Early voting is underway and voters in 2025 will decide a number of crucial local elections in cities and communities across New York, as well as a special election for a state Legislature seat and statewide ballot proposal. The off-year election results will be examined closely as the political world eyes the gubernatorial, congressional and state legislator races next year.

Here are the races to watch.

In this Nov. 24, 2015 photo, the Albany skyline is seen. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Upstate’s large cities decide new mayors

Every four years, all four of upstate New York’s largest cities along the Interstate 90 corridor hold elections for mayor. In a rare alignment, three of the four are open contests this year due to retirements and term limits.

Starting east to west, Democratic Albany City Auditor Dorcey Applyrs is facing Republican entrepreneur Rocco Pezzulo for the position of Albany mayor. Incumbent Kathy Sheehan, first elected in 2013, chose not to seek a fourth term this year.

Applyrs moved to Albany 21 years ago for graduate school, and she and her husband ultimately decided to raise their family in the city and become involved in community issues. Pezzulo, an Albany native and former restaurant owner, is now involved in mental health care. 

Moving west to the city of Syracuse, independent Mayor Ben Walsh is winding down his time leading the Salt City over a limited two terms and hopes to turn the reins over to his deputy, Democrat Sharon Owens, who has served the full eight years alongside him. She faces Republican Thomas Babilon, a former city hall lawyer, and independents Timothy Rudd, a former city budget director,  and Alfonso Davis, community activist who has made several bids for mayor before.

Should Applyrs and Owens both win, they would both be the first Black mayor and second female mayor in their respective cities’ history.

Then there’s the city of Buffalo, which has already seen a change in leadership in the last year and will see another. Longtime Mayor Byron Brown left office last fall after nearly 19 years to take a new job, leaving the office to Chris Scanlon as acting mayor, who decided to seek the office in his own right. However, he lost the Democratic primary in June to state Sen. Sean Ryan and discontinued his campaign.

Ryan has served in the state Senate since 2021 after 10 years in the state Assembly. He faces Republican Erie County Assistant District Attorney James Gardner and independent candidate and founder of Buffalo ReUse Action, Michael Gainer.

The city of Rochester also has a mayoral race, though not an open contest. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Malik Evans, first elected in 2021, is seeking a second term and faces Louis Sabo, a lifelong resident of Rochester who runs two small businesses who is running on the Conservative Party.

The most high-profile open mayoral contest in the state this year is in New York City, with Democratic state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, independent former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa facing off.

The chamber of the New York state Assembly is seen in Albany. (AP Photo)

Special election for 115th state Assembly District

Far to the north, there’s a special contest to fill a recently vacated seat in the state’s lower chamber.

The 115th state Assembly encompasses all of Clinton County, Franklin County and a few towns in Essex County. Billy Jones left the office in September after nearly a decade in office.

The race to succeed him is a quiet battle among the two major parties, as Jones had been the sole Democrat representing the North Country in the state Legislature for the last nine years.

It gives Republicans a chance to flip the seat in order to chip away at Democrats’ supermajority in the Assembly, which they’ve had for years. The designated Republican candidate, Brent Davison, hopes to be that candidate. Davison is a retired State Police major and troop commander.

Michael Cashman hopes to keep the seat in Democrats’ hands. Cashman has been the Plattsburgh town supervisor for the last decade.

The 115th District has close to the same number of registered Democrats, Republicans and independent voters — meaning candidates must connect with people who don’t identify with any party to get to Albany.

The winner of the race must run again in 2026 when all state Legislature seats are regularly on the ballot.

A skier is seen during the cross country stage of the Nordic combined 10km at the U.S. Olympic team trials at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex on Friday, Dec. 24, 2021, in Lake Placid, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

Statewide ballot proposal on forest preserve development

There’s only one statewide proposal on the ballot in 2025 to make a change to the state Constitution, and it’s an environmental one. 

A “yes” vote on the amendment would allow New York’s Olympic Regional Development Authority to build on 350 acres of land near the Mount Van Hoevenberg complex near Lake Placid, which is currently protected forest on the Adirondack Forest preserve. The construction would include a variety of winter sports activities and facilities, including trails, buildings, water lines and parking lots. The state would then be required to purchase 2,500 acres to give back to the Adirondack Park.

The motive for the amendment is to allow upgrades deemed essential to the world-class training site while expanding and protecting land.

The 6 million-acre Adirondack Forest Preserve is protected by section 1 of article 14 of the state Constitution, known as the “forever wild” clause, adopted in 1894. It states that state forest land “shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed.”

Amendments to the state Constitution require approval by a majority of the state Senate and Assembly in two consecutive sessions and then approval by a majority of New York voters.

Election Day is Nov. 4. Early voting runs through Nov. 2.