UTICA — Competition for the 2023 Utica mayoral race is now heating up as Third District Councilor Celeste Friend announced her candidacy. She will be seeking the Democratic and Working Families nominations. 

Friend announced her run for mayor during her Utica for All event at the Delta Hotels by Marriott in downtown Utica, where she was joined by community leaders and supporters of her campaign. Equipped with a voter registration table, a board tacked with notes answering what residents wish to see the city look like, local pastries and activities for children, the event was designed to engage and include all Utica residents, highlighting Friend’s commitment to community engagement and involvement.

"Too many in our communities go unlistened to, their needs unmet," Friend mentioned. Our city leadership doesn’t really represent all of us, doesn’t even look like all of us. We need a city in which everyone not only has a seat at the table, but everyone has a voice in the conversations at that table, and those voices are listened to."

Friend is currently the Third District Councilor for the city of Utica, representing the south Utica neighborhood. She also serves on the Board of Estimate and Apportionment for the city and is an adjunct lecturer at SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

Friend's announcement makes her the third candidate so far who's announced their intent to run for mayor of Utica. Robert Cardillo announced his candidacy back on Nov. 10 and Frank DiBrango quietly announced his intent to run during the most recent Utica Common Council meeting.

"I believe that we are at a pivotal point in our history," Friend said. "We are about to move into an exciting future. This city is growing. Our downtown is finally recovering from decades of neglect. People are coming here to invest in our city. People are returning home to where they grew up to raise their own families here. Others are coming here for the first time because they can see what I saw more than 20 years ago, that Utica offers a vibrant quality of life that just can’t be had in most other places."

Utica's current mayor Robert Palmieri, who has held the office since 2011, is serving his third term. Due to term limit rules, Palmieri is not eligible to run in the 2023 election.

One term for the city's mayor is four years, with the ability to run for a second consecutive term. In 2017, the Utica Common Council extended term limits to three consecutive terms, which gave Palmieri the ability to run for and win his third term in 2019. In 2021, the council brought term limits back down to two consecutive terms. Once the consecutive term limit has been reached, a mayor can not run for the same office again until one term has elapsed.

While Friend did not mention more in-depth information regarding her political platforms, she gave a preview of her vision for the city during her campaign speech.

"We can become a city where all of our neighborhoods are safe and walkable and accessible," Friend said. "We can become a city where our infrastructure is well maintained and everyone has a good place to live. We can become a city with schools that young families will flock to. We can become a city where we are engaged in our own government. The future is bright."

For more information on Celeste Friend's campaign, visit: uticaforall.com