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Ben Walsh was reelected for Syracuse mayor Tuesday, setting him up for a second term as the city’s first independent mayor.

Walsh, 42, defeated Democratic challenger Khalid Bey with over 60% of the vote. Bey, who has served in Syracuse Common Council since 2011, fell more than 6,000 votes short of Walsh as of 11 p.m. Tuesday.

The victory confirms that Walsh’s 2017 election, when he became the city’s first independent mayor, wasn’t an outlier. His campaign and dozens of supporters celebrated with a watch party at the Persian Terrace of the Marriott Hotel downtown. He touted his bipartisan support in his victory speech.

“A lot of people, including the party establishment, tried to write off 2017 as a flash in the pan,” Walsh said. “It wasn’t. We once again proved that a broad, diverse coalition that puts people over politics and consistently chooses to rise above can win.”

“Syracuse, you picked hope and optimism for this great city. You rejected the division that has impacted politics elsewhere and had held us back for far too long, and you chose working together to solve the challenges we face.”

Walsh acknowledged his opponents in his speech, as well.

“Janet Burman’s relentless focus on public safety reflects our desire for safer neighborhoods. Janet, I want you to know that I will work tirelessly to keep our city safe,” Walsh said. “Khalid and I go a ways back and have always worked well together. Khalid has given a large portion of his life serving this community and has done so with dignity and a forceful commitment to ensuring the voice of the people is heard.

Khalid Bey conceded the mayoral race on Tuesday evening, but he seemed optimistic, saying there is more work to be done.

Max Mimaroglu | Staff Photographer

Khalid Bey conceded the mayoral race on Tuesday evening, but he seemed optimistic, saying there is more work to be done.

He described himself as a straightforward, practical and pragmatic person, and said his experience in the mayoral race has taught him a lot about how government is unattractive to voters, leading to low voter turnouts.

“We, politics and our government have to figure out what that is to try to reinvigorate the excitement about doing that civic duty to get more people involved,” Bey said.

Bey reiterated his stances on many important topics in his campaign: job security, stability in homes, the ability to feed families; safe neighborhoods and safe educational environments.

“These are the things everyday people think about. I’m hoping that those who continue on in government will make that a part of the effort next year,” Bey said. 

Voters also selected three new Common Councilors, including an at-Large councilor to replace Bey, who left his position to run for mayor. Departing Councilor Joe Carni, Common Council’s only Republican, did not win an election for a County Legislature seat and will be replaced by a Democrat. Now, Democrats will hold all 10 seats on Council.

While Walsh and Bey have different political affiliations, their politics align on some major issues. Both supported the I-81 viaduct community grid plan, encouraged city investment in sidewalk infrastructure and pushed for increased code enforcement in homes and apartment buildings across the city. 

The main issues of the campaign focused on police and public safety, where Bey takes a more progressive approach to the incumbent mayor. Bey said in March that the city’s police reform plan, proposed by Walsh and passed by Common Council, didn’t go far enough. 

The candidates butted heads over the city’s relationship with the police union, specifically the newest contract awarded by an arbitrator in July which doled out $10,000 bonuses to veteran officers. Bey and other councilors spoke against the deal in 2019, claiming it is too expensive.

In his second term as mayor, Walsh plans to focus on infrastructure, neighborhood development and public safety, according to his campaign platform. His platform, announced last month, also reiterates his commitment to redevelopment of the I-81 viaduct in favor of the community grid alternative and expansion of his Syracuse Surge economic development policy. 

“For me, the clock is already ticking, and I want to use every minute available to finish the work we started four years ago,” Walsh said.

Specific policy goals include a bus rapid transit public transportation system, the early stages of municipal broadband service and a complete update of city zoning laws. The platform also pledges an expansion to the city’s sidewalk paving program and significant increases in road reconstruction.

Walsh had a fundraising advantage throughout the entire race. He entered 2021 with nearly $300,000 in his campaign accounts and raised another $400,000 this year. Bey raised just over $100,000 during the entire campaign. Walsh used his fundraising advantage to spend nearly $200,000 on advertisements during the race.

About 93,000 people voted in this election, a turnout of about 30%, Onondaga County Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny said on Twitter. This marks a decrease of 5% from the 2017 turnout, the last mayoral election. 

“I never feel good about low turnout. We wanted to get everybody out; we felt it would be good for the campaign. It’s disappointing,” Walsh said. “That’s something we need to continue to focus on — meet people where they are.”

Asst. digital editor Shantel Guzman and asst. news editor Kyle Chouinard contributed to reporting for this post.

Published on November 2, 2021 at 10:54 pm

Contact Nick: nickrobertson@dailyorange.com | @NickRobertsonSU