11 November 2025
By Sharelle B. McNair
Contributing Writer
(Special from Black Enterprise) — The state of New York saw several firsts during the Nov. 4 election, including Sharon Owens and Dorcey Applyrs becoming the first Black mayors of Syracuse and Albany, respectively.
Both women secured victories in their respective Democratic races, defeating their opponents. Owens, 62, was elected as Syracuse’s 55th mayor and the first Black mayor in the city’s 177-year history, according to Syracuse.com. With a 40-year career in public service, Owens secured over 73 percent of the vote, beating Republican Thomas Babilon and independent candidates Alfonso Davis and Tim Rudd.
In her victory speech, she spoke to the elders of the community who had waited decades to see someone of her likeness with the opportunity for change.
“To the elders of this community, you who for decades looked to the future of a time when there would be a mayor that looks like you, that comes from your experience, that understands the struggle, that gets the hopes and the aspiration of generations of Syracusans … I’m going to work hard to make you proud,” Owens said to her supporters.
Albany, New York’s capital city, elected Applyrs as the first Black mayor in over 300 years since the town was chartered. She is the fifth mayor elected since 1942, outbeating Republican Rocco Pezzulo with 11,784 votes to his 1,922, according to the Times Union.
In her victory speech after walking out to Jay-Z’s “Run This Town,” Applyrs promised to be a leader who would represent all of Albany. “This is our moment,” she said.
“We earned this moment, and it is an amazing moment.”
The new mayor-elect also has a long history of public service, serving as the Common Council representative for the 1st Ward for six years before being appointed chief city auditor in 2020, and winning the title unopposed in 2021. During her speech, Applyrs thanked those who came before her and were not here to see the fruits of their hard work and sacrifices.
“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.
“You don’t have to go anywhere.”
This election put Syracuse in fourth place among New York’s largest cities to elect a Black mayor, and Albany in sixth place.
This article originally published in the November 10, 2025 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.