The Democratic mayor of Rochester, New York, lost her mayoral primary race Tuesday amid ongoing charges alleging campaign finance violations, Fox News reported.
Mayor Lovely Warren was indicted in October for alleged campaign finance fraud, which she continues to deny, according to The Associated Press. After serving two terms as mayor since 2014, Warren lost the primary to Malik Evans, a councilman and school board member in the city, Fox News reported.
Evans entered the race in January with the goal of restoring “trust and government transparency” to Rochester, Syracuse.com reported. He gave a victory speech saying Rochester is a step closer to being placed in the “upper echelon.”
“Tonight is the true beginning of our journey together to put Rochester in the upper echelon of U.S. cities where it belongs,” Evans said.
Yes! Malik Evans defeats Lovely Warren in Democratic primary for Rochester mayor @NYSUT #AFTvotes https://t.co/QU24v7KBFJ
— Randi Weingarten (@rweingarten) June 23, 2021
Police raided the couple’s Woodman Park home in May after obtaining a warrant against Warren’s estranged husband, Timothy Granison, for allegedly trafficking cocaine, according to Fox News. Warren claimed she has been estranged from her husband for years and had no knowledge relating to the charges brought against him, according to Syracuse.com. Granison is facing three felonies, two for drug possession and one weapons charge.
Warren had been scrutinized for her response to the death of Daniel Prude, who died after a police encounter in March 2020. Prude had reportedly been running down the streets naked and banging on store windows the evening following his release from a mental hospital. When officers found Prude, they pinned him to the ground for two minutes until he lost consciousness.
After the incident, Prude remained on life support for a week before being pronounced dead. The officers did not face charges for Prude’s death. (RELATED: Rochester Mayor Suspends 7 Officers Involved In March Death Of Daniel Prude)
As protests ensued over the death, Warren was under pressure to step down over accusations that city officials attempted to cover up the death by not immediately releasing bodycam footage. The mayor fired the city’s police chief Le’Ron Singletary over Prude’s death.