WRIC Richmond News and Weather - Dwight Jones Elected Richmond Mayor
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Del. Dwight Jones won a four-way race Tuesday to replace Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, a grandson of slaves who was elected the nation's first black governor.
Jones' leading rival, City Council President William J. Pantele, conceded the contest and pledged to support Jones.
Elected mayor in 2004 with about 80 percent of the vote, Wilder's approval plunged amid poor relations with the City Council and the school board.
Wilder became a historic figure with his election as Virginia's governor in 1989. He was an early and influential backer of Barack Obama's presidential bid.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
