After surprising incumbent Mayor Marc Nelson in June’s Democratic primary, Poughkeepsie Common Councilmember Yvonne Flowers faces Republican Anthony LaRocca in November’s mayoral election. If she wins, Flowers would be the first Black mayor in the city’s history.
Flowers is the daughter of the late John Flowers Sr., a celebrated community organizer and carpenter in the city who died in 2015. Yvonne Flowers has spent four terms representing the Fifth Ward on the Common Council, where she has worked on several boards and committees, and where she currently serves as the finance chair. Flowers also spent more than 30 years as a finance officer and supervisor for Dutchess Community College. Speaking with WAMC Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Jesse King, Flowers cited her commitment to the community in her decision to run for mayor.
