Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens and Mayor Ben Walsh walk in the 2023 Juneteenth parade. Credit: Mike Greenlar | Central Current

Syracuse Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens has set up a candidate committee for a potential mayoral bid.

“Owens for Syracuse” was registered Aug. 26 and comes back to an address listed for Owens.

Setting up a committee typically precedes an announcement for a run for office.

Owens declined to immediately comment on a potential run for mayor but said the committee filing is accurate. The deputy mayor could not comment further during work hours because of ethics laws.

Mayor Ben Walsh’s term expires at the end of 2025. Owens is expected to be one of several Democratic candidates for mayor.

Democrats will battle for the party bid through a June 2025 primary with the general election in November 2025.

Syracuse has not had a Republican mayor since Mayor Roy Bernardi, whose term ended in 2001. Walsh is the city’s first independent mayor in more than 100 years.

Syracuse lawmaker Pat Hogan also plans on making a bid for the office.

Owens currently oversees the city’s department of Neighborhood and Business Development, Diversity and Inclusion programs and the police and fire departments. She also serves as Walsh’s chief of staff.

Before serving as deputy mayor, Owens served as the third CEO of Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility. She also worked as deputy commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development from 2010 through 2013.

Owens is also the chair of Blueprint 15.

She hails from Geneva, New York.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated with more information.

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Chris Libonati is the managing editor of Central Current. He is a founding editorial member of the organization and was hired as Central Current's first reporter. He previously worked at the Syracuse Post-Standard...