Rochester Mayor Malik Evans easily won a second term Tuesday, and City Council added two new members but remained solidly blue.
Evans, a Democrat, won with more than 85% of the vote, according to unofficial results with nearly all districts reporting, defeating Conservative Louis Sabo.
Chiara “Kee Kee” Smith and Lashunda Leslie-Smith will serve as the new at-large members of City Council — replacing Kim Smith and Willie Lightfoot, who did not seek re-election. Councilmembers Miguel Meléndez, Stanley Martin, and Mitch Gruber also won.
The results of Tuesday’s city election were largely a foregone conclusion. Smith, Meléndez, Martin, Gruber and Leslie-Smith had all won June’s Democratic primary election, rising to the top of a crowded field of candidates. The five at-large seats on the nine-member City Council represent the entire city.
The results mostly keep political dynamics in City Hall unchanged. “Kee Kee” Smith ran on the People’s Slate, a pool of Democratic Socialist-aligned candidates that also includes Martin and outgoing Councilmember Kim Smith. The People’s Slate candidates historically have caucused with Councilmember Mary Lupien, who unsuccessfully challenged Evans in June.
Leslie-Smith, meanwhile, ran on a slate that included Meléndez and Gruber.
“Kee Kee” Smith attracted the most votes of any candidate, with more than 15,100, according to unofficial results, followed by Martin, who topped 14,500.
Rochester Mayor (166 of 171 precincts reporting)
Malik Evans | Democratic — 86%
Louis Sabo | Conservative — 12%
Rochester City Council
Stanley Martin | Democratic, Working Families — 17%
Miguel Meléndez | Democratic — 15%
Lashunda C. Leslie-Smith | Democratic — 15%
Chiara “Kee Kee” Smith | Democratic, Working Families — 18%
Mitch Gruber | Democratic — 16%
Marcus C. Williams | Conservative — 3%
Victor H. Sanchez | Working Families — 6%
Kelly Cheatle | Working Families — 6%
David Sutliff-Atias | Green — 3%
