(Rochester, N.Y.) – The 1993 and 2005 races for Rochester mayor were crowded. Both races were decided in the Democratic primary, the heavily-Democratic city’s de facto election.
The next mayoral race could look very different. If City Council decides to replace Mayor Robert Duffy – who is running for lieutenant governor – in a special election, there would be no petitions and no primaries. Democratic Party leaders would choose the candidate who would appear on the party line in a special election that would be held early next year.
“The only place you get competition in Rochester is the Democratic primary,” said Jim Bowers, a St. John Fisher political science professor who has been active in Democratic politics. “If the city council went to a special election, the voters in Rochester basically have no choice.”
“It could be 3 men in a room. It could be 20 men in a room, some women in the room, who knows what kind of structure it's going to be?” said Anthony Plonczynski, the leader of one of the Democratic committees in the city. “It would shut out the community.”
Bowers said the “party elite” would be selecting the next mayor, assuming Democratic city voters repeat history and pull the lever for their party’s candidate. A Republican hasn’t been elected to a city office in decades.
City Council President Lovely Warren and Monroe County Democratic Committee Chairman Joe Morelle are in favor of a special election. They say it would provide stability to City Hall and avoid having three mayors in three years. The victor of a special election would serve the remaining three years of Duffy’s term.
“We're going to have to get people around the table and talk about what's in the city's interest and what's in the party's interest,” said Morelle.
In a letter to City Council, Plonczynski said City Council should go with its other option – appointing an interim mayor who would serve until a general election could be held next fall. He said minorities are not well-represented on the party’s neighborhood committees.
“The same process that got Bob Duffy elected I really am confident it can be the same process to get our next mayor elected,” he said.
Morelle said the process would be inclusive, if City Council decides to go with a special election. But Morelle said an exact process had not been determined.
“Believe me, it's not possible for Democrats to arrive at a consensus without an opinionated discussion and everyone will have an opportunity to express their opinion,” he said.
