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Syracuse residents will have the opportunity to meet the city's mayoral candidates at an event hosted by FOCUS Greater Syracuse on Wednesday, July 23. The event will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Nobody's Wine Bar on Walton Street. All four candidates—Sharon Owens, Thomas Babilon, Tim Rudd, and Alfonso Davis—are invited to attend and network with attendees.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. It aims to foster civic dialogue and community connection in a nonpartisan setting. FOCUS Greater Syracuse, an independent nonprofit organization, is organizing the gathering to encourage informed dialogue and inspire action on critical public issues.
Alfonso Davis, a businessman and community activist, will be attending as an independent candidate after surviving a challenge to his ballot status. The Onondaga County Board of Elections recently ruled in his favor, allowing him to remain on the ballot for the fall election. Davis had previously filed to be on the independent line for the general election after his petitions for the Democratic Party line were invalidated.
The other candidates include Sharon Owens, who is vying for the Democratic nomination, Thomas Babilon, a Republican facing no primary opposition, and Tim Rudd, a former city budget director running as an independent. The winner of the election in November will succeed Mayor Ben Walsh, who is unable to run again due to term limits.