Mayoral elections in Syracuse, New York
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elections are held in Syracuse, New York, to choose the city's mayor. Currently, these elections are regularly scheduled to be held once every four years, with the elections taking place in the off-year immediately after United States presidential election years. The current mayor of Syracuse is Sharon Owens, who assumed office in 2026.
Elections before 2009
2009
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November 3, 2009
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The 2009 Syracuse mayoral election was held on November 3, 2009. The incumbent mayor, Democrat Matt Driscoll, was term limited. Democrat Stephanie Miner defeated Republican Steve Kimatian, 50%-39%, and Conservative Party of New York candidate Otis Jennings finished a distant 3rd, with 10% of the vote.[1] Miner became the city's first female leader.[2]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Alfonso Davis – Democratic political consultant
- Carmen Harlow – former Syracuse Department of Public Works deputy commissioner
- Stephanie Miner, Syracuse Common Councilor-at-Large[3]
- Joe Nicoletti – business development consultant, former New York State Assemblyman and Syracuse Common Councilor
Withdrew
- Bethaida González, Syracuse Common Council President. Dropped out of race prior to primary.[4]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stephanie Miner | 4,040 | 44.4 | |
| Democratic | Joe Nicoletti | 3,240 | 35.6 | |
| Democratic | Alfonso Davis | 1,021 | 11.2 | |
| Democratic | Carmen Harlow | 793 | 8.7 | |
| Majority | 800 | 8.8 | ||
| Turnout | 9,094 | 100 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Otis Jennings
- Steve Kimatian, former general counsel to Newport Television, former regional vice-president of Clear Channel Television, former television personality with Syracuse ABC-affiliate WSYR-TV
Results
Steve Kiatian defeated Otis Jennings. Jennings had carried the endorsement of the local Republican Party organization.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Steve Kimatian | 1,645 | 56.4 | |
| Republican | Otis Jennings | 1,271 | 43.5 | |
| Majority | 374 | 12.9 | ||
| Turnout | 2,916 | 100 | ||
Conservative nomination
- Otis Jennings, after receiving an overwhelming endorsement from the Syracuse Republican Party, Jennings lost in the September primary for the Republican nomination.[3] Days after the primary, he decided to continue campaigning, and received the nomination from the Conservative Party of New York.[5]
General election
The general election took place on November 3, 2009.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stephanie Miner | 10,904 | 46.3% | |
| Working Families | Stephanie Miner | 916 | 3.9% | |
| Total | Stephanie Miner | 11,820 | 50.2% | |
| Republican | Steve Kimatian | 7,860 | 33.4% | |
| Independence | Steve Kimatian | 1,377 | 5.8% | |
| Total | Steve Kimatian | 9,237 | 39.2% | |
| Conservative | Otis Jennings | 2,448 | 10.4% | |
| Write-ins | 55 | 0.2% | ||
| Majority | 2,583 | 11% | ||
| Turnout | 23,560 | 100% | ||
2013
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November 5, 2013
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The 2013 Syracuse mayoral election was held on November 5, 2013, in Syracuse, New York. The incumbent mayor, Democrat Stephanie Miner, ran for re-election. She defeated Conservative candidate Ian Hunter and Green Party candidate Kevin Bott, winning 68% of the vote.[7][8] The Republican Party did not field a candidate in this election, the first time in over a century that a Syracuse mayor ran unopposed by a major party candidate.[9]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Stephanie Miner – incumbent mayor[10]
- Alfonso Davis – political consultant and candidate in the 2009 mayoral election[11]
- Patrick Hogan – common councilor[12]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stephanie Miner (incumbent) | 3,860 | 54.04% | |
| Democratic | Patrick Hogan | 2,047 | 28.66% | |
| Democratic | Alfonso Davis | 1,221 | 17.09% | |
| Write-ins | 15 | 0.21% | ||
| Majority | 1,813 | 25.38% | ||
| Turnout | 7,143 | 100% | ||
Other nominations
Conservative
- Ian Hunter – project manager
Hunter collected signatures to run on the Republican line but was kept off of the ballot by the efforts of the Onondaga Republican Party chairman.[14]
Green
- Kevin Bott – non-profit director[15]
General election results
The general election took place on November 5, 2013.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stephanie Miner (incumbent) | 9,805 | 60.73% | |
| Independence | Stephanie Miner (incumbent) | 617 | 3.82% | |
| Working Families | Stephanie Miner (incumbent) | 578 | 3.58% | |
| Total | Stephanie Miner (incumbent) | 11,000 | 68.13% | |
| Conservative | Ian Hunter | 2,489 | 15.42% | |
| Green | Kevin Bott | 2,405 | 14.90% | |
| Write-ins | 252 | 1.56% | ||
| Majority | 8,511 | 52.71% | ||
| Turnout | 16,146 | 100% | ||
2017
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November 7, 2017
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 Results by ward Walsh: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Williams: 40–50% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||||
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The 2017 mayoral election in Syracuse, New York was held on November 7, 2017, and resulted in the election of Ben Walsh, an independent, to his first term as mayor.[17]
Background
Incumbent mayor Stephanie Miner, a member of the Democratic Party, was first elected in 2009 and was re-elected in 2013, but was term limited in 2017.[18][19] Syracuse last elected a Republican Party mayor in 1997, and in the 2013 election Republicans did not field a candidate.[20]
Democratic primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Juanita Perez Williams | 4,421 | 51.72% | |
| Democratic | Joe Nicoletti | 2,958 | 34.60% | |
| Democratic | Martin Masterpole | 828 | 9.69% | |
| Write-ins | 341 | 3.99% | ||
| Total votes | 8,548 | 100% | ||
General election
Five candidates appeared on the general election ballot: Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins, who had run for office 20 times since 1991; Democratic Party nominee Juanita Perez Williams, the city's former corporation counsel; Independence Party, Reform Party and Upstate Jobs Party nominee Ben Walsh, a business development director and the son of U.S. Representative James T. Walsh; Republican nominee Laura Lavine, a former Lafayette School District superintendent; and Working Families Party nominee Joe Nicoletti, who remained on the Working Families party line after unsuccessfully seeking the Democratic nomination and did not campaign.[20][22][23][24][25][26] City auditor Martin Masterpole also sought the Democratic nomination.[27]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | Ben Walsh | 12,351 | 48.38% | |
| Reform/Upstate Jobs | Ben Walsh | 1,233 | 4.83% | |
| Total | Ben Walsh | 13,584 | 53.21% | |
| Democratic | Juanita Perez Williams | 9,701 | 38.00% | |
| Green | Howie Hawkins | 1,017 | 4.02% | |
| Republican | Laura B. Lavine | 673 | 2.64% | |
| Working Families | Joe Nicoletti | 305 | 1.19% | |
| Write-ins | 25 | 0.10% | ||
| Total votes | 25,555 | 100% | ||
| Independent gain from Democratic | ||||
2021
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November 2, 2021
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 Results by ward Walsh: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Bey: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Syracuse mayoral election of 2021 was held November 2, 2021. Incumbent Independent mayor Ben Walsh was seeking re-election to a second term in office.[29] The local committees of the Democratic, Republican, Conservative, and Working Families parties each endorsed a candidate, however the candidates who did not receive their party's endorsement could force a primary if they wished.[30][31][32]
Background
In 2017, incumbent Democratic mayor Stephanie Miner was term limited and could not seek reelection. Ben Walsh won the race to succeed her, defeating Democrat Juanita Perez Williams.[33] Walsh comes from a family of Republican politicians. He is the son of Jim Walsh, former U.S. Representative from New York's 25th congressional district, and the grandson of William Walsh, former U.S. representative from New York's 33rd congressional district and former Mayor of Syracuse.[34] However, Walsh himself is registered as an Independent, and was the first Independent elected mayor of Syracuse in 104 years.[33] Walsh ran on three ballot lines: Independence, Reform, and a new line that he created for himself, Upstate Jobs. When Walsh confirmed that he would seek re-election, he did not clarify which lines he would campaign under.[29]
Walsh sought the endorsement of the Working Families Party, one of four parties that surpassed the threshold for automatic ballot access in the 2020 presidential election (the other three are the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and the Conservative Party), but did not receive it.[32][35][36] He has received the nomination of the Independence Party, but will need to collect 1,500 signatures in order to ensure that the Independence line will be on the 2021 ballot.[37][38] On May 25, 2021, Walsh submitted 2,538 signatures to create a dedicated party ballot line.[39]
Democratic primary
The Onondaga County Democratic Committee endorsed Greene on February 17, 2021. 58% of the committee's members voted for Greene, while 42% voted for Bey. However, Bey chose to continue his candidacy and force a primary.[40][41][42]
Candidates
Declared
- Khalid Bey, President pro tempore of the Syracuse common council[43][44]
- Michael Greene, at-large common councilor (endorsed by committee)[45][40][41]
Declined
- Yusuf Abdul-Qadir, director of the New York Civil Liberties Union[45]
- Latoya Allen, common councillor (endorsed Bey)[46][47]
- Patrick Hogan, common councillor (endorsed Bey)[46][48]
- Marty Masterpole, Onondaga County Comptroller, former Syracuse City Auditor, and candidate for mayor in 2017[45][49]
- Tim Rudd, director of the Syracuse Office of Management and Budget and former at-large common councillor[45][50]
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of May 21, 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Total raised | |
| Khalid Bey | $25,716 | |
| Michael Greene | $87,470 | |
| [51] | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Khalid Bey | 2,720 | 49.9% | |
| Democratic | Michael Greene | 2,674 | 49.0% | |
| Write-in | 62 | 1.1% | ||
| Total votes | 5,456 | 100.0% | ||
Republican primary
The Syracuse Republican Committee endorsed Burman as its mayoral candidate on January 21.[30] However, despite receiving her party's endorsement, Burman did not officially declare her candidacy until March 10. Babilon entered the race on March 1, declaring his intent to force a primary against Burman. The primary was held on June 22.[52][53]
Candidates
Declared
- Thomas Babilon, attorney, former member of the Syracuse corporation counsel, and Libertarian candidate for the Syracuse common council in 2019[52]
- Janet Burman, economist, former chair of the Syracuse Republican Committee and the Onondaga County Republican Party, and nominee for District 53 of the New York Senate in 2018 (endorsed by committee)[30][31][53]
Declined
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of May 21, 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Total raised | |
| Thomas Babilon | $7,555 | |
| Janet Burman | $6,903 | |
| [51] | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Janet Burman | 499 | 66.6% | |
| Republican | Thomas Babilon | 235 | 31.4% | |
| Write-in | 15 | 2.0% | ||
| Total votes | 749 | 100.0% | ||
Conservative endorsement
The Conservative Party endorsed Burman as its mayoral candidate.[52]
Endorsed candidate
- Janet Burman, economist, former chair of the Syracuse Republican Committee and the Onondaga County Republican Party, and nominee for District 53 of the New York Senate in 2018[b][30][31][52]
Nominees/endorsements of parties without automatic ballot access
Independence Party
The Independence Party endorsed Walsh as its mayoral candidate on February 24. Because the party lost automatic ballot access in the 2020 presidential election, On May 25, 2021, Walsh submitted 2,538 signatures to create a dedicated party ballot line.[39]
Endorsed candidate
Working Families endorsement
The Syracuse Working Families Committee chose not to endorse any candidate in the mayoral election, meaning that its ballot line would go unfilled.[36]
Endorsed candidate
- None[36]
Not endorsed
General election
Fundraising
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | Ben Walsh (incumbent) | 12,013 | 59.6% | |
| Democratic | Khalid Bey | 5,520 | 27.4% | |
| Republican | Janet Burman | 1,786 | 8.9% | |
| Conservative | Janet Burman | 567 | 2.8% | |
| Total | Janet Burman | 2,353 | 11.7% | |
| Write-in | 57 | 0.3% | ||
| Total votes | 20,163 | 100% | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
Campaign websites
2025
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November 4, 2025
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The 2025 Syracuse mayoral election was held on November 4, 2025. The incumbent mayor, independent Ben Walsh, was term limited and not eligible for reelection.[56] Deputy Mayor Democrat Sharon Owens won the election in a landslide, receiving 74% of the vote,[57] defeating Republican Thomas Babilon, Independent Alfonso Davis, and Independent Tim Rudd. She is the first Black American to become mayor of Syracuse.
Democratic primary
Declared
- Sharon Owens, deputy mayor[58]
- Patrick Hogan, common councilor and candidate for mayor in 2013[59]
- Chol Majok, common councilor[60]
Disqualified
Declined
- Tim Rudd, former at-large common councilor (running as an independent)[61]
Endorsements
- State legislators
- Rachel May, state senator from the 48th district (2019–present)[62]
- Local officials
- Anthony Davis, superintendent of the Syracuse City School District[61]
- Michael Monds, Chief of the Syracuse Fire Department[63]
- Ben Walsh, mayor of Syracuse (2018–present) (Independent)[61]
- Individuals
- Ana Maria Archila, activist and co-director of the New York Working Families Party[62]
- Party chapters
- Labor unions
- Organizations
- State legislators
- Pamela Hunter, Speaker pro tempore of the New York State Assembly (2025–present) from the 128th district (2015–present)[61]
- Bill Magnarelli, state assemblymember from the 129th district (1999–present)[61]
- Chris Ryan, state senator from the 50th district (2025–present)[61]
- Local officials
- Tamica Barnett, president of the Syracuse City School District board of education[61]
- Rasheada Caldwell, at-large common councilor[61]
- Helen Hudson, president of the Syracuse common council[61]
- Party chapters
- Onondaga County Democratic Committee[67]
- Syracuse Democrats[61]
- Local officials
- Gwendolyn Raeford, Syracuse City School District board of education commissioner[61]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sharon Owens | 4,711 | 62.32% | |
| Democratic | Patrick Hogan | 1,723 | 22.79% | |
| Democratic | Chol Majok | 1,115 | 14.75% | |
| Write-in | 10 | 0.13% | ||
| Total votes | 7,559 | 100% | ||
Republican nomination
Nominee
Withdrew
Endorsements
- Party chapters
- Onondaga County Republican Committee[69]
Independents
Declared
General Election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sharon Owens | 14,265 | 73.8% | |
| Republican | Thomas Babilon | 3,603 | 18.6% | |
| Independent | Alfonso Davis | 700 | 3.6% | |
| Independent | Timothy Rudd | 630 | 3.3% | |
| Write-in | 127 | 0.7% | ||
| Total votes | 19,325 | 100% | ||
External links
- Official campaign websites
Notes
- Candidate is an Independent, but can still receive any party's nomination thanks to New York's electoral fusion system.
- Candidate is a member of the Republican Party, but can still seek any party's nomination thanks to New York's electoral fusion system.
- Candidate is a member of the Democratic Party, but can still seek any party's nomination thanks to New York's electoral fusion system.