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Richard West

Republican · Mayor of Chesapeake · Virginia · Spectrum score +48

Mayor ·

Richard West is Mayor of Chesapeake in Virginia. Political positions and ideology score +48 (Right). Richard Wayne "Rick" West is a politician currently serving as the mayor of Chesapeake, Virginia.

Wikipedia: Background

Salary: —

Where Richard stands on the spectrum

Richard West scores +48 on Spectrum’s left–right line (right), right of center on the economy and conservative on social issues. The number is modeled from twelve issue positions and the public record — not a poll and not a party label.

Composite +48 · Right · economic +49 · social +46 · authoritarian +26

Confidence 68. How we calculate scores →

Background & record

Richard Wayne "Rick" West is a politician currently serving as the mayor of Chesapeake, Virginia. Prior to assuming the office of mayor in November 2017, he served as a member of the city council for ten years. West also served as a public school administrator for over 20 years.

Local file. No DW-NOMINATE, no STOCK Act table. The score is a party-and-record estimate. Contact is from the public office listing.

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Implied probability from open contracts. Real money, not a poll. Updates while you sit here.

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Issue detail

−100 left pole · +100 right pole

Economic: +49
Social: +46
Authoritarian: +26
Confidence: 68

Taxes & spending+54
Lower taxes, smaller fiscal footprint
Health care+42
Private insurance markets, fewer mandates
Climate & energy+48
Energy abundance, fewer climate mandates
Business regulation+52
Deregulation and lighter administrative state
Labor & wages+44
Flexible labor markets, right-to-work
Immigration+46
Tighter borders, more deportations
Abortion+48
Restrictions or bans, fetal personhood
Guns+56
Broad Second Amendment, fewer federal limits
Crime & policing+50
More policing, longer sentences, less bail reform
Schools & speech+46
Choice, against gender/DEI curricula
Defense & alliances+58
Hard power, high defense spending, deterrence
Civil liberties+30
Order, platform / campus / speech restrictions for security or morality

No roll-call first dimension on file — issues only.

Compass

Auth · leftAuth · rightLib · leftLib · rightAuthoritarianLibertarianEconomic leftEconomic right

Sources

Ballotpedia, mayors of the 100 largest cities, August 2026
en.wikipedia.org
Local contact is from the public office listing. Scores are modeled, not a roll-call.