City mayoral candidates fortify campaign efforts with race 2 months out
Since Syracuse Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens’ win in the democratic mayoral election, candidates for the position have bolstered campaign efforts. Patrick J. Hogan, who lost in the primary race, is considering a write-in campaign for the role. Lars Jendruschewitz | Senior Staff Photographer
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As the November general election nears, Syracuse mayoral candidates Sharon Owens, Alfonso Davis, Thomas Babilon and Tim Rudd are in their last two months of voter interaction and fundraising.
Syracuse Deputy Mayor Owens’ won the democratic mayoral primary election in June. In the following months, non-democratic candidates continued to campaign for the position, with several facing opposition from local leaders. Contenders are vocal on key issues surrounding safety and leadership.
Owens, a Syracuse University alumna, is running on a platform focused on public safety, financial sustainability and refining education and extracurricular programs for children, teens and young adults.
Alongside Owens, Republican candidate Babilon is running unopposed. Rudd, former city budget director, and Davis, a community activist, are running as independents.
Despite Rudd and Davis fulfilling the Onondaga County Board of Elections’ requirements for independent candidates, they’ve faced setbacks as Owens’ supporters have challenged their collected petition signatures. A successful challenge to the signatures would remove them from the ballot.
The lawsuit filed by Owens, intended to remove Rudd from the November ballot, was dismissed by State Supreme Court Justice Robert Antonacci on Monday. However, objections to Davis’s signatures have yet to be resolved, syracuse.com reported.
Since June, Owens has accepted several endorsements, including from the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Local 277 and the Syracuse Teachers Association. Most recently, Owens accepted an endorsement from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
“Sharon Owens has the experience, integrity, and fiscal responsibility Syracuse needs right now. She understands that every tax dollar must be spent wisely, and she has the leadership skills to work with the state and local partners,” DiNapoli said in the endorsement.
Additionally, the November ballot includes two legislative seats for Syracuse councilors at-large. Hanah Ehrenreich and Rasheada Caldwell won the democratic primary in June with 31% and 37% of the vote, respectively.
As no republicans or independent candidates ran for the seats, Ehrenreich and Bloodworth have no opposition in the general election and will likely win the seats by default, according to syracuse.com.
In February, the Onondaga County Democratic Committee endorsed 2nd District Common Councilor Patrick Hogan for mayor, rivaling Owens, making him the committee’s third consecutive designee to lose the primaries. The OCDC plans to work with Owens for the general election, Central Current reported.
Despite his loss in June, Hogan refuses to endorse Owens, telling syracuse.com, “There’s less than zero percent of that.” Although undecided, he is considering a write-in campaign.
In a July press release, OCDC Chair Max Ruckdeschel urged Hogan to end his campaign, saying “the voters chose a different path,” and the primary results should be respected as the November election nears.
Syracuse Common Councilor At-Large Chol Majok, who also ran in the primaries, conceded to Owens on the night of the election. While recognizing her win, he explained he didn’t lose because “in the process to get here, we gained more than we lost,” syracuse.com reported.
Democrats currently hold a 53% majority of the voter registration in Syracuse, with almost every mayor since 2005 being a member of the Democratic Party. Current Mayor Ben Walsh is the notable exception after securing wins in 2017 and 2021 on an independent line.
The 2025 general election will take place on November 4. Polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Early voting will begin on Oct. 25 through Nov. 2.
