Garnell Whitfield announces run for Buffalo mayor

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Former City of Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield announced that he is running for Buffalo mayor Tuesday night at Durham Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, where he spoke about his priorities for the city.

Since former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown’s resignation in October to become Western Regional Off-Track Betting’s president and CEO, questions have remained as to who the city’s next mayor will be.

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State Senator Sean Ryan announced his campaign last month in a video posted to social media, making Whitfield the second candidate to officially announce a run for Buffalo mayor so far.

Whitfield, a Buffalo native, started working for the Buffalo Fire Department in 1984, which is where he said he grew as a leader. He retired in 2017 and served as a commissioner during his last seven years there.

After Whitfield’s mother, Ruth Whitfield, was killed in the Tops mass shooting on May 14, 2022, he has worked with policymakers to combat white supremacy and domestic terrorism, which he spoke about Tuesday night.

“I was given the honor of introducing President [Joe] Biden as he signed the most significant gun violence legislation in the generation, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and was recently invited back to witness his signature of additional executive orders addressing the sale and ownership of ghost guns,” he said.

The BSCA, which was passed in 2022, made changes to gun control laws and gives funding to school safety, preventing violence and mental health.

Whitfield also spoke about the current issues facing the city, including the multimillion-dollar budget shortfall, citing “irresponsible budgeting” and “decades of broken promises.”

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He honed in on his goals of bettering the city’s education, workforce and development of neighborhoods and local businesses without displacement, he said.

“We all want this city of neighborhoods to thrive with local businesses opening and retail strips busy with shoppers,” Whitfield said. “We want accessible, healthy, affordable food choices and a place that we’re proud to call home, not vacant lots, empty storefronts and broken dreams.”

Whitfield concluded his announcement by saying he wants to build a “new Buffalo” and repeated his hope for the city to work together, adding that Buffalo is bound by what residents have in common.

Watch Whitfield’s full announcement in the video player below.

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Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here.

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