Mary Lupien Wins Rochester’s Only Televised Mayoral Debate, Offers Bold Vision for a City That Works for Everyone
Tonight, in the only televised mayoral debate of the 2025 campaign, Mary Lupien emerged as the clear winner—offering real solutions, moral clarity, and the political courage missing from City Hall. While incumbent Malik Evans appeared disengaged and defensive, Lupien delivered a commanding, values-driven performance that spoke directly to the needs of working families and vulnerable residents.
Lupien opened with a powerful defense of Rochester’s immigrant communities—drawing a sharp contrast with Mayor Evans, who failed to offer even a basic affirmation of their dignity or rights. “We need the scale, the urgency, and the political will to meet this moment,” she said, calling out the administration’s inaction on housing, public safety, and economic justice.
One of the night’s most emotional and revealing moments came when Lupien challenged the mayor on his record of clearing homeless encampments. “I would end homeless encampment sweeps, day one,” she declared. “We cannot sweep our problems under the rug.” When she asked Mayor Evans if he would commit to ending the sweeps, he denied they were happening at all—claiming, “We don’t do sweeps.” Without missing a beat, Lupien corrected the record: “That’s not accurate.” Her response underscored the need for honesty, compassion, and real leadership.
On economic development, Lupien rejected the mayor’s developer-first approach. “Focusing on downtown as our sole economic strategy is backwards,” she said. “There are things we can do to help the people before buildings.”
And on guaranteed income, Lupien was the only candidate to offer a clear, unapologetic plan to address poverty. While her opponents questioned how the city would fund it, Lupien didn’t hesitate: “Guaranteed income is a core part of my platform because it works. I can show you the waste in our budget. We can find the money.” She added, “This needs to be a core part of our city plan. We can’t just offload it to philanthropy.”
Her remarks drew a sharp contrast with both Mayor Evans and Shashi Sinha, who offered skepticism instead of solutions. Lupien reinforced that addressing poverty requires not just compassion, but concrete policies and budget priorities.
Throughout the debate, Mayor Evans painted a picture of a city that’s working. Lupien forcefully pushed back, making it clear that the status quo is failing too many Rochester residents—and that real change can’t wait.
In her closing statement, Lupien captured the heart of her campaign: “I’m not running just to manage the city. I’m running to offer a plan to transform it.”
This was voters’ one chance to see the candidates side by side—and Mary Lupien made the case. She showed up ready to lead, while Evans clung to the same failed status quo that has left too many families behind.
