“I’m not going to worry about what my opponents might say,” Stoney said.

He cited the city’s low-performing schools as a major priority, adding that he was the first in his family to graduate high school.

“If it wasn’t for that ladder of opportunity and that foundation for success, I would never be here today announcing my candidacy for mayor of Richmond,” said Stoney, a native of Hampton Roads who lives in downtown Richmond.

In a news release, he pledged to be a “visible and transparent mayor” and said he would conduct a review and audit of all city departments within his first 100 days in office.

He also highlighted his work to restore the civil and voting rights of roughly 18,000 ex-offenders.

A former student-body president at James Madison University, Stoney started his career in Democratic politics as a fellow under former Gov. Mark R. Warner. In 2008, he became executive director of the Democratic Party of Virginia, and he went on to work for McAuliffe’s 2013 gubernatorial campaign.

Stoney joins a crowded mayoral field that dropped by one late Wednesday night as City Councilman Chris A. Hilbert announced he will seek re-election to his 3rd District Council seat rather than run for mayor.