CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Richmond mayor Levar Stoney has dropped out of the race for Virginia's next governor. He was one of two Democrats running.

Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger is the only Democrat in the running as of Stoney's announcement. J. Miles Coleman with the UVA Center for Politics says that while this move may not guarantee Spanberger's nomination, he would be surprised if she does not secure it.

"These days, I hate to use the word 'inevitable' in politics because we are in the age of Trump," said Coleman.

Stoney announced his decision in a social media post on Tuesday.

"I believe that the best way to ensure all Virginia families get the change they deserve is for our party to come together, avoid a costly and damaging primary, and for me to run instead for lieutenant governor," he said.

Stoney entered the primary in December. But Coleman said Spanberger beat him to it.

"Spanberger got in early and seemed to kind of outmaneuver everyone else. It was just hard to really follow that," he said. "She really sucked up a lot of the endorsements, a lot of the donors."

In a statement, Spanberger's campaign says, "Virginians are uniting behind Abigail Spanberger's campaign to serve as the next governor of Virginia because they know she has the experience to bring people together, get things done, and lead the Commonwealth forward."

Despite Stoney's decision, Coleman says never to rule out another Democrat from entering the primary.

"But they would basically run into the same problems that Stoney did," he said.

According to ballotpedia.org, one Republican from Virginia Beach has declared his candidacy. Coleman expects the governor's race to be competitive in the 2025 general election.