With all the precincts saying on Tuesday night about how 58% of Richmonders voted against the casino referendum. This means only 42% are in favor of the same.
The result came after a well-fought campaign after the supporters of the proposed casino worth $562 million faced a relatively less narrow defeat of a similar kind in 2021 for the first time.
Paul Goldman, the local activist known for organizing an anti-casino campaign, even called the same a ‘David versus Goliath’ battle where he, as well as his allies, were outspent significantly by the organizations hoping to develop a casino.
Goldman reportedly confided in Casino.org on Tuesday evening in a phone interview, “This is a victory for the people of Richmond; it’s not my victory, it’s a victory for the people. You can’t build a new city on the old politics of resentment.”
Casino Developers Finally Concede:
The absolutely unofficial results that were released by the State’s Board of Elections don’t include almost 18K early voting ballots. However, the margin was huge for voters of the casino to finally concede defeat.
Richmond Wins Vote Yes, the pro-casino group, released a statement on Tuesday, “We are proud to have run a community-centered campaign to create more opportunities for residents of this great city to rise into the middle class. We are grateful to the thousands of Richmonders who voted for good jobs and a stronger city, especially those in Southside who poured their hearts into this project.”
Levar Stoney, the Mayor of Richmond, spoke about the loss of his 5TK million dollar project that he and his proponents were hoping would bring about economic development on the south side of the city.
Stoney released a statement as well, which said, “I will continue to be a voice for communities that have been historically overlooked and underserved. I will work for more accessible and affordable child care, for good-paying jobs, and for an abundance of opportunities for ALL Richmonders – no matter their zip code or socioeconomic status.”
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Barsha Bhattacharya is a senior content writing executive. As a marketing enthusiast and professional for the past 4 years, writing is new to Barsha. And she is loving every bit of it. Her niches are marketing, lifestyle, wellness, travel and entertainment. Apart from writing, Barsha loves to travel, binge-watch, research conspiracy theories, Instagram and overthink.
