Former Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren announced Monday she is running for Rochester City Court Judge.
Warren is gathering petition signatures to mount a Democratic primary challenge against Michael Geraci. Both are lawyers. Geraci is the party’s designated candidate.
City Court judges are elected to 10-year terms and preside over both criminal and civil matters.
Warren declined comment when reached by phone Monday morning by WXXI but later announced her campaign on the Bob Lonsberry Show, then in a Facebook post.
In the post, Warren framed her return to the elected arena on a platform of racial equity.
“The majority of people that are touched by the criminal justice sic (system) are black and brown people, and these are the folks that I have spent my entire career fighting for,” Warren wrote. “I understand the impact that the criminal justice system has on the accused and its impact on families. I have made my share of mistakes and as part of that there are many things that I regret but all of that has made me a better person, better mom and able to relate to victims and make sure the scales of justice balances for all.”
Warren first took elected office on the Rochester City Council in 2007. She rose to Council President before being elected mayor in 2014. She won re-election four years later.
Current Mayor Malik Evans defeated her in a 2021 primary. She resigned from the office a few months later as a condition of her plea to campaign finance and other misdemeanor charges.
While this is her first run for office since losing her mayorship, Warren hasn’t stayed out of politics. In September 2022, Warren was tapped to serve as the Democratic Committee Chair for Monroe County’s 22nd Legislative District.
The Democratic primary elections will take place on Tuesday, June 25.
