There’s at least one option for Syracuse voters when it comes to who will fill the mayor’s office – reelect Mayor Stephanie Miner.
Stephanie Miner
But just because Miner lacks a challenger as of March 30, it doesn’t mean she has a free pass at reelection.
“It’s way too early to say she doesn’t have a challenger,” said Grant Reeher, a political science professor at Syracuse University.
In January, Miner, a Democrat, announced she would run for a second term. As of March 30, no other candidates had declared that they would run against Miner.
But fellow Democrat Pat Hogan has told The Post-Standard he is considering running. Hogan is the Syracuse Common Councilor from District 2, which includes the Lake Front and West Side. He cannot seek reelection to that office because councilors’ terms are limited to eight years in the same position. Hogan did not respond to interview requests for this story.
For the Republican Party, no challengers have come forward for the mayor’s office. Tom Dadey, chairman for the Onondaga County Republican Party, did not respond to interview requests for this story.
More than half of the registered voters in Syracuse are Democrats, according to the Onondaga County Board of Elections.
The election is Nov. 5, 2013.
In the 2009 election, Miner won her first term in office when she defeated Republican Steve Kimatian, becoming Syracuse’s first female leader. Kimatian has said he will not run again for mayor. Syracuse mayors serve four years with an annual salary of $115,000.
Miner previously worked as an attorney in Syracuse. She began her political career in 2001 when she was elected to the Syracuse Common Council. Miner is also co-chair of the New York Democratic Party.
The Miner for Mayor campaign account has raised just over $188,000, according to reports filed with the New York State Board of Elections in January. In January, Miner also held a winter ball where she raised more money. But those donations will not be reported until July.
Even without a challenger, the Miner campaign remains focused on engaging the voters and their concerns, said Kyle Madden, campaign manager for Miner. “Regardless of who may challenge the mayor, she is committed to running a campaign that highlights her record of accomplishment and outlines her plan for the next four years,” Madden said in an email interview.
Among her accomplishments in office, Madden cited overhauling the city’s permitting process, expanding the Say Yes to Education program and downtown redevelopment projects that turn Syracuse into “a 21st Century city.”
Miner’s biggest challenge for the future of Syracuse is the city’s ongoing financial troubles, Madden said.
The city is struggling with an estimated outstanding debt of $292 million, a poverty rate of 25.6 percent and unemployment at 9.8 percent, according to Syracuse’s 2013 fiscal profile. In addition, state aid to Syracuse has decreased by $43.7 between fiscal year 2008-2009 and 2012-2013.
Miner has spoken out against Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to allow local governments to borrow from the state pension fund to cover rising retirement costs. Miner said the plan relies too much on borrowing.
In response to Syracuse’s financial woes, Miner has developed relationships with business professionals, community leaders and other elected officials to investigate ways to improve the city’s financial situation, said Madden, Miner’s campaign manager.
Despite the troubles facing Syracuse, the public appears generally pleased with the job Miner is doing, said Reeher, the political science professor at SU. “Voters are aware of the extent of the challenges that the city is facing,” Reeher said.
And those challenges facing the city could be a reason why no challengers have come forward, he added. Said Reeher: “This is just not the time when a lot of folks are chomping at the bit to be the mayor of Syracuse.”
(Dara McBride is a senior with dual majors in business management and newspaper journalism.)
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