Goldman, a 62-year-old lawyer and longtime Democratic political strategist, said he's trying to get his message out as best as he can, knowing he won't be able to match the expensive media blitzes of some of his opponents.

"I have to push my issues," he said.

Goldman is an acknowledged underdog in the five-way race for mayor but suggests he has earned a serious look from voters.

At every opportunity, he reminds listeners that it was his shoe-leather work during a 2003 petition drive that led to Richmonders being able to directly elect their mayor.

He also notes that he has defied political odds before, helping Wilder on his rise from state senator to lieutenant governor in 1985 and to become the nation's first elected black governor in 1989.

"I think it's time," Goldman said of his candidacy. "Why not get a mayor who knows how to make a difference? When people wanted change, I stood for change."

Goldman parlayed his work for the at-large mayor and Wilder's mayoral campaign into a full-time job at City Hall as Wilder's senior policy adviser. He resigned in early 2006 after being suspended for doing paid political consulting work without city permission.

Goldman received a $15,000 fee from then-Lt. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's gubernatorial campaign three days after Wilder gave Kaine a last-minute endorsement in 2005.

In an interview, Goldman would not elaborate on his departure from City Hall, saying only that he followed the city's rules and was not asked to resign.

As Wilder's adviser, Goldman pushed various initiatives, including the now largely stalled City of the Future plan to reinvest in schools and other public facilities.

He also was on the front line as the city administration challenged the original plan for a downtown arts center -- a city-supported project that was scaled back at Wilder's insistence and is now scheduled to reopen in about a year.

As a candidate, Goldman has kept up the pressure, objecting to the city's commitment to pay as much as $500,000 annually to help operate the Richmond CenterStage arts center and the Landmark Theater.

Goldman says it's positions such as that and his opposition to the proposed Echo Harbour condominium project on the James River that distinguish him from his opponents. "They're not independent voices," he said. "They don't have a record of being out there in the forefront of change."

Dr. Joe Niamtu, who lives in South Richmond, said he's undecided in the mayoral race but impressed by Goldman's record and priorities. Niamtu, who has two sons with cerebral palsy, said he especially likes Goldman's support for making schools more accommodating to students who are physically and mentally disabled.

"We worry about so many elective and recreational things . . . that should take a backseat to the basic needs of citizens, especially citizens who can't stand up for themselves," Niamtu said.

The mayoral race marks Goldman's second bid for city office. In 2006, he finished second in a five-person race to fill the council's open 1st District seat.

Goldman is running on a shoestring, having raised $3,500 from three donors through mid-July. He said he's earning a living as a lawyer and has set aside his political-consulting work.

Goldman has said he would serve only one term if elected and that he views the job of mayor as a service position. He's promising to cut city bureaucracy and taxes and to be an independent, unifying figure.

"When I've been given opportunities to put together coalitions, I've been pretty successful," he said. "The key is the mayor has to be independent."
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or wjones@timesdispatch.com.

Paul Goldman

Age: 62
Employment: lawyer, political consultant
Notable: directed L. Douglas Wilder's campaigns for lieutenant governor, governor and mayor; ran a petition drive to have Richmond hold a referendum on switching to a mayor at-large system of government; was chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia; worked as senior policy adviser to Mayor Wilder

Candidate profiles

Coming profiles of Richmond's mayoral candidates:
Robert J. Grey Jr.: Thursday
Dwight Clinton Jones: Sept. 9
William J. Pantele: Sept. 11
Lawrence E. Williams Sr.: Sept. 16