ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The recent midterm elections brought a wave of historic firsts across the country, including the election of the first openly gay male U.S. senator, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, and Abdul El Sayed, the first Muslim U.S. senator from Michigan. Keisha Lance Bottoms also became the first Black female governor in U.S. history, winning in Georgia.
News10NBC’s Adelisa Badzic sat down with William Johnson, the first African American mayor of Rochester, to get his reaction to these milestones.
“I feel rejuvenated. I had been depressed by the way things had turned in this country, right, and to see the reversal that occurred on Tuesday night was just absolutely unbelievable and encouraging,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the results showed the country’s rejection of intolerance and a move toward a more inclusive society.
“To see people accept folk, regardless of their name, regardless of the complexion of their skin, regardless of their religious beliefs, it was just absolutely amazing,” Johnson said.
Johnson, who won the 1993 mayoral election with more than 70 percent of the vote, served three terms before deciding not to seek a fourth. Before his time as mayor, he was president and CEO of the Urban League of Rochester.
He reflected on his own journey to office and the challenges he faced as a newcomer and as an African American candidate.
“I came from a non-traditional path. I can relate to what’s happening to a lot of these candidates who were not given any chance at the beginning of the campaign because I was a novice,” Johnson said.
He said his campaign resonated with people because the city was experiencing significant change and violence, and he focused on citizen engagement and listening to the community.
“We created citizen engagement programs that were widely accepted,” Johnson said.
Johnson offered advice to the newly elected senators and governors who are breaking barriers.
“They have to demonstrate to people that they will try to get what they promised they would deliver,” Johnson said. “But when people so blatantly ignore what they promise, then there is a price that you pay for that. And I would tell the Democrats, they need to be wary. They don’t need to make the same mistake. They promised they need to try to deliver it,” Johnson said.
When asked how it feels to be part of Rochester’s history, Johnson reflected on the city’s legacy of progress.
“Well, I’m part historian. I understand history is a continuous thing. So you make your contribution, you do what you have to do, and sometimes you’ll get credit for it, and sometimes people forget. But the thing is, you have to understand, we’re on a continuum. We don’t get locked into one spot. So what happened in the 1990s was revolutionary, what happened in the 1960s in Rochester was revolutionary. All of it together adds up to make Rochester history, and what we’re doing today. So I’m glad I was part of it,” Johnson said.
Johnson was succeeded by Bob Duffy after deciding not to run for a fourth term.
Rochester history: Former Mayor Johnson reflects on historic midterm firsts and local progress WHEC.com.
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