Nationwide — Sharon Owens and Dorcey Applyrs made history in New York’s Nov. 4 election, becoming the first Black mayors of Syracuse and Albany. Both women won their Democratic races and bring decades of public service experience to their new roles.
Owens, 62, was elected as Syracuse’s 55th mayor, the first Black leader in the city’s 177-year history. According to Black Enterprise, she earned more than 73% of the vote, defeating Republican Thomas Babilon and independent candidates Alfonso Davis and Tim Rudd. Her victory marks the peak of a 40-year career dedicated to community and local government service.
In her victory speech, Owens spoke directly to Syracuse’s older residents who had waited years for this moment. “To the elders of this community… I’m going to work hard to make you proud,” she told supporters, acknowledging the generations who had dreamed of representation at City Hall.
In Albany, Dorcey Applyrs also made history as the city’s first Black mayor since its founding more than 300 years ago. She won by a wide margin, receiving 11,784 votes to Republican Rocco Pezzulo’s 1,922. Applyrs now becomes the fifth person to hold the mayor’s office since 1942.
Before her election, Applyrs served six years as a Common Council representative and later as the city’s chief auditor. During her victory celebration, she declared, “This is our moment. We earned this moment, and it is an amazing moment.”
Applyrs also reflected on those who paved the way for her success. “It’s my turn to do the same — to make sure every young person in this city knows that they belong, that they have a seat at the table, and that they can build a future right here in our city,” she said.
With their victories, Syracuse becomes the fourth-largest city in New York to elect a Black mayor, and Albany the sixth, marking a significant milestone for representation and leadership across the state.