Saying she doesn’t believe her work is done, Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren announced for re-election Monday evening before a crowd packed into Brue Coffee on Genesee Street.
Mayor Warren says that work has included making Rochester a Sanctuary City, pushing for a higher minimum wage and fighting for city families and neighborhoods. She says over the last four years jobs are up, crime is down and more millenials are choosing Rochester as a place to live.
Mayor Warren is entering into a three-way, and possibly a four-way contest for the Democratic nomination. Monroe County legislator and former Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard and former news anchor Rachel Barnhart are also running. Green Party candidate Alex White has indicated he may also seek the Democratic nomination.
Barnhart and Sheppard immediately fired off statements, Barnhart saying she welcomes Warren to the race and hopes both her opponents will offer serious plans to reduce poverty and grow the city’s economy.
Sheppard says he welcomes a chance for serious discussion about the city’s future and adds that city government is floundering on issues including police and community relations.