Mayor Stephanie A. Miner

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Stephanie A. Miner is the 53rd Mayor of the City of Syracuse. Born on April 30, 1970, she became involved in politics at an early age, stuffing envelopes for local candidates at her Grandmother Cooney’s kitchen table in the Eastwood neighborhood.

She attended Syracuse University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Political Science and Journalism in 1992.

After college, she worked as the Assistant Upstate Coordinator for Geraldine Ferraro for U.S. Senate and then served as Central New York Regional Representative to Gov. Mario Cuomo in 1994.

In 1999, Miner earned her J.D. from SUNY Buffalo and began working at Blitman & King, LLP as a labor lawyer, representing unions and employees.

Already deeply involved in politics, Mayor Miner became a Syracuse Common Councilor-at-Large in 2002 after winning city-wide election in 2001 when she was 31 years old. Re-elected to the Council in 2005, Mayor Miner received the most votes of any candidate on the ballot, including the incumbent Mayor. As a Councilor, she championed and helped pass legislation that gave $1 million in initial funding to Say Yes to Education, a program that provides necessary support services for Syracuse City School District students and promises free or reduced tuition to students who graduate from City high schools.

During her tenure on the Council, Mayor Miner established a reputation as a principled leader who asks tough questions. This led the Syracuse Post-Standard to endorse Mayor Miner’s 2009 candidacy for Mayor, calling her “principled,” “intelligent,” “energetic,” and a “passionate advocate.”

Mayor Miner was elected on November 3, 2009 in a three-way race, receiving 50.1% of the vote. She became the first woman elected Mayor of any of the “Big 5” cities in New York State.