Brian Sharp

@SharpRoc

Local businessman and mayoral hopeful Alex White formally announced his run for the city's top post on Thursday, promising to upend the status quo and calling on voters to "stop electing the same people with the same failed ideas."

But White's first endeavor — to seek the Democratic Party designation — has hit a wall. Such a move would require special permission from Monroe County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Jamie Romeo, because he is an enrolled member of the Green Party. And White will not be getting it.

"We obviously have three Democrats that are currently seeking the designation," Romeo said, referring to the declared candidacies of Monroe County Legislator and former Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard along with former WROC-TV (Channel 8) reporter Rachel Barnhart, and the expected re-election bid of Mayor Lovely Warren. "The consensus of city committee leaders is it doesn’t make sense to consider a third-party candidate."

Warren has not made her announcement. City Democrats begin the process of designating a candidate next week.

White previously ran for mayor in the 2011 special election and again in 2013, both times on the Green Party line. He owns Boldo's Armory, a game shop on Monroe Avenue in the city.

Then, as now, the 53-year-old South Wedge resident has railed against tax breaks and other giveaways to wealthy developers, particularly at a time when the city and its neighborhoods are struggling financially. Last month, he was raising those concerns before City Council. And, on Thursday, he included a spreadsheet of concerning tax breaks, loans and grants to developers dating from 2013 and totaling in the billions of dollars.

"I am doing this because we deserve better," White said of his mayoral bid.

At his news conference, White spoke of poverty, vacant buildings and cuts to city services. He pledged investment in recreation centers and libraries to keep the doors open seven days a week, committed to use vacant land to create urban farms, and promised a new, community involvement and jobs focus to public safety.

"We must stop electing the same people with the same failed ideas," White said. "These are the people who have made this the complacent, non-working city that it is. Until we expect better, we are not going to get it."

As for why he would seek the Democratic Party nod when he is an enrolled Green, White said the designating process gives him the opportunity to directly address more than 1,000 likely voters. Politically, he said, Democrats and Greens generally agree. And, White said, he is "not looking at this as I'm running as a Democrat. I'm looking at this as I'm running for Rochester."

But in New York, such cross-party endorsements require permission in the form of a certificate signed by the party chair. That is something the Green Party does not allow on its party line, and that Romeo said "will not be signed" for the Democratic ticket.

White and Romeo first spoke about the issue in October. White said he came away understanding that while Romeo was not inclined to grant her OK, it would be allowed if he were chosen through the designation process. Romeo, asked about the conversation Thursday, recalled matters differently, thinking White's ultimate party affiliation was not certain, also noting there were no mayoral candidates declared at the time.

"What I don't understand about the whole thing is what is the risk in allowing me in?" White said, characterizing the decision as top-down party politics. "This is only about having more choices in the democratic process, and letting the voters have their say."

Still, White is resigned: "It looks like they are going to be able to exclude me. I'm not fooling myself." But when the first of the city's Democratic committees meet next week on the northwest side, White said he will be there — and he plans to speak.

BDSHARP@Gannett.com