The first competitive race of the upcoming Common Council elections is shaping up in the city’s Ninth Ward where incumbent Democrat Michele Hirsch announced Thursday that she will seek a fourth two-year term representing the Downtown district. Hirsch will face a challenge from Scott Denny, a former mayoral candidate, who said he will challenge Hirsch for the Democratic Party nomination for the seat.

Hirsch took office in January 2020 and has emerged as one of the council’s most progressive voices. As chair of the Laws and Rules Committee and member of Community Development and Housing Committee, Hirsch has pushed for housing reform. Early in her tenure, Hirsch pushed for a crackdown on short-term rentals and has promoted initiatives like Good Cause Eviction and rent control. More recently she has, along with fellow progressive lawmaker Michael Tierney (D-Ward 2), backed an amendment to the city’s new zoning code that would lower the threshold for the code’s affordable housing mandates and incentives.

Hirsch has also been active in efforts to preserve historic assets and open space in her ward. She helped get a local historic district designation for the hamlet of Wilbur and supported the recent acquisition of 70 acres of rugged terrain known as the Rondout Uplands. Hirsch also backed a controversial memorializing resolution calling for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Hirsch said that if re-elected, she would continue to push for more transparency in the legislative process and continue to seek community input through monthly ward meetings.

“The Ward Nine community has made it clear that they are committed to the work of creating a more equitable Kingston, even when confronted with unprecedented challenges in housing, violence, mental health, substance abuse and traffic violence,” said Hirsch in a statement announcing her reelection bid. “I look forward to being re-elected to continue this work alongside them.”

Hirsch will face a primary challenge from Scott Denny, a retired auto sales general manager. A registered Democrat, Denny ran on the Republican and Conservative party lines in 2023 against Mayor Steve Noble. During the campaign, Denny promised to bring more unity and public participation to city government while criticizing Noble for not doing enough to address the city’s housing crisis or promote traffic safety. He lost the election by a 3,339-1,951 margin. More recently, he has criticized Hirsch’s support for changes in the process of bidding city projects that he argued would have the effect of freezing out smaller non-union contractors.