specifically noted the Department of Public Works, unanswered 311 requests, improperly calculated tax bills, the city's finance department and how the meals tax debacle has impacted restaurants.

The other side: The campaigns of Michelle Mosby and Maurice Neblett didn't respond by press time whether they plan to do their own AMA Reddit threads.

• A spokesperson for Andreas Addison told Axios they don't but noted Addison's coffee chats and site where he's answered questions.
• Harrison Roday's spokesperson said there are no "immediate plans" for one.

Go deeper: Voter guide 2024: What's on the ballot in Richmond