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After conceding the mayoral race late Tuesday night, Democratic mayoral candidate Khalid Bey said he is going to be a “trouble-making citizen.”

“If you know me, I was safer in government,” Bey said to the crowd that included other Democrats at Maxwells, a bar and restaurant in downtown Syracuse. “I’m just going to put that out there, so we’re going to have to get to work.”

Bey lost on Tuesday to incumbent Mayor Ben Walsh. During Bey’s concession speech, he said he will not be running for a seat in Syracuse Common Council again. Bey will complete his term as Syracuse Common Councilor at-Large in late December.

Bey said that he is going to engage in the political system as a citizen and will enjoy being “one of those people (who calls) a spade a spade” or tells things as they are. With a laugh he said, “If you know me, you’ve got to watch out.”

Following his time in the common council, Bey will put more time into working on the businesses he owns, he said. He said that due to conflicts of interest he could not operate one of his businesses, The Atlantean Group, during his time in office.

The Atlantean Group is a Community Development Entity that focuses on economic empowerment for low income communities and low income residents of Syracuse, according to Bey’s biography on the city of Syracuse’s website.

Bey’s platform for mayor focused on ten main points, including public safety, job opportunity and housing revitalization. Bey told reporters Tuesday that, despite the outcome of the election, Syracuse’s needs won’t change.

“These are the same issues from years ago,” Bey said. “So how well are we doing in our effort to improve people’s conditions. … The way I see it tonight, you still have so many people who are disconnected from government for whatever reason. But oftentimes we see that the reason (people are disconnected from the government) is distrust and dissatisfaction … in governments performance. ”

During his victory speech, Walsh thanked Bey for a well-fought campaign and said that he looks forward to continuing their work at city hall. 

“Khalid has given a large portion of his life serving this community,” Walsh said during his speech. “He’s done so with dignity, and with forcible commitment to ensuring the voices of all in our city are heard.”  

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In Bey’s conversation with Walsh following the election, they two agreed that they both still had work that needed to be done.

Directly following Bey’s concession, Pamela Hunter, who represents the 128th district in the New York State Assembly, took to the stage. She called Bey a friend of hers.

“Khalid is correct, we have to make sure … (to) hold our elected officials responsible,” Hunter said.

Hunter emphasized the importance of participating in local government, saying that it has the most impact on the quality of life of people living in Syracuse. Bey echoed this idea. 

“(I) want to make sure the message is clear for those who remain in government that we can’t duplicate or redo the things we’ve done in the past,” Bey said. “When we talk about making sure our city is diverse and accessible to all we have to be deliberate in that effort … it’s time for people to deliver.” 

Published on November 4, 2021 at 12:28 am

Contact Shantel: [email protected] | @shantelguzman2