Mayor Kathy Sheehan is in her third term as Albany’s 75th mayor. Sheehan has dedicated her administration to creating a city of opportunity, leading with a commitment to equity and responsive government that includes diverse community voices. Under her leadership, the city has invested more than $100 million in new parks, streets, sidewalks, and water and sewer infrastructure across the city, with a focus on neighborhoods impacted by redlining and other historically discriminatory practices. Sheehan worked with the Common Council to enact groundbreaking equity legislation and policing reform initiatives and has led a multi-year effort to eliminate blight and sub-standard housing in the city.

Since Sheehan took office, Albany has seen $1 billion in new development citywide, with another $900 million in the pipeline—all indicators of continued historic investment in New York’s capital city. Her innovative streetlight purchase and conversion program has reduced Albany’s carbon emissions, improved pedestrian safety, and saved millions in taxpayer dollars. Additionally, her administration is further combatting climate change by planting 2,025 new trees by 2025, installing electric car charging stations throughout the city, and empowering its director of sustainability to keep the city on track to meet its 2030 climate goals.

Sheehan worked closely with federal, state, and local partners throughout the COVID pandemic to connect residents with food, PPE, and vital healthcare resources. She granted millions to support small businesses, tenants, and landlords, and secure $81 million in crucial federal funding to ensure the city’s continued fiscal health, and make $25 million in transformative investments across Albany. Sheehan served a four-year term as Albany’s treasurer prior to being elected mayor. Before serving in elected office, she served as vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary of a publicly-traded medical device manufacturer. Sheehan is a graduate of Albany Law School and Bowling Green State University. She lives in Albany’s Arbor Hill neighborhood with her husband, Bob.