VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Eight of the city's eleven council seats are up for grabs on Election Day including the mayor.
Current City Councilmen Ben Davenport and Bob Dyer offer voters a distinct choice in the race for mayor. Davenport says he wants to see a push towards the tech industry.
"I believe that we need to create a new industry in this city to make sure that we're keeping our children right here at home," Davenport said. "Too many of our children are leaving once they attend some of the best universities in the United States and we need to change that."
Dyer takes a more broad approach. "Being mayor you have to have a wider focus," he said. "It's about taking care of all problems, even the small ones. It's about taking care of the mom and pop places."
Both candidates say they want to address issues like flooding. "The differences are less than our similarities," said Davenport.
Both also say a recent disparity study shows the city needs to work on its perception. The study found that minorities and women receive fewer city contracts than white men.
"The results showed several things. One: they showed that we need some work in the area of making sure that we promote women owned and minority owned contracting," Davenport said.
"Right now, we've got the perception that there's an unlevel playing field," said Dyer. "We have to change that corporate culture."
Now with six days to go until Election Day, the candidates are making their final push. "It's like running a marathon on a treadmill," said Dyer.
Whoever loses will give up his city council seat.
In addition, residents will vote in the Bayside, Beach, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne, and Centerville Districts. They'll also pick two At Large members.
