VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Residents celebrate Sharon Owens’ mayoral win | NCC News
Dan Papillo: Democrats in Syracuse have had signs like these on their lawns for months. But today, residents can take them down in victory. Democratic candidate Sharon Owens won the Syracuse Mayoral Race by a landslide yesterday over Republican candidate Thomas Babilon. A result that has many, like Westcott resident Lisa Lehmann thrilled.
Lisa Lehmann: I saw what a great job she had been doing as deputy mayor. I watch local politics pretty closely and I know that in her role as deputy mayor, Sharon was involved in a lot of things that I care about, and was doing a pretty good job, so I’m excited to see her get a chance to be mayor.
Papillo: A major part of Owens’ campaign was a push for the people of Syracuse to reap the benefits of key issues, including the destruction of the I-81 viaduct, the redevelopment of the 15 Ward, and the welcoming of Micron to the region. For Syracuse University professor and political researcher Grant Reeher, it’s a tall task but not impossible.
Grant Reeher: Those two projects create a lot of potential opportunities for the city, huge ones. But one of the big questions is how inclusive will the benefits be? The fact that she has spoken for those communities and she understands those communities, and has made it very clear in her campaign that one of her primary goals is to make sure this thing is inclusive.
Papillo: While Owens’ plans for office are extremely important, the residents of Syracuse are more focused on the things that matter to them… their community.
Andreas Harvey: I live downtown, and it seems very lonely. So, how do you activate public spaces and let people kind of know that they have a voice to occupy space and occupy public space…
Elizabeth Pritchett: There are a lot of challenges in Syracuse right now, downtown is run down, right to see what she will do with downtown, and more people outdoors. I’m hoping that she will get more things downtown so people can come back downtown and shop and everything. Years ago, there was chapels down here, assemblies and people were able to come downtown and shop and be outside more.
Lehmann: In neighborhoods such as this one, I live in the Westcott area, there’s been over the last couple of years it feels like a little bit of an uptick in petty crime, I think objectively it’s probably down, but it feels that way. So, I’ve heard her talk about that and I know she’s aware of it and hears about that…
Papillo: Reporting in downtown Syracuse, Dan Papillo, NCC News
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – After months of campaigning, Democratic candidate Sharon Owens has been elected mayor of Syracuse in a landslide victory over Republican representative Thomas Babilon. For many residents, Owens’ win marks a new chapter of excitement for the city.
“I saw what a great job she had been doing as deputy mayor,” said Lisa Lehmann, a resident of the Westcott neighborhood. “She was involved in a lot of things that I care about and was doing a pretty good job, so I’m excited to see her get a chance to be mayor.”
Owens’ campaign focused on the impacts coming from major development in Syracuse, including the removal of the I-81 viaduct, redevelopment of the 15 Ward, and partnerships connected to Micron’s arrival in Central New York. Owens’ main goal in serving the city is to ensure that residents reap benefits from this big changes.
“Those projects create a lot of potential opportunities for the city,” Maxwell School professor and political researcher Grant Reeher said. “But one of the big questions is how inclusive will the benefits be? The fact that she has spoken for those communities and understands them, and made it very clear that one of her primary goals is to make sure this thing is inclusive… it matters a lot.”
While citywide projects will be a big part of Owens’ day-to-day, residents are more focused on neighborhood concerns, such as community engagement to public safety.
“I live downtown, and it seems very lonely,” said Andreas Harvey, who just moved to the city this year. “So, how do you activate public spaces and let people know that they have a voice to occupy space and be part of the community?”
Other residents, like Elizabeth Pritchett, hope Owens’ administration will revive the city’s struggling downtown. “There are a lot of challenges in Syracuse right now,” she said. “Downtown is run down. I’m hoping she’ll bring more people outdoors, get more things happening downtown so people can come back to shop and be outside again.”
“In the Westcott area, it feels like there’s been a little bit of an uptick in petty crime,” Lehmann said. “I’ve heard her talk about that, and I know she’s aware of it.”
Owens, who has served as deputy mayor since 2017 under incumbent mayor Ben Walsh, now takes on the task of turning those community hopes into tangible progress.