Judy Kennedy and some of her supporters on election night.
By Nancy Peckenham
The day after she won the race for mayor of the city of Newburgh, Judy Kennedy talked about her successful campaign against a high-profile city councilwoman and about her plans for entering office January 1st.
Mayor-elect Kennedy said that her victory against Christine Bello showed that she is a leader who could mobilize people to volunteer for her campaign, noting that the same leadership qualities will be applied to the staggering problems facing city government. “I am an organizer and I know how to make things happen,” she said in a phone interview.
Kennedy also said that during her campaign, people seemed to respond to her personal message. “I have been walking this city and talking to people for six months,” she said. “I talk from the heart and people really connect with that authenticity.” She’s hoping to tap into the energy her campaign generated to keep people involved in changing Newburgh.
Kennedy said that for the next several weeks she will be working with her team in order to “hit the ground running” when she enters office. One issue that she said appears to be a priority is establishing a permanent city manager. “I know I am stepping into a fire,” she said, referring to the established practices that she may start to challenge. “I believe this will be a lot of hard work.”
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