Rochester’s Deputy Mayor James Smith was sworn in as Mayor Thursday morning, replacing former Mayor Lovely Warren who resigned her post as part of a plea deal.
Smith becomes Rochester’s first openly gay mayor, and also Rochester’s first mayor with COVID. He took the oath of office over a ZOOM meeting because he’s quarantined until this weekend and working from home.
Smith says he had a rough couple of days with COVID but generally had mild symptoms, which he and his doctor attribute to his having been vaccinated.