The makeup of the Rochester City Council will remain largely intact after Tuesday's election, with just one seat slated to change hands.
The bulk of challenges for four City Council seats occurred during June's Democratic primary election, and the incumbents prevailed in three of them. One incumbent, Councilmember Jose Peo, did not seek re-election.
In the general election, the Northwest and East districts were unopposed. In the South and Northeast District, incumbents fended off mostly symbolic challenges from candidates on the Working Families Party line who had been defeated in the Democratic primary.
All elected seats will be taken on Jan. 1.
Northwest District
Bridget Monroe will take the Northwest District seat on Council, replacing single-term Councilmember Jose Peo, who declined to run for a second term.
Monroe ran unopposed in the general election, having trounced former County Legislator Frank Keophetlasy in the Democratic primary election.
She is a longtime resident of the Maplewood neighborhood, a former City Council staffer, and, since 2018, the secretary to Democratic Brighton Town Supervisor Bill Moehle.
On the campaign, Monroe positioned herself as a proponent of stable housing initiatives and approaching public safety based on "community-oriented policing."
South District
LaShay Harris has secured a second term in the South District, having soundly defeated challenger Barbara Rivera.
With all districts reporting, Harris had 79% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Monroe County Board of Elections.
Harris has served on the City Council since 2019, when she was appointed to fill a seat vacated by Adam McFadden as he pleaded guilty to fraud charges.
She serves as chair of Council's Recreation and Human Services Committee, and has marked her time in office by advocating for youth services and more investment in public safety. Harris works as the coordinator of the Career Pathways to Public Safety Program at the Rochester City School District.
Harris won the Democratic ballot line over Rivera in June's primary election. Rivera ran in the general election on the Working Families Party line, garnering 20% of the vote.
Northeast District
Councilmember Mike Patterson will serve another term on City Council after trouncing his opponent, Chiara "KeeKee" Smith.
With all districts reporting in, Patterson had 81% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Monroe County Board of Elections.
Patterson is the longest-serving member on Council, having first been appointed in 2013 to fill the seat vacated by Lovely Warren as she took the mayor's office.
A longtime fixture in local politics, Patterson previously served as the 29th District representative in the Monroe County Legislature, which encompasses the same area as the Northeast District.
In recent years, Patterson has marked himself as an outspoken critic of changes to state criminal justice reform laws that relaxed bail standards. He has regularly called on the state to modify the Bail Elimination Act of 2019 and similar laws, which he believes are contributing to a local crime spike.
Smith, a first-time candidate, lost to Patterson in June's primary, and remounted a challenge under the Working Families Party line in the general election. She ended the race with 18% of the vote.
A native of the 14621 section of the city, among the poorest neighborhoods in the state, Smith is the founder of 14621 Food Stands, an effort to distribute healthy food to the area's youth.
Smith ran with support of the People's Slate, a leftist political coalition with socialist leanings.
East District
Council Vice President Mary Lupien will hold a second term on Council, having run unopposed in the general election.
Lupien faced a challenge in the Democratic primary from school teacher Paul Conrow. Her win with 57.7% of the vote was the narrowest victory among the Council primary races.
First elected in 2019, Lupien has become a stalwart and vocal progressive figure on the City Council.
Her positions include reinvesting portions of the Rochester Police Department budget into social and mental health services, stronger tenant protections and housing investment, and positioning Council as a stronger check-and-balance to the mayoral administration.
She was appointed by her fellow lawmakers to serve as Council vice president in 2022.
