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Tim Rudd, the budget director for Mayor Ben Walsh, announced his candidacy for the 2025 Syracuse mayoral race last month but caught voters by surprise when he pledged himself to the Republican Party.

While Rudd, a longtime democrat and 2004 Syracuse University graduate, will be switching sides, he said he won’t change his platform or views and instead plans to run as a “Republican In Name Only.” He also confirmed he would disaffiliate from the Republican Party after the election.

The Syracuse Republican Committee still hasn’t made a final decision on whether they will endorse a candidate in the November election, syracuse.com reported.

Leading up to his announcement, Rudd had publicly supported current candidate and Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens, a colleague within Walsh’s current administration. However, during a two-hour phone call recorded between Rudd and Syracuse landlord Norman Roth, Rudd made several racist comments about the deputy mayor and her role in Walsh’s government, syracuse.com reported.

Rudd has faced backlash for his racist remarks about Owens. The recording, which Rudd shared with several journalists and news outlets, includes comparisons of Owens to mothers of enslaved people who would help slave owners control enslaved children.

Rudd has also alienated other members of his former party, calling Walsh, an independent, a “coward” and Owens “his lackey that does all of his dirty work” on his Facebook account.

On Jan. 27, Rudd posted a video on his YouTube channel to explain what he says is his main reason for running — the city’s handling of a whistleblower’s complaint regarding a delayed technology upgrade that reportedly cost taxpayers $10 million. He also shared his criticisms of the Walsh administration’s decision.

Without the Syracuse Republican Committee’s endorsement, Rudd will need to secure 500 registered Republican signatures to appear on the ballot without the help of the party.

Before he can petition for signatures, Rudd faces possible expulsion from the Republican Party. With many local conservatives dissatisfied with a progressive candidate running under their party, former Onondaga County Legislator Jim DiBlasi filed a complaint with the Onondaga County Republican Chairman to call for a disenrollment hearing.

Rudd was scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday, but then announced on Facebook that he would return to the Democratic Party ahead of the hearing. On Thursday morning, he deleted the posts and said he intended to re-enroll as a Republican, syracuse.com reported.

The Republican Party will seek a court order to block him from re-enrolling as a member, but Rudd says he doesn’t want to allocate finances to a legal battle.

In his campaign announcement, Rudd said he plans to resign from his current position in the mayor’s office in March to focus on his campaign. However, on Jan. 31, he was notified that he was placed on paid administrative leave pending an undisclosed city policy violation investigation.

Rudd is in the running with four other candidates who’ve announced their intentions to compete for the mayoral position, including Owens, Syracuse Common Councilors Pat Hogan and Chol Majok, and Syracuse Police Department Director of Community Engagement Jimmy Oliver.

The primaries for the mayoral race are set for June 24.

Published on February 10, 2025 at 12:48 am

Contact Shivika: sgupta38@syr.edu