Wes Bellamy

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Wes Bellamy
2018-Wes Bellamy.JPG
Democratic Party
City's official photo, 2018

District At-large (City-wide)
Party Nonpartisan
Election November 3, 2015
For term to start January 1, 2016
Term End December 31, 2019
Incumbent Satyendra Huja (D)
Succeeded by Sena A. Magill (D)

Vice-mayor, elected by
Charlottesville City Council
Term Start January 1, 2016
Term End December 31, 2017
Preceded by Dede Smith (D)
Succeeded by Heather Hill (D)

Biographical Information

Date of birth November 4, 1986
Wesley Jamont Bellamy
Age 37
Place of birth Atlanta, GA
Spouse Ashlee Thompson
Children 3
Residence Third Ward: Tonsler Precinct (301)
Alma mater South Carolina State University
Profession Teacher
Campaign $ VPAP
Contributions $ VPAP

Wes Bellamy (Wesley Jamont Bellamy; born 1986) is a former vice-mayor of Charlottesville who served a four-year term on the City Council (2016-2019). [1] He was elected to the Charlottesville City Council (2016-2017) on November 3, 2015. At the first meeting of the city council after the 2015 election, the members elected Mike Signer as mayor and Bellamy as vice-mayor, each serving two year terms. [2] At age 29, Bellamy was the youngest councilor elected under the current form of city government (2 months, 22 day younger than James Barr).

Soon after the 2015 election, Governor Terry McAuliffe appointed Bellamy to the Virginia Board of Education which develops statewide education policies and graduation requirements. A controversy over several recent tweets Bellamy wrote from 2009 to 2014 led him to resign from his seat. [3]

Early life and education

Originally from Atlanta, GA

Career

Bellamy moved to the Charlottesville area in 2009 to work for the National Ground Intelligence Center. He left that position shortly afterwards. In 2011 Bellamy was hired as a substitute teacher for Albemarle County Schools. He was made full time in August 2012, according to the system.[4] Nearly 30 percent of school-age children in Charlottesville and Albemarle County are African American, but less than 10 percent of their teachers are.

Bellamy was honored by the Daily Progress in 2013 as part of their Distinguished Dozen series. [5]

He established the Helping Young People Evolve in 2011 and soon afterwards entered city politics.

Dr. Bellamy received a Doctorate of Education from Virginia State University. He is currently an Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at Virginia State University. Virginia State University is a public historically Black land-grant university in Ettrick, Virginia. Founded on March 6, 1882, Virginia State developed as the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for Black Americans.

Political career

Bellamy unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for one of two open seats on the Council in the November 2013 election.

Bellamy was elected to the Charlottesville City Council on November 3, 2015. He served on the Charlottesville City Council (2016-2017) and the Charlottesville City Council (2018-2019).

Social networks postings

Tweets made by Bellamy came under fire in late 2016 and prompted many for him to resign from Council. In late December, he resigned from a teaching post at Albemarle High School. [4]

Controversial tweets

Tweets made from Bellamy's account between 2009 and 2014 were first published by activist Jason Kessler in late November and then published in other media outlets. [7]

2013 election

Bellamy unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for one of two open seats on the Council in the November 2013 election. He placed 3rd in the June 11, 2013 Democratic Primary for City Council. [8] [9]

Bellamy announced his candidacy on March 13, 2013 at Tonsler Park. Just a month before, he had declared he would not run this year, but changed his mind. [10] He is originally from Atlanta, and moved to the area to take a job at the National Ground Intelligence Center.

Bellamy raised $3,828 between January 1 and May 29, 2013. His largest campaign contribution was $500 from Mark Brown. [11]

Bellamy also participated in a questionnaire on public housing conducted by the Public Housing Association of Residents. [12]

2013 Democratic Primary for City Council

Bellamy tied with Bob Fenwick with 1,088 votes each in the June 11, 2013 Democratic primary. A count of provisional ballots was due to be completed by Friday, June 14, 2013.[13] Fenwick edged Bellamy by five votes when the provisional ballots were counted.[14]

Campaign finance reports

2013 Top campaign donors

2015 election

Bellamy tried again for a seat on the city council in 2015, when three seats for the Democratic nomination were up.[15] He received the largest number of votes in the 2015 election.

Bellamy made his campaign announcement on February 15, 2015 at C'Ville Coffee. [15]


Candidates Votes %
Wes Bellamy (D) 4,688 29.67
Kathleen M. Galvin (D) incumbent 4,590 29.05
Mike Signer (D) 4,309 27.28
Anson Parker (R) 1,208 7.65
Scott Bandy (I) 691 4.37
Write-In 312 3.0
Source: State Board of Elections[16]


Each voter could vote for up to three candidates. Bellamy received 4,688 votes in the 2015 election. Election records show that 15,798 votes were cast in the election. In that election, three City Council seats were open, allowing each voter to cast as many as three votes.

Audio of Bellamy's campaign announcement:

<play audio>http://s3.amazonaws.com/cville/cm%2Fmutlimedia%2F20150215-Bellamy-Announcement.mp3 </play audio>


Candidate Profile Resources
Candidate Wes Bellamy (D)
Office Charlottesville City Council
Election year 2015 election
Logo-small25.jpg Candidate interviews by Charlottesville Tomorrow
Candidate interview transcript
Candidate interview audio

<mp3player>http://www.cvillepedia.org/mediawiki/images/20150901-Bellamy-interview.mp3</mp3player>
Source website


Committee assignments

After being elected, Bellamy was assigned to: [17]

Campaign finance reports

2015 Top campaign donors

Quotes

  • In response to Tweets made from his account between 2009 and 2014: "I sincerely apologize for the inappropriate things I posted to social media many years ago," Bellamy wrote. "Elected officials should be held to a higher standard, and while I was not in office at the time, in this instance I came up short of the man I aspire to be." ~ November 2016 [18]

Power and election of mayor

  • On March 30, 2018, Councilor Bellamy told the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society that he would call upon Council to switch to a system where the mayor is directly elected by the voters, rather than current system in which the mayor is internally appointed by the City Council every two years. Bellamy said this transition would require a change to the City’s charter - but did not specify whether he believes the amendment would grant the mayor additional powers and responsibilities.[19]

Publications

Monumental: It Was Never About A Statue; BlackGold Publishing (December 17, 2018) Best Sellers Rank: #2,435,394 in Books; #2,410 in Social Activist Biographies.

When White Supremecy Knocks, Fight Back: How WhIte People Can Use Their Privilege and How Black People Can Use Their Power; Stokley's Scribes Publishing (August 2020)

References

  1. Web. Charlottesville City Council meeting minutes, .pdf, Council Chambers, City of Charlottesville, January 4, 2016.
  2. Web. 2015 November General - Unofficial Results, Virginia State Board of Elections, November 3, 2015, retrieved November 3, 2015.
  3. https://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/bellamy-resigns-from-state-education-board-under-pressure-over-tweets/article_40d7a9d2-b744-11e6-9797-b363460e0964.html
  4. 4.0 4.1 Web. Bellamy resigns AHS teaching position, Staff Reports, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, December 26, 2016
  5. Web. Dozen: Bellamy helping city's poorest children reach potential, Aaron Richardson, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, December 27, 2013, retrieved January 7, 2016.
  6. Web. Councilors Bellamy, Signer will not seek re-election, Nolan Stout, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, March 29, 2019, retrieved March 29, 2019.
  7. Web. Homophobic, sexist, anti-white language abundant in Charlottesville vice mayor's tweets, Anna Higgins and Tim Dodson, News Article, Cavalier Daily, November 28, 2016, retrieved December 27, 2016.
  8. Web. Bellamy announces Council candidacy, Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, March 13, 2013, retrieved March 14, 2013.
  9. Web. It's official: Fenwick to be on ballot for City Council, K. Burnell Evans and Aaron Richardson, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, June 14, 2013, retrieved June 19, 2013.
  10. Web. Szakos makes bid for second Council term official, Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, February 14, 2013, retrieved March 14, 2013.
  11. Web. Palmer, McKeel lead local candidates in fundraising, Daily Progress Staff Reports, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, June 7, 2013, retrieved June 10, 2013.
  12. Web. [ Questionnaire for City Council Candidatesurl=http://www.pharcville.org/2013/06/04/phar-questionnaire-for-city-council-candidates/], June 4, 2013, retrieved June 10, 2013.
  13. Web. Bellamy, Fenwick in dead heat; Szakos wins easily, Aaron Richardson, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, June 12, 2013, retrieved June 12, 2013.
  14. Web. It's official: Fenwick to be on ballot for City Council, K. Burnell Evans and Aaron Richardson, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, June 14, 2013, retrieved June 19, 2013.
  15. 15.0 15.1 Web. Bellamy enters race for Charlottesville City Council, Lacey Naff, Charlottesville Tomorrow, February 15, 2015, retrieved February 17, 2015.
  16. Web. 2015 November General, State Board of Elections, November 4, 2011, retrieved July 28, 2016.
  17. E-mail. Paige Rice, City of Charlottesville. "RE: list of appointments." Message to Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow. January 7, 2016.
  18. Web. McAuliffe 'horrified' by Board of Ed appointee's racist, sexist, obscene tweets, TRAVIS FAIN, DAILYPRESS.COM, Richmond, November 29, 2016, retrieved November 29, 2019.
  19. Web. City Councilor Wes Bellamy talks Aug. 11 and 12, local politics with Jefferson Society, Geremia Di Maro, News Article, Cavalier Daily, April 3, 2018, retrieved October 16, 2019.

External Links

Facebook page for campaign