The campaign for mayor of Albany is officially under way, nearly two years before the next election.
Voters won’t pick the next mayor of Albany until November 2025, but the Chief City Auditor got a head start in the typically decisive Democratic primary on Sunday.
“I, Dorcey Applyrs, am running to become the next mayor of the city of Albany,” she said.
Dorcey Applyrs kicked off her campaign before friends, family and supporters at Lincoln Park. Applyrs is a former common councilor from the 1st Ward who holds a doctorate in public health from the University at Albany.
Applyrs’ campaign was quick to highlight that she would be the city’s first non-white mayor; as a councilor she worked on the issue of air quality in the South End.
“I will prioritize economic inclusion so every resident and business can not only survive but also thrive,” she said. “I will accomplish this by further cutting red tape to allow ease when conducting business with our city.”
Democratic Mayor Kathy Sheehan, who appointed Applyrs as auditor in 2020, has said she will not run for a fourth four-year term.
Also expected to mount a bid is Common Council President Corey Ellis. Ellis, who has run for mayor twice, tells WAMC he “will continue to lead Albany toward its best days yet,” but adds “having a conversation about who is and who is not running for mayor is not my focus.”
Former Common Council President Carolyn McLaughlin, now a county legislator, told WAMC this month she is considering another run for mayor after falling short in the 2017 Democratic primary.
Jumping in first, Applyrs was joined by other elected officials like state Senator Neil Breslin, City Treasurer Darius Shahinfar and Common Councilor Jahmel Robinson of the 5th Ward. Sheehan did not attend the kickoff. Her chief of staff, David Galin, said in a statement:
"Mayor Sheehan is focused on continuing the work she set out to accomplish over the next two years, including building a new Lincoln Park Pool and West Hill Community Center, rolling out a first-of-its-kind street treatment program to enhance public safety and address mental illness, and attracting more market-rate and affordable housing."
Applyrs is married with two children. In her campaign kickoff speech, the 42-year-old said Albany has been a beacon in her life.
“I moved to Albany 20 years ago, seeking to activate my future. But what most people don’t know is that I was really running for my life,” she said. “Growing up in Washington D.C. in the 80s was very tough. We were experiencing the crack, heroin and violence epidemics at the same time. When I was 5, I lost my father to HIV and substance use.”
Applyrs made a connection to the ongoing debate over crime in Albany. She chaired the council’s public safety committee during her second term.
“Public safety will be my priority,” she said. “Because everyone deserves to feel safe in their home and in their neighborhoods. My administration will treat public safety as the public health crisis that it is and we will work to address mental health and crime, holistically focusing on the root causes.”
Applyrs would be the city’s second female mayor, following Sheehan. The primary will be in June 2025.
