Wide open race to be Rochester’s next mayor draws 8 primary candidates
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Rochester voters will see a long list of candidates on the city's mayoral primary ballot on Tuesday.
Eight candidates are running for Rochester's top office. They include a prominent catering business owner, the president of the local NAACP chapter, and a former school board member.
The race attracted all these candidates after two-term mayor Kim Norton announced she wouldn't run again.
Whoever wins the election in November will have the task of guiding Rochester through tremendous change.
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The city is in the second decade of Destination Medical Center, a 20-year, $5.6 billion dollar economic redevelopment plan meant to make Rochester more attractive to visitors and to entice people to move here.
Mayo Clinic is also building a new $5 billion hospital downtown. Construction on the new facility is slated to be done by the end of the decade as well.
That and other construction projects have disrupted traffic throughout downtown. It’s created hassles for pedestrians, visitors and businesses alike. At least one business says it’s shuttering due to the ongoing construction.
The two candidates who get the most votes in Tuesday's wide open primary will face off against each other in November. Candidates on the ballot Tuesday include:
Ayub HajiOmar, a substitute teacher in Rochester Public Schools.
Jess Garcia, a psychologist and former school board member.
Ben Zastrow, a small business owner.
Joe Powers, a restaurant and catering company owner.
Jerrod Lucker, a literacy tutor.
Molly Denis, former city council member.
Walé Elegbede, Mayo Clinic project manager and president of the Rochester branch of the NAACP.
Axe Abdimajid Ahmed, business owner.
