Syracuse, New York, June 18, 2018 – Today Stephanie A. Miner announced an independent run for governor of New York that charts a new path, explicitly rejecting the failed policies of both major parties. “Our current political system is broken,” said Miner. “It serves those in power but ignores the needs of real people, and both major parties are responsible.”
“I’m running to change the culture of cynicism. Nobody believes Albany has their best interests at heart, everybody knows you have to pay to play, they think the system is rigged, and they’re not wrong. But the only way it will change is if voters re-engage. If they continue to sit out elections because they don’t see any point in voting or casting their ballot for the same old party establishment on one side or the other, nothing will change,” said Miner.
Miner’s career has been marked by courageous stands championing policies that may not have been politically popular in the moment but were proven to be sound over time. From opposing tax breaks for an over-hyped mall in Syracuse, to speaking out against budget gimmicks to fund pension programs, to warning about the folly of wasting state money on the disastrous Central New York Film Hub, Miner has repeatedly put politics aside to advocate for better policies and outcomes for taxpayers.
“We have a system where corruption is condoned, and thoughtful public policy is ignored,” said Miner. “And our system is designed to minimize citizen participation and reward campaign contributors. We need to ask ourselves, if things are going so well, why have one million residents moved away over the last eight years?”
Miner will run under the auspices of the Serve America Movement (SAM). SAM seeks to promote fairness, integrity and common sense solutions that transcend the hyper-partisanship that grips Washington and Albany alike. “By working with the Serve America Movement, I join Democrats and Republicans from across the nation who are seeking solutions to gridlock like ending partisan gerrymandering, expanding voter registration and access, and focusing on tackling big problems like our crumbling infrastructure,” said Miner.
Born in Syracuse and raised upstate, Miner is the oldest of five. She learned the importance of public service from her grandmothers, stuffing envelopes for candidates at her Grandma Cooney’s kitchen table. Miner’s first paycheck was earned as a school janitor’s assistant and her first job in politics was as Governor Mario M. Cuomo’s Central New York Regional Representative. She earned degrees in political science and journalism from Syracuse University and a law degree from the University at Buffalo. Twice elected to the Syracuse City Council, Miner was elected in 2009 as the 53rd Mayor of the City of Syracuse, becoming the first woman to lead one of New York’s “Big 5” cities. She was re-elected in 2013 with 68% of the vote and left office in December as the result of term limits.
As mayor, Miner won a $1.35 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to establish an Innovation Team, was selected as one of the first IBM Smarter Cities and helped close budget gaps through creative measures like Voluntary Service Agreements with major nonprofits in the community. She also oversaw a multi-million-dollar effort to rebuild and remodel Syracuse City School District buildings and was named a ‘trailblazing woman in public finance’ by Northeast Women in Public Finance.
To learn more visit MinerforNY.com and JoinSAM.org.
