Leaders rally around Ports Mayor Holley

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) - Community leaders rallied around embattled Portsmouth Mayor James Holley Wednesday, who is facing the second recall election of his career.

Last month, a judge certified more than 9,000 signatures from citizens asking him to step down. The mayor's supporters are urging voters to say 'no' to recalling him on July 13.

"July 13th, just vote no," said Mark Whitaker, a member of the Portsmouth School Board. He led a gathering Wednesday of the mayor's supporters at New Bethel Baptist Church.

And Holley was there too.

As the crowd listened, Whitaker called into question the motive of one of the leaders of the recall effort against Mayor Holley--Portsmouth resident Robert Marcus, who owns Bob's Gun shop in Norfolk.

"Mayor Holley's stance on gun control threatens the revenue of firearm dealers like Bob's Gun Shop," said Whitaker.

Marcus said gun sales have nothing to do with the push to remove Holley from office.

"I was approached by two city council members and two local businessmen who saw the recall campaign was floundering," he said.

Whitaker and others have also pointed to race as a motivating factor behind the recall effort.

"Do not allow yourselves to be bamboozled," Whitaker said. "Do not allow yourselves to be hoodwinked. Do not allow yourselves to be misguided. They are not concerned about this community."

Marcus maintains the color of the mayor's skin has nothing to do with it.

"It's not black and white," he said. "It's about competence."

"Bless his heart, the man is 83 years old and he's not as sharp as he used to be, and this is no disrespect to the mayor but sometimes it's time to move on."

In the end, it will be the voters who have the final say.

The Mayor was previously recalled from office in 1987 after he was implicated, but never convicted, in a hate mail campaign.