SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Sharon Owens made history on Tuesday, Nov. 4, by becoming Syracuse’s first Black mayor, marking a milestone moment for the city and its residents.
Owens, 62, won with more than 13,000 votes — capturing more than 73 percent of the total — according to unofficial results from the Onondaga County Board of Elections. She defeated Republican Thomas Babilon and independents Alfonso Davis and Tim Rudd, Syracuse.com reported.
On the same night, about 150 miles east of Syracuse in the state capital of Albany, citizens also elected their first Black mayor, underscoring a landmark evening for political representation in upstate New York. Dorcey Lanier Applyrs, a public health professional, had previously served as Albany’s city auditor and as a member of the Albany Common Council.
Back in Albany, Owens exclaimed, “We did it, Syracuse,” Owens’ campaign staff rerported to to her Instagram followers. “Sharon Owens has been elected our next mayor! This is more than a win — it’s a movement powered by community, love, and a shared vision for a stronger Syracuse. Thank you to everyone who voted, volunteered, and believed.”
Sharon Owens thanks the elders in Syracuse
In her victory speech before more than 300 supporters, Owens reflected on the historic nature of her win and the generations who paved the way for it.
“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 … I’m going to work hard to make you proud,” she said, according to Syracuse.com.
Dorcey Lanier Applyrs said her dream came true
In Albany, Applyrs told her supporters that “This is our moment. We’ve earned this moment and it is such an amazing moment. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she said, according to Spectrum 1 News.
This is a major milestone for Applyrs in Albany, which has elected just six mayors since 1942, the publication noted.
“Standing on this stage is a culmination of a dream,” Applyrs said. “A dream whose seeds were planted so many years ago of people who believed in me.
“I’m here because others believed, pushed and kept going, even when it was extremely hard,” Applyrs said.
Incumbent Mayor Andre Dickens reelected easily
In Atlanta, to no one’s surprise, Mayor Andre Dickens announced to his supporters who paced the Hyatt Regency downtown that he would serve the city.
“I’m so excited to be your mayor for four more years,” said Dickens, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. “At 16 years old, a kid from Adamsville, I dreamed and believed that I would become mayor of Atlanta one day.”
Dickens thanked the late legendary trailblazer, Mayor Maynard Jackson, and his mentor Cabrera Franklin. He also paid homage to his 20-year-old daughter, who voted for him for the first time.
Virginia elects Black attorney general
Meanwhile, in Virginia, Democrat Jay Jones was elected attorney general, defeating Republican incumbent Jason Miyares.
Jones’s victory came despite controversy surrounding a 2022 text message scandal, in which he suggested that a fellow state lawmaker deserved “two bullets to the head,” according to NBC News. The former Virginia delegate apologized publicly for the comments, calling them “deeply inappropriate and wrong,” and reiterated his remorse during an October debate.
Jones’s win was fueled by voter dissatisfaction with the current presidential administration and marks a significant comeback for Jones, who had previously lost a bid for the same office in 2021.
Together, Owens’s, Applyrs’, and Jones’s victories reflected a night of political change across several states — one that blended history-making milestones with redemption arcs and shifting voter sentiment.