This is what it all lead up to; the weeks of discussion, debate and community critique, the results of this special election would determine the predecessor of former Mayor and current Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy.

With three years left to fulfill and facing a myriad of social, economical and political problems requiring sound solutions the next mayor would have to draw on experience and a fundamental ability to reason with and negotiate him or herself through the high tide of uncertainty and skepticism that was sure to follow. The three candidates left standing throughout the campaign season although as short as it was included former mayor Bill Johnson, Tom Richards, a holdover from the Duffy administration and Alex White, local business owner and Green Party candidate, what many referred to as the alternative candidate. Richards, the new darling of the local Democratic Party and closely knit ally of Joseph Morelle, David Gant and the rest of the Albany clan showed little fear or apprehension during the special election and portrayed and uncanny confidence that almost assured the party faithful of a win in the special election.

 Bill Johnson on the other hand although equally fearless and with 12 years of bonafide experience running the City government under his belt was forced to contend with the critics who would not let the fast ferry debacle die a peaceful death nor could they forget the microenterprise money that should have gone to the business owners on West Main Street to improve their business facades and upgrade the walk ways hopefully enhancing their capability to draw new customers and appeal to the outlying residents of the county to come into the city and spend their money. The same microenterprise money reportedly went to the high falls district and the (at that time) new microbrewery enterprises that eventually went belly up and the funds wasted in the long run on people and businesses that could afford to lose it in the first place, or so some city residents were inclined to believe. With all of this baggage to carry on a notably uphill special election battle whose terrain was already strewn with the bloated corpses of issues such as mayoral control of the schools and major cutback deliberations that were inevitable for the incoming mayor, Bill Johnson’s record as reflected in the prior examples may have burdened him to the point of not being able to pull the necessary extra 2000 plus votes from the community which may have jettisoned him over the top and this story might have had quite a different ending.

To add insult to injury some may say that the repeated snubbing of Bill Johnson by Joe Morelle and the Democratic Party may have been enough to convince dedicated democrats in the city to not look back and believe that Tom Richards was the face of the future, although that face may appear for a short three years; reelections are not guaranteed by current wins.

The Green Party would not be undone in this process as they presented their candidate, Alex White as their choice who in the long run with around 2000 votes may have made more of a statement than anyone else when it comes to the discussion of just enough votes (remember Bill Johnson needed approximately that many to tie or pass Tom Richards in this contest?) and furthermore the outpouring of community activist may have caused Alex White to have a better chance than most to have such an alternative vote showing, yet in the end it appeared that good ideas and faithful entrepreneurialism is not enough for the seasoned voters of Rochester, NY. 

This night as electrically charged as it may have been quickly began to fizzle as the early returns started pouring in. Finally as the results were halfway completed it appeared inevitable that Tom Richards would indeed become the next mayor of the City of Rochester. Tom Richards did not have a cakewalk during the campaign process because “ghosts of RG&E past” and rate increases that negatively impacted most families within the city (and the county, I might add) were still quite fresh on the minds of a populace who along with every other municipality across these United States have to contend with price and rate increases in almost every critical and life sustaining area of their day to day existence. Yet all in all, the strength and experience gained by Richards serving in the Duffy administration along with the well developed and appropriately marketed commercial ads on television and radio supported by a strong call out to the community for their support sealed the deal.

 How else could a campaign be affected if not positively when the former mayor and current Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York publicly endorses you, and as they say in the music industry, “the beat goes on”. Notwithstanding the absentee ballots and the final election certification, 49% of the voting public (which was 26%, the most for any special election) decided and it appears final that Tom Richards is in fact the Mayor-Elect and can now put the work in the forefront as the political rhetoric of a well contested special election fades to black. With 42% of the vote going to Bill Johnson a statement of required accountability has been issued to the incoming administration that it may not be business as usual, but then again that type of rhetoric has been heard in most post election banter.

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