Local Election Results Spotlight: Rochester, New York

Staff Report
Nov 6
2 min read

Major Results & Highlights

Incumbent Malik Evans (D) secured re-election as Mayor of Rochester with roughly 87 % of the vote over his challenger from the Conservative line.

For the Rochester City Council At-Large race, voters selected five seats. The results:

Chiara “Kee Kee” Smith (D) ~18 %
Stanley Martin (D-I) ~17 %
Mitch Gruber (D-I) ~16 %
Miguel Meléndez Jr. (D) ~15 %
Lashunda Leslie‑Smith (D) ~15 %

In the school board and other district races the Democratic primary for three open seats on the Rochester School Board essentially determined the winners — no major opposition in many cases.

In the June 2025 Democratic primary (which effectively decides the general election given minimal opposition) for the RCSD Board, three seats were open and the winners were:

Camille Simmons (incumbent, board president) — top vote-getter.
Kareem McCullough — challenger and second-place finisher.
Heather Feinman — challenger and third-place finisher.

Vote totals reported: Simmons 8,881; McCullough 8,314; Feinman 6,235. Notably, a potential candidate, Vince Felder (former county law‐maker), finished a distant fourth with 4,726 votes.

Suburban School Districts: Budget & Proposition Results

In the suburbs of Monroe County, election results on district budgets and propositions show several clear patterns: strong support for overall budgets; mixed (often negative) results for more ambitious capital items like electric buses; and some variations in how communities view investments and reserves.

Overall budgets passed in nearly every major district. For example:
- West Irondequoit Central School District: Budget passed 1,364–424 (≈ 76% yes) in May 2025. Propositions to authorize a new roof/HVAC/boiler at Briarwood Elementary and to establish a $20 million capital reserve passed by about 82% and 78% respectively.
- Victor Central School District: Budget passed with 773 yes to 194 no (≈ 80% yes). Bus-bond proposition also passed 773–192.
- Several districts (Brighton, Brockport, East Irondequoit, etc.) also passed their budgets by large margins.
On the flip side, some propositions specifically tied to vehicle electrification or major new capital funds were rejected or narrowly approved:
- In the Hilton Central School District: A proposition to purchase an electric school bus failed by 44 votes; but a separate proposition to purchase 11 diesel buses passed.
- In Spencerport Central School District: A proposition to use reserve funds (up to $500,000) to buy two electric buses failed by 590–570.
- In Churchville‑Chili Central School District: A proposition to buy 10 electric buses (cost not to exceed $3 million) failed 697–643. Budget itself passed though.

John Perticone wins Irondequoit Town Supervisor race

Incumbent town supervisor Andraé Evans (Democrat) was elected in 2023, becoming the first Black person to serve as Supervisor in Monroe County.
However, in 2025 Evans failed to qualify for the Democratic primary ballot after the Monroe County Board of Elections ruled he was 11 signatures short.
Another candidate: John Perticone (Democrat, longtime Town Board member) formally declared his campaign for Supervisor, positioning himself as a continuity/moderate alternative.
On the Republican side, Anthony Costanza received the Republican nomination for Supervisor.