City Councilmember Mary Lupien has thrown her hat into the race for Rochester mayor.
Lupien, a social and emotional educator in the Rochester City School District, is part of the three-member progressive bloc on Council.
She is one of three candidates in the race, so far. Mayor Malik Evans announced his bid for a second term on Friday.
Lupien, 43, was first elected in 2019, representing the city’s east district, and quickly gained a reputation as one of the more outspoken members of Council. Lupien often clashes with other members on issues ranging from police funding to tenant rights issues.
She said that her motivation to run for the city’s highest office came from a belief the Evans administration has not gone far enough to address the root causes of various “crises” in the city. Among those are housing costs, youth violence, and mental health.
“So many of our institutions are failing, and we really need to think outside of the box in how we propose solutions to these really endemic problems,” Lupien said.
Among Lupien’s primary issues is a belief that recent city administrations have focused largely on major infrastructure projects meant to attract outside investment. She pointed to the Aqueduct Reimagined project as a prime example of misguided use of government funds.
That project plans to take the top off the Broad Street Bridge and convert it into a pedestrian promenade. The total cost of the still not fully funded project is estimated at $175 million.
“Why would a project like Aqueduct Reimagined be better for our city than giving direct resources to our families?” Lupien said. “I think that’s a fundamental difference, is that I want to focus on the people we have here now."
“I don’t think attracting people here will save us,” she continued. “When we have a thriving city, people will be naturally attracted to coming here.”
Lupien has not yet publicly announced her run for mayor but has begun circulating campaign literature among Monroe County Democratic Committees. She’s planning her campaign kickoff event for later this month.
Lupien will challenge Evans, 44, also a former City Councilmember, in the June Democratic primary. Shashi Sinha, 51, an IT executive making his first run for office, also will be on the mayoral primary ballot.
Evans, in a recent interview, said his administration has helped pull Rochester out of the pandemic era’s swath of issues.
“Through innovation and collaboration, we’ve been able to tackle some of Rochester’s most pressing issues,” Evans said, pointing to reduction violent crime, housing investment, and infrastructure projects as his chief accomplishments. “I was raised to finish what you start, and that is what I want to do.”
When asked what sets her apart, Lupien said it was her track record. Specifically, she pointed to the establishment of the Person in Crisis team and Advance Peace antiviolence initiative as two major public policies she played a hand in getting started.
“People have had the chance to see the kinds of policies that I’m promoting and the kinds of issues I care about,” Lupien said. “And that I have the courage to stand up, even when I’m the only one, even when there are consequences.”
Activist and artist Kelly Cheatle, who serves as Lupien’s legislative aide, will be vying for an at-large seat on City Council.
Meanwhile, an opposing slate of candidates for Council have thrown their hats into the ring, with the backing of Evans and the majority bloc of Council. Among them are real estate agent Niner Davis, Connected Communities Executive Director LaShunda Leslie-Smith, and president of the 19th Ward Community Association and County Executive Adam Bello staffer Josie McClary. All three are first-time candidates.