Deputy looks likely to seek Saratoga Springs mayor’s job

PHOTOGRAPHER: David Lombardo

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Deputy Mayor Shauna Sutton is vying for a promotion.

Sutton is expected to announce that she wants to be the Republican nominee for mayor of Saratoga Springs, according to two sources familiar with her decision. The city Republican Committee is planning a mayoral announcement at 2 p.m. today at the Saratoga Arms on Broadway.

Sutton declined to comment on a possible run but confirmed that she will be at the announcement.

The Republican nomination is up for grabs after incumbent Mayor Scott Johnson announced in March that he would not seek a fourth term.

The likely Democratic candidate is Joanne Yepsen, one of the city’s representatives on the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors. She is expected to receive the endorsement of the city’s Democratic Committee on May 18.

Sutton is now in her sixth year as deputy mayor, a position she was appointed to after volunteering on Johnson’s 2007 campaign. She is a city native, currently residing on the East Side, and her family has deep roots to the area. Her late father, William H. Sutton Jr., served as county treasurer, and her late mother, Muriel Sutton, was a member of the Republican Women’s Club.

Before becoming deputy mayor in 2008, Sutton had been a community activist, lobbied against charter reform and helped oppose an unpopular transportation plan for the city’s downtown.

If Sutton runs and gets the support of Johnson, she could have access to his campaign war chest, which was more than $30,000 the last time filing information was submitted to the state Board of Elections.