Incumbent Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren announced her re-election bid yesterday.
She is the most vocal advocate for gun control outside the NYC metro area. Some examples:
- Mayor Warren Backs Movement To Ask Gun Manufacturers To Take More Action On Gun Safety
- Mayor Warren names June “Gun Violence Awareness Month”
- Mayor pushes national gun violence petition
- Mayor Warren joins faith leaders in encouragement of gun manufacturers to change their practices
There will likely be a Democrat primary for the nomination. Other declared candidates include:
- Monroe County Legislator and former police chief James Sheppard. Sheppard is antigun and has associated with New Yorkers Against Gun Violence in the past. See this endorsement letter for (former) Senator Ted O’Brien. Sheppard is quoted by the Times Union in an article on the SAFE Act:
“… Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard says guns like the AR-15 are just deadlier, period, and should be banned for the same reason that a kitchen knife is legal but a switchblade is not. “These rifles are basically replicas of military armament, and they are designed to efficiently kill people,” Sheppard said. “In civilian life, that’s not something you need or want.” …”
- TV journalist Rachel Barnhart. She has this position statement on her campaign website:
“… Stolen guns are often used in crimes in the city. The administration will secure funds for a public service campaign focused on educating the public about the need to secure their weapons. A possible slogan is, “Don’t be a victim that leads to another victim.” Proactively retrieve guns when people with pistol permits die and there is not a surviving family member with a permit …”
- Green Party activist Alex White. Not much on him other than this article in the D&C which addresses violence without more gun control.
White has run and lost several times for public office before and probably won’t accomplish much this time around either. That leaves Barnhart as the best of the bunch.