News Blog
Questions raised by Lovely Warren's victory
Short- and longer-term questions in light of Lovely Warren’s victory in Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary election:
Short ter 
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1) Will Tom Richards campaign on the Independence and Working Families lines?
2) How will the mayoral campaign of Green Party candidate Alex White adjust? White, like almost everyone else, was probably expecting to face Richards, not Warren, in November. (I had a brief e-mail exchange with White yesterday. He said that Warren’s victory will change his campaign, but not as much as you might think.)
Longer term (if Warren wins the general election)
1) Can Joe Morelle stay Democratic Party boss? Those quick to call for Morelle's head need to say who should replace him.
2) We hear there’s a lot of resume-polishing going on at City Hall. You can’t blame them; it’s only natural for Warren to want to bring in her own people. And Warren made the lack of diversity in the city’s top jobs a campaign issue. But beware. Bob Duffy cleaned house when he came in, and the city gained some good people. But also some “dunderheads,” say sources who, you can guess why, don’t want to be named.
3) What happens to Police Chief James Sheppard? On the campaign trail, Warren has so far avoided questions about Sheppard’s fate. And the city’s streets have seemed particularly violent these last few weeks.
4) Who gets jobs? Undoubtedly, some of the people who supported Warren are going to end up employed by her administration. That’s how the game is played. I wouldn’t be surprised to see former Rochester school board member Allen Williams, and City Council members Dana Miller and Adam McFadden on the city’s payroll. Look to Warren’s transition team for clues.
5) How will Rochester’s business community, who backed Richards, react to a Warren victory? And what does that mean in terms of investment and development in the city, particularly downtown?
6) How much influence will State Assembly member David Gantt, Warren’s mentor and benefactor, have in city business? Plenty — no matter what Warren or Gantt say publicly.
Short ter
- FILE PHOTO
- Lovely Warren.
1) Will Tom Richards campaign on the Independence and Working Families lines?
2) How will the mayoral campaign of Green Party candidate Alex White adjust? White, like almost everyone else, was probably expecting to face Richards, not Warren, in November. (I had a brief e-mail exchange with White yesterday. He said that Warren’s victory will change his campaign, but not as much as you might think.)
Longer term (if Warren wins the general election)
1) Can Joe Morelle stay Democratic Party boss? Those quick to call for Morelle's head need to say who should replace him.
2) We hear there’s a lot of resume-polishing going on at City Hall. You can’t blame them; it’s only natural for Warren to want to bring in her own people. And Warren made the lack of diversity in the city’s top jobs a campaign issue. But beware. Bob Duffy cleaned house when he came in, and the city gained some good people. But also some “dunderheads,” say sources who, you can guess why, don’t want to be named.
3) What happens to Police Chief James Sheppard? On the campaign trail, Warren has so far avoided questions about Sheppard’s fate. And the city’s streets have seemed particularly violent these last few weeks.
4) Who gets jobs? Undoubtedly, some of the people who supported Warren are going to end up employed by her administration. That’s how the game is played. I wouldn’t be surprised to see former Rochester school board member Allen Williams, and City Council members Dana Miller and Adam McFadden on the city’s payroll. Look to Warren’s transition team for clues.
5) How will Rochester’s business community, who backed Richards, react to a Warren victory? And what does that mean in terms of investment and development in the city, particularly downtown?
6) How much influence will State Assembly member David Gantt, Warren’s mentor and benefactor, have in city business? Plenty — no matter what Warren or Gantt say publicly.
