Rochester businessman, Alex White, has officially put his hat in the ring for the mayoral race.
At a news conference Thursday, White said he will run on the Green Party line and also hopes to join the lineup of big name Democratic candidates. But there's a problem with that. Because he is a registered member of the Green Party, he would need the permission of the Chair of the Monroe County Democratic Committee to run in the Democratic Primary, and Chair Jamie Romeo says she is not inclined to grant that permission, especially with three candidates already planning to run in that primary.
Monroe County Legislator and former RPD Chief James Sheppard is seeking the nomination as is former TV journalist Rachel Barnhart. Incumbent Mayor Lovely Warren hasn't announced yet, but is expected to run again.
“I’m doing this because we deserve better,” he said. “To make this happen, we need to stop electing the same people with the same failed ideas.”
White ran unsuccessful bids for mayor on the Green Party line in 2011 and again in 2013. During those campaigns, he focused on the city’s challenges and his “progressive ideas to transform the city.”
He’s taking a similar approach this time around. White rattled off a populist platform, spoke out against subsidies for wealthy developers, and about healing the racial divide.
“Despite years of effort Blacks and Latinos continue to have higher unemployment rate, lower school graduation rates, and suffer more police brutality,” White said.
