In his first run for political office, Green Party candidate Kevin Bott has lost the Syracuse mayor’s race.
“On one hand, I feel hopeful because I got to speak with people in the city about what’s going on,” Bott said. “And on the other hand, I feel even more strongly that we are in a crisis in our democracy.”
At 11 p.m., with 100 percent of the votes counted, the unofficial results showed that Bott received 2,305 votes, or 15 percent. Incumbent mayor and Democrat Stephanie Miner’s unofficial total was 10,312 votes — 68 percent — at the end of the night, followed by Conservative Party candidate Ian Hunter with 2,352 votes, or 15.5 percent.
Bott announced his campaign seven weeks ago. On Election Night, he said he is proud of what he accomplished in that time. Regret is not part of his repertoire, he said.
“This was my first time at the rodeo,” he said. “I’m proud of what we did. It was exciting.”
About 40 Green Party members gathered at the Westcott Community Center, at 826 Euclid Ave. Surrounded by green streamers and candidate lawn signs, party-goers sipped beer and munched on chicken gumbo brought in from the Southside. It was an intimate night for a tightly knit party.
Howie Hawkins, candidate for Common Council in District 4, said he was grateful for Bott’s campaign. Hawkins has been running on the Green Party ticket for years. To have some new faces on the campaign line, he said, gives the Green Party strength.
“People begin to realize it’s a movement, not just one guy trying to get into office,” Hawkins said.
Ursula Rozum, campaign manager for Hawkins and Green Party congressional candidate in 2012, said she is upset to see Bott lose. But, she said, it’s more exciting to see the teamwork and community that’s formed as a result of the Green Party movement.
She was happy to see Bott join the mayoral race, she said. His likable personality and energy has brought a lot of supporters to the Green Party, she said.
“Kevin’s such a powerful and effective messenger that all of a sudden, the same people that might have been hearing us are reacting. They’re like, ‘Yeah, I want to be part of this.’”
Bott faced an uphill battle in this race. Green Party voters are a distinct minority in the city of Syracuse. Of 71,014 registered voters in the city, the Green Party has 381 supporters or 0.53 percent. By comparison, the Democratic Party has 38,813 registered voters — or 55 percent — and the Conservative Party has 665 — or 0.9 percent.
In fundraising, as of Oct. 24, Bott’s campaign had raised about $2,691. He spent about $1,937 on campaign supplies, leaving him with $750 on hand. In comparison, Miner had about $166,144 in her campaign fund. Hunter, the Conservative candidate, did not file any campaign finance reports.
Bott is a New Jersey native who grew up studying and working in educational theater. After graduating with a master’s degree from New York University, Bott worked with male and female inmates at various prisons.
Now, he is the leader of the D.R.E.A.M. Freedom Revival, a political theater company he created in 2011. The performance group writes and performs songs and shows that highlight issues such as education. Bott is also the associate director of Imagining America, a collection of colleges and universities that create programs to engage artists and students to take action within their communities.
At the polls on Tuesday, Green Party candidates won some praise for their views on the environment.
At the Elmcrest Children’s Center polling location, Michelle Frankel, 63, said she voted for Bott. “Syracuse city has a lot of green initiatives, and I would like to see a mayor that really focuses more on that,” Frankel said.
But at Edward Smith Elementary, voters leaned more toward incumbent Miner. Paul Aviles, 61, said he voted for Miner because he liked what’s she’s done, especially her collaboration with Onondaga County and County Executive Joanie Mahonie.
For his part, in a few years — if the city is still standing, Bott joked — he said he would run for mayor againHe’s learned a lot this time around, he said, and wants to continue being “a partner to the people.”
Come Wednesday, Bott said, he will return to his job and tell his children that their father won’t be mayor of Syracuse.
“I’ve told them that we want to help people,” Bott said, “that we’re in this because we believe in helping people.”
(Maddy Berner is a senior majoring in newspaper and online journalism and Spanish.)
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