Councilmember Mary Lupien is Running for Mayor

“It is out there! I’m running to be our mayor. Stay tuned for our formal announcement in the coming days,” Rochester City Councilmember Mary Lupien wrote on her Facebook page this week, setting the stage for a potential primary showdown in 2025.

Lupien, a vocal critic of Mayor Malik Evans, is the third person to officially announce. Evans announced on Friday and Businessman Shashi Sinha announced earlier last week.

Lupien, who represents the East District and was first elected to the council in 2019, said she intends to challenge incumbent Mayor Malik Evans for the Democratic nomination.

“Our city needs bold new solutions to ensure that this generation and the next have the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest,” she noted on her website.

“We all know the problems facing our city: rampant child poverty, run-down housing, a broken public safety system, and a brewing affordability crisis.”

A Pennsylvania native, Lupien relocated to Rochester in 1999 to study Information Technology at RIT. After earning her degree, she began a career in IT, advancing through corporate roles. Later, she transitioned into community service, working in roles with St. Peter's Soup Kitchen, the Catholic Family Center (CFC), and as a Bilingual Reading Interventionist at Henry Hudson School #28 in the Rochester City School District, where she supported middle school students using restorative practices to address cultural gaps.

Lupien resides in the Beechwood neighborhood with her husband Jesse and their daughters, Maya and Wren. She has been an active member of the Beechwood Neighborhood Coalition board since 2018.

The mayoral primary is scheduled for June 2025, with the general election to follow in November. Lupien’s entry into the race is one of several expected announcements in the coming months.