Gerald Jennings
| Gerald David Jennings | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 74th Mayor of Albany, New York | |
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In office January 1, 1994 – December 31, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Michael Whalen III |
| Succeeded by | Kathy Sheehan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 31, 1948 Albany, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | SUNY Brockport, UAlbany |
| Profession | Educator |
Gerald David "Jerry" Jennings (born July 31, 1948) is the former mayor of Albany, New York, United States. A Democrat, Jennings served five terms over 20 years.
Gerald Jennings often goes by the name Jerry. Born in North Albany he began his career in the Albany City School District after graduating from SUNY Brockport and the University at Albany (M.S. '76) and served for 13 years on the Albany Common Council representing the 11th Ward.
Jennings won a shocking upset in the 1993 Democratic mayoral primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic city—over Harold Joyce, who had the Democratic Party’s formal endorsement and had only recently been its chairman. In 1993, he won the general election, becoming the 74th mayor of Albany.
In a break from his party, Jennings endorsed George Pataki, a Republican, in the 2002 New York gubernatorial race. The mayor has also supported now-former U.S. Representative John E. Sweeney (R-Clifton Park). Jennings has been a strong proponent of the plan to build a convention center in downtown Albany. He hosts a call-in radio show on WGDJ every Friday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. He did not run for reelection and retired as mayor in 2013.
Mayor Jennings is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition was co-chaired by the late former Boston mayor Tom Menino and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Beginning in 2002, the Albany Police Department endured a scandal regarding illicitly purchased machine guns.
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